Fundacion Colegio Lontananza

Since 1992, Colegio Lontanaza has fought to keep impoverish children in school. By teaching them English, these children will have more opportunities in their future. Colegio Lontananza (meaning “without limit”) is a bilingual non-profit elementary school in Villanueva, a small town in the province of Casanare, Colombia. The school was founded by Martha Roa in response to the civil war in Colombia. She explains: “I decided to focus on the children to tackle the crisis in Colombia. The war has been going on for decades. Children have become adults who have become combatants. The best way to stop this cycle is to keep the children at school and away from the violence.” According to a report from Human Rights Watch, at least one fourth of irregular combatants in the Colombian civil war are children, usually from poor families. To give these children an alternative path, Roa created a scholarship for underprivileged youth, which includes a stipend for uniforms and school supplies.