A CLASS APART - RUNNER-UP
GUATEMALA

Mateo Paneitz went to Comalapa, Guatemala, in 2004 as a Peace Corps volunteer. Peneitz's desire to help this impoverished, predominantly Mayan community didn't end with his tour though. He sold his car in the USA to raise funds to found the non-profit Long Way Home to create better employment and education opportunities in Comalapa. A popular park has already been created, but the goal now is to create a mixed academic and vocational school.

The construction of the school is part of the solution - it.s built from recycled waste such as car tyres and bottles. With mountains of waste available for re-use, the project is already providing training and employment.