Laura Esther Córdova Navia stares straight at me with
eyes that burn with passion and a voice that tells me, 'we're serious'.

The Ecuadorian born woman, whom is one of ten children
in her family, is director of the volunteer organisation New Horizons in a project
that connects all parts of the country: the Costa, Sierra, Oriente and the
Galapagos Islands. They aim to tackle problems of under educated children a
different way

There is no doubting the desire to enable change in a
country that desperately needs to break from the past and move into the modern
age where children a taught until 16 and mothers don't bear children until
their twenties.

As supposed to just putting money into schools and asking
volunteers to teach the children, New Horizons educates parents too with the
mothers receiving special attention.

‘A woman can be seen by a man as a body or a vessel to
carry their children and work the house,’ says Navia. ‘The trouble of course
with that is a woman becomes completely dependent on the male in the house in
terms of comfort and security. I have spoken to many who have been mistreated
by their husbands but who can’t leave for they have no where to go.’

Women from all parts of Ecuador have children as young
as 14, meaning that, in terms of being educated, they have none. There are no
more chances to become something more than a mother and a house worker. ‘I met
one 27 year old girl, who had already bore five children,’ say Navia. ‘The
problems often start in the home and this is something we want to tackle. It’s
not easy but if it were, we wouldn’t be here. We want to make a positive change
and to do that, we need to be in the spots where help is needed the most.’

Navia history built up to her position of director of
New Horizons having worked in communication and then as a Spanish teacher with
foreigners, she built up an appetite for having social surroundings and wanting
to help.

‘When I was working with these people, I realised that
I should so something. I had to do something.’

In 1998 New Horizons was founded under the leadership
of Navia and is still going strong, with a central office Quito and a plethora
of projects all of which can be found online.

The organisation has set up projects all over the
country, including the Sierra, Andes, Coast and Galapogos, which makes New
Horizons unique establishment.