Dear Supporters,
Our community centre is nearly finished- the final project that needed doing was the implementation of a water supply system. The community centre is now being used on a daily basis for classes and other community activities, so having a supply of water for drinking and general hygiene and sanitation is imperative.
After consultation with the community leaders, it was decided that they wanted to do local fundraising in the form of a lunch-time soup sale for the wider community.
This was a wonderful idea and a really great way to have the community get involved!
Getting ready for the big day
Various ingredients and utensils were needed for the day of the soup sale and there were lots of community members that made offers to donate and bring along the things that they had to make the occasion a success. GVI donated the meat for the soup, and of course our staff and volunteers time- as the soup sale was on a Sunday, it was not a mandatory day that staff and volunteers are expected to work but everyone eagerly accepted!
The day of the soup sale
Sunday morning came and we joined together with some of El Cocals in full spirits to cook the soup and raise some money!
The morning started with a lot of chopping- the volunteers were intently following the instructions of the community members to find out exactly what to do. The soup was cooked on the fire outside in a large pot in a typical style of cooking Olla De Carne. This was a great opportunity for the volunteers to learn more about Costa Rican culture! The children were so happy to see the volunteers on a Sunday and tried their best to distract them by asking them to come and play with them! Everyone took turns playing and stirring the soup!
The smell enticed many passersby and many people were happy to come and buy a bowl of soup, especially when they heard what the money was going to be used for. The soup was delicious and it wasn't surprising that we sold out!
Success
We exceeded our expectations and raised 66 500 Colons- almost the total amount that we need to bring water to the community centre! Overall, the day was hugely successful- we all worked side by side for a common goal to raise money for the community centre and we all couldn't be happier at the outcome!
Thank you for your continued interest in our work!
With Gratitude,
GVI Costa Rica
Dear Supporters,
As 2016 draws to a close, we look back on all of our achievements.
The Community of El Cocal
This year we focused our efforts in El Cocal, a community located on a small peninsula a few minutes outside of Quepos. Despite the proximity to the tourist centre of Quepos, it has a very different feel and the lifestyle of the community members is quite unique. The community itself is an isolated and partially illegal settlement, home to Costa Ricans as well as many immigrant families. Many of these people have come to Costa Rica to benefit from the political and financial stability offered, but people struggle to make ends meet unless they are able to draw an income from the foreign visitors.
The children from this community attend the school for only 4 hours a day and spend the rest of the day in the street, playing video games or watching TV. One of the aims of this project is to offer the kids a safe space where they can go to play safely and learn. Hence, we started by building a playground, then a community centre with enough space to have workshops, and space where children can play, learn about growing their own food and healthy eating habits.
A Playground
At the beginning of the year, one of our volunteers, Kate, raised funds to build the first playground in El Cocal. It was completed over the course of 4 weekends and has been used non-stop since we opened it!
A Community Centre
Near the playground, we started erecting the roof for a community centre. We have been building the community centre in pieces, as funding becomes available. The roof was a key part as it provides a space to use during the rainy season. Kate also donated chairs and tables for the new space. So slowly it started coming together!
Later in the year, with the help of your donations, the El Cocal community and a group of hard working volunteers we were able to make huge progress on the community centre. A fence was put up, the ground was levelled, foundations were laid, walls were built and painted and a bathroom was fixed up.
Increasing Access
The only access to the community is by sea. There is only one boat ramp that has been, little by little over the years, washed away by the sea. This makes it very hard for old people and people with disabilities to get up and down, especially when there is low tide. It is also very slippery and becomes dangerous for everyone. People from the community came together and rebuilt the lower part of the ramp, making it safer and increasing access!
How the projects impacted lives?
One of the biggest highlights of this year was working alongside the community and under their direction. The project was initiated by the community and they were involved in all aspects, from local fundraising to committing their time, expertise and labour to the tasks. The land where this community centre is built belongs to the community and the centre has been requested by them.
As well as GVI having access to the centre for our daily projects, the centre will also be used for weddings, meetings and festivals. It is a safe space in a healthy environment for everyone to enjoy. It also has a communal kitchen used to make and sell products. Likewise, the community centre has an outside bathroom which can be rented to the people visiting the beach. In addition, the community centre aims to also be an example of sustainable organic agriculture, starting by having a compost area, local products and then have the people replicating it in their backyards!
What's on the cards for 2017?
We want to focus on using this centre to help members of the community to make a living. We aim to do this by improving the kitchen facilites, planting and nurturing an organic garden and renting out the bathroom to beach goers. We also want to get our healthy breakfast club off the ground for the local children.
We hope that you will continue to support our work and our commitment to the community of El Cocal in 2017.
Thank you for your incredible generosity in 2016. We would not have been able to make such huge progress without your kind support.
We wish you a happy festive season and a prosperous new year.
With Gratitude,
GVI Costa Rica
Dear Supporters,
GVI has been working in Quepos since 2011 and concentrates mainly on the struggling communities, particularly working with the children and young people of these areas.GVI has decided to focus its efforts almost entirely on El Cocal in 2016, as it is the area that needs the most help.
El Cocal struggles due to being a partly illegal and isolated settlement, many inhabitants suffering from drug and alcohol abuse. There is also a high number of immigrant families from surrounding Latin America countries, which has led to problems with racial tension. Lots of the community are employed in the fishing industry, which means work is unreliable, so families aren’t used to saving money, just spending what they have straight away.
El Cocal is often ignored by the residents of the surrounding areas, the bustling Quepos and the thriving Manuel Antonio. Despite El Cocal being populated for decades, the only official government building is the school, the partner of GVI. This is why GVI wants to build a community center to be a place for children to come and learn in a safe and fun environment outside of the school, as well as a place where the adults can come together, make new friends and grow as a community. We spent three weeks designing, building and decorating a space the whole community can use.
