THE FOUNDER

Roberto Martignago is Italian. He started working for the charity sector in Italy in the 1980’s, mostly in a residential drug rehabilitation centre called Quadrifoglio in Bologna. He then opened a day-centre for recovering drug addicts nearby. in 1997 he moved to Colombia to start a centre for street children, especially those coming out of prison. Many of these children were also affected by drugs.

He then saw in his local community there were disadvantaged children who were not getting the education they needed within the existing state system. They were either excluded completely or they were neglected and failing at school because the schools could not cope with their special needs.

Roberto acts as mentor and advisor to the staff at Talita kum.  He is married to Uliana, a Colombian psychologist who also gives time to Talita Kum, and they have two teenage children. Roberto is a lecturer at Pasto University.