By Jim Damalas and Alejandra Monge | Project Supporters
The Village of Santa Juana is a sleepy little town in the midst of the mountains of Aguirre overlooking the famous national park and beaches of Manuel Antonio, 30 km from the mountain ridge of Fila Chonta. A beautiful area, however Allan Jimenez started to contemplate the need of moving away to find a job. He needed to provide for his family and there was no work to be found in Santa Juana, he was only 19, living with his mother and brother. His father left to seek employment elsewhere when he was young.
The Rural Tourism Project started by Greentique Hotel was a life savior! This project has been the only source of employment in this area for a really long time. This was a great opportunity for Allan and other people in the community to avoid migrating in search of income to sustain their families. Unfortunately work is not the only need of this community: Water supply is limited, until a few years ago there was no electricity, roads are in bad condition, health treatments are scarce and the school has very limited supplies.
Having a job is a great motivation for Allan, his opportunity to stay with his family. Over the last 7 years Allan has become a local inspiration by his level of productivity and his positive spirit and comradeship with his fellow workers and the rest of his community. Allan recently became the proud father of healthy baby girl. He has been able to convey that growing pride of his new family, of his community, and the mission of the conservation program to hundreds of visitors.
Allan as the rest of his community dream with opportunities to improve their lives. They don’t want to leave their
families. They don’t want to add to the thousands of Costarricans that have had to migrate in order to support their
families. They don’t want their families disintegrated.
Funding for this project will impact their community in a great way. More supplies and desks for the school, a better more hygienic examination room for the doctors to treat patients, better tubing for the water system and more opportunities for their children. They dream to attract new families to their community, more population means new micro businesses, more government support and better schools. By donating through Globalgiving you will be helping this community to stay alive, unlike other nearby towns that have disappeared.
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