Recently GVI volunteers spent three weeks designing, building and decorating a space the whole community can use using funds donated by you!
What impact did the donation have?
The children from this community attend the school for about 4 hours a day and normally spend the rest of the day either in the street, playing video games or watching the tv. One of our aims is to offer the kids a safe space where they can play and learn. Hence, we are building a community center with enough space to have workshops, space where they can play around and learn about growing their own food and healthy eating habits.
The land where this community is being built belongs to the community, and the center has been requested by them. The center will also be used for weddings, meetings, festivals. It will also have a kitchen that the local community will be able to use and sell products to generate an income. Likewise, the community center has an outside bathroom which could be rented to the people visiting the beach, as one of the long terms aims is to change the image of El Cocal from being a neglected and dangerous town to a place where families can go to enjoy the beach.
In addition, the community center aims to also be an example of sustainable organic agriculture, starting by having a compost area, local products and then have the people replicating it in their backyards, for eventually sell the products and get some income from it too.
We look forward to sharing more detailed news about what we have done in the next report!
Thank you for your donations, which have made the dream of a community center a reality!
With Gratitude,
GVI Costa Rica
Dear Supporters,
A few weeks ago there was a nationwide teacher's strike here in Costa Rica that lasted 3 days. So we decided to jump in take the opportunity to host a school camp in El Cocal.
For this camp, we decided to split the volunteers into 3 groups, each in charge of creating 1 day of activities for the kids. Superheros, Minions and cardboard zoos were the themes of these fun-filled 3 days!
Day 1: Superheros
All of the kids had to choose the qualities of their favourite superheroes- helpful, loyal, fast, brave- and convert these qualities into camp rules. For example, 'always help others when they need it.' It is safe to say that the kids loved playing superheroes for the day and their excitement was amplified by the superhero accessories they got to make! The firm favourite was the cape making. Armed with white sheets, fabric markers and paint the kids were tasked with making their own unique capes for the day.
The imagination and creativity of the kids is amazing to witness! One very memorable cape was made by an 11-year-old girl who declared herself 'Saviour of the World' vowing to help anyone affected by poverty and war.
Day 2: Disney
The kids in El Cocal are Disney- obsessed and many even came on day 2 dressed in their Disney clothes! Although everyone has their favourite characters, there was a general agreement that Minions were the ultimate Disney characters. It was an amazing sight seeing 30 children running around in Minion masks after our first activity!
The Disney fun continued throughout the day with more mask making, wand and crown making and even face painting. At one point we had a student painted up as Elsa from Frozen, holding an 'evil villain' wand and dressed up as a Minion!
Day 3: Zoo
The animal theme is fun but also very important here in El Cocal. There is not much education about animals and animal treatment, so this was the perfect theme to bring this up.
We started the day by creating a zoo of animals out of recycled goods. The kids learnt about what animals live in what ecosystems and how they all fit together. We also spoke about animals being treated well and what that means. In the end, they seemed to grasp the concept that animals have feelings too and we need to be kind to them.
The fun continued with decorating t-shirts with favourite animals and sports activities at the end of the day. It is of equal importance to let the kids be creative and active as these are both ways to engage in a healthy lifestyle, free their minds of any frustration and negative they may be carrying with them.
Camp is a great way to provide the kids with a safe place to be when school is out unexpectedly as well as have fun and build stronger relationships in the more relaxed and informal environment.
With Gratitude,
GVI Costa Rica
Dear Supporters,
Today I want to tell you about a new initiative on our Quepos project. We are aiming to launch a Healthy Breakfast Club in conjunction with one of our partner schools.
Why?
Jose* lives in a community in Costa Rica called El Cocal. His parents came from Nicaragua, hoping to find a better life for their family in the tourist mecca that is Quepos, the gateway to the famous Manuel Antonio Park.
The reality of the situation isn’t as good as his family might have hoped for. Theirs is a daily struggle to make a living, provide 3 meals a day and to keep their children off the streets and away from a multitude of negative influences.
Jose goes to school every morning with an empty stomach and a distracted mind. Because of this, he isn't doing as well in school as he should and he often gets into trouble with his teachers.
With your help, we can help Jose by ensuring that when he gets to school he has a healthy breakfast waiting for him, so that he can start his day off on a positive note and work hard at school.
With your help, we can help Jose and 79 other school children like him.
This initiative costs $1/ day/ per child. That means that for only $20, Jose and his parents won’t have to worry about starting the day on an empty stomach for a whole month.
Our Goal
We need to have an initial sum of $9 600 so that we can launch our Healthy Breakfast Club to 80 children for a 6 month period.
Will you help us?
As an extra bonus, this GlobalGiving Bonus Day, your gift will go that much further because GlobalGiving will match your donation by 50%! That means that children like Jose will be guaranteed a full stomach and healthy mind for that much longer.
So, put the 15 June, 9am EDT in your diary and help us get the Healthy Breakfast Club off the ground!
With Gratitude,
GVI Costa Rica
*Names have been changed
Links:
Project Reports on GlobalGiving are posted directly to globalgiving.org by Project Leaders as they are completed, generally every 3-4 months. To protect the integrity of these documents, GlobalGiving does not alter them; therefore you may find some language or formatting issues.
If you donate to this project or have donated to this project, you will get an e-mail when this project posts a report. You can also subscribe for reports via e-mail without donating.
We'll only email you new reports and updates about this project.
Support this important cause by creating a personalized fundraising page.
Start a Fundraiser
Make a monthly donation & get 
