A foundation set up in memory of a 26-year-old teacher who died while travelling in Cuba has awarded its first two scholarships.
Lara Jones, from Goosnargh, near Preston, was found dead at a hostel in Havana Old Town in March last year. It is not known how the former St Francis’ Primary School pupil died.
As a TESOL (Teacher of English to Speakers of Other Language), Lara had travelled across many South American countries and had talked of opening a school there.
In the wake of her death her family set up Lara’s Foundation to honour her dream and to help people of low to no income learn English.
Last year Lara’s mum Carolyn, from Whittingham, visited the town of Simijaca in Colombia to talk with a school about its teachers becoming the first to benefit from a Lara’s Foundation scholarship.
And this month two teachers, Ana Sanchez Leonor Peña and Ligia Urrego Rodriguez, will travel from Colegio Agustin Parra to the UK to take part in an intensive 24-week course at EC London.
EC London is a British Council accredited English Language school where Lara taught English at every level.
In a letter to the foundation, the two teachers said: “We want to thank you for your support for the development and progress of the education of our children and youth.
“When people like you intersect in our lives it is a reason to give thanks to God and to fight to fulfil the dream of giving the best that is in each of us to enrich this beautiful mission that was entrusted to us, to be teachers.
“The improvement in the teaching of English will improve the quality of education and thus help to bridge gaps and open doors to new generations, sharing significant experiences in the classroom and beyond.”
In the past nine months Lara’s friends and family have organised a variety of fundraising events to support the foundation’s work.
To find out more or to learn how to make a donation to the organisation, visit www.larasfoundation.co.uk.
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