Map of La Mesa

The Costa Foundation project in Colombia was completed in January 2008. Three of the Trustees of the Foundation visited Anatoli School to review progress.

The whole community  - children, parents and coffee growers  - arrived to meet their guests, in some cases walking for more than three hours to get there, and proudly provided a full tour of their new school building and facilities. 

The remains of the old school, which had been damaged by an earthquake in 2005, were still clearly visible and provided a stark contrast to the new building consisting of:

• Six classrooms
• Music room
• Science room
• Geography room
• Computer Room
• General rooms
• Canteen
• Staff room
• Library
• Kindergarten

More than 200 children have benefited from these new facilities.

In addition to Costa's investment in Anatoli, Intel have provided the children with small laptops for use at school and this has proved to be a fantastic learning resource for the teachers.

The community has also developed a plot of land about half a mile away from the school where food is grown for school meals, ensuring that the children are eating nutritious food. Some of the older children are responsible for each of the elements of the farm: vegetable plot, fish farm, chicken farm and small working plantation and the Trustees were able to witness for themselves the results of their hard work and commitment to developing the land.

"I would like my grandmother to learn how to use the computer"

Ivan David Tapiero Diaz, 9 years old

 

A further grant request from the community for a school playground was approved by the Trustees and work was completed in March 2008.

 "For the first time I can play properly with my friends in a new playground."

Jessica, 10 years old