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Barú, a town with a population of 6,723 is located 17 miles from the historic city of Cartagena. The trip, on an unpaved road circumventing the hills bordering the Caribbean, can take close to two hours. A 'water-taxi' with unscheduled departures makes the trip from Cartagena in about one hour. The beauty of the area, with tropical vegetation, white beaches and clear-blue waters; the proximity to Cartagena, a resort city for Colombian and foreign tourists; and the warmth and happy disposition of the people, have made Barú and its surroundings a centerpiece of the Colombian government's effort to develop the tourism industry. And yet, until a few years ago, a large portion of Barú's children did not have access to education.

In the mid-nineties, the school Luis Felipe Cabrera, a public institution run by the state's department of education, was built with the support of a number of private individuals interested in the development of the area. An imposing, colorful building by the town's dock, the school educates 705 students, from kindergarten to eleventh grade (the last grade in the Colombian educational system) in two shifts.

Given the location of the school and the poverty of the area, attracting and maintaining an adequate educational staff has proven to be a challenge, and while the school has continued to run, it has fallen into disrepair. However, the school's existence has raised awareness locally of the need for education. A renewed effort is being made to put in place strong management for the school and raise its level of instruction by attracting a group specializing in offering education in difficult areas.

A grant from the Genesis Foundation, in conjunction with the leadership of Fundación Corona, enabled Colegio Luis Felipe Cabrera to make emergency repairs to their facility. These much needed capital improvements contributed to the process of providing quality education to the children of Barú.

For more information about this institution, or to make a direct contribution, please contact genesis@genesis-foundation.org.