Costa Rica rural community support fund

Every rainy season children from the town of El Progreso head to Agujitas to attend high school.   This 45 minute walk or 10 minute car drive is quite pleasant, if it is not raining. The issue with the rain, has very little to do with getting wet and a lot to do with putting their lives in danger crossing the Drake River that stands between their home town and their high school. I have witnessed school children cross the river with the water up to their chest, because once the water gets too high, cars refuse to give it a try. So the young students and the locals are left on their own. I am surprised that nobody has lost their life crossing this river.

With little access to infrastructure and education children in this area have to take chances or they have the greatest excuse in the world to drop out of school. We know what dropping out of school means for most people: The perpetuation of the poverty cycle in the communities and their families, and an unsustainable and unjust world.

The foundation mission states: We strive to increase the protection of wild areas, promote environmental education, sustainable tourism and community participation through the sustainable use of natural resources in the South Pacific area of Costa Rica. However in order toimprove participation in nature conservation, we need to improve the communities quality of life, and open their alternatives for education and economic stability.

The Osa Community Fund was created by our organization to put money aside for community projects. These monies will be given to grass roots groups after they have committed to match the value of the donation by providing man hours, materials or similar to the project.

Raising funding for the Osa Community Fund or as we call it FACOSA, hasn’t been easy. Last December we engaged in an’’ End of the Year Challenge’’ with Globalgiving in order to raise funding and awareness about the Osa Community Fund.   We raised $ 1,750 USD. Our goal was to raise $3000 USD for the fund. Although we fell short of our goal, we are happy and grateful and thank the friends and philanthropists who pitched in to help us raise this money.

The much needed monies will be added to funds previously raised to finance more community projects.  One of the projects already presented by the Development Association of El Progreso, is to build a much needed walking bridge for the Drake River. We have published an invitation to help with this project in facebook and posters have been placed in stores, schools and other public spaces.

We want to thank you for your donations. Your donations maintain this fund and allow us to be more active and focused on the needs of communities. The foundation is always short on cash, but we offer our technical support, fundraising efforts and follow up on the detail to ensure that every dollar that you donate has a huge impact. Not one cents is charged for our costs. We donate all of our time and expenses.  We are all partners in making the world a little bit better, bit by bit!

Thank you