Rebeca and Mauricio Wild

Rebeca Wild (1939–2015) and Mauricio Wild (1939–2020) were pioneers in alternative education, best known for founding the Pestalozzi Educational Centre, or 'Pesta', in Ecuador. Their work challenged conventional schooling, emphasising respect for life processes, non-directivity, and children’s natural stages of development.

Early Lives and Meeting

Born just five days apart — Rebeca in Berlin and Mauricio in Quito — their childhoods were shaped by vastly different experiences. Rebeca grew up in the shadow of World War II, facing hunger, fear, and loss. Her schooling was disrupted, and after the war, she spent time in Switzerland recovering from malnutrition. She later studied German philology, deepening her understanding of language and learning. Mauricio, on the other hand, endured the harsh discipline of a strict boarding school in Ecuador before moving to Switzerland as a teenager, an experience that left him deeply disillusioned.

Their paths crossed in 1959 while working as tour guides at Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany. A strong connection formed between them. After parting ways, they planned a future together through letters. In 1961, Rebeca made the bold decision to move to Ecuador, travelling across the Atlantic in a banana boat, unsure of what awaited her. Mauricio found her on the boat just as she feared he hadn’t come to meet her (a long story!). Together, they began a new chapter.

The Journey to Education

Initially, they explored various ways to live authentically, moving between cities and countries.
During this period, Rebeca pursued studies in music pedagogy in New York. Mauricio, after working in various capacities including managing a plantation and employment in an import-export firm in Guayaquil, studied social sciences from 1965 to 1970 in New York and Puerto Rico.

The birth of their first child in 1966 marked a turning point. Struggling to balance their child’s needs with their own, they discovered Maria Montessori’s writings. Inspired by her approach, Rebeca pursued Montessori training while opening small kindergartens in Puerto Rico, Colombia, and eventually Ecuador.

Back in Ecuador, they bought a farm in Tabacundo, where their first son spent part of his early childhood. At first, they didn’t fully realise it, but as he grew, it became clear that conventional schooling wasn’t meeting his needs. With the birth of their second son, their concerns deepened. After losing their farm, they moved to a town called Tumbaco, where they started the Pesta. Drawing from their studies in child development and education—including their research into alternative pedagogies—they set out to create a learning environment that honoured children’s natural rhythms and autonomy.