Costa Rica Kid`s School Sponsorship Program
In mid July, we visited over 350 of the children that we sponsor in January in the Northside`s Costa Rica KIDS Sponsorshgip Program (over 430 kids are sponsored in the entire program). Jose, Fabiana, Ivania and myself visited 15 of the 19 communities where these children live in just over 1 week. We were also joined sometimes by Pastor Mauricio & Marjorie.
We noticed many changes in these communities from when we visited them the first time in January 2007. There were many changes in the families, fathers who were staying home with their families, situtations of abuse that have been dealt with, mothers who now have work fixing the roads in their own towns (wages that a man would make), schools that have been painted and have vegetable gardens to provide food for the school. Also children who were just getting by in school are now passing and even excelling in their classes. Most of the children who didn`t pass last year and so did not qualify for support are now passing and will join the program again in January.
We are currently raising the funds to sponsor these children back in Canada, the cost is only $70 per child. We are working hard here to find the best prices possible to make our dollars stretch as far as they can go. Unforutnately in Costa Rica right now there are extreme financial hardships especially for the poorest of families. Rice prices have gone up considerably and gas prices have sky-rocketed. This doesn`t just affect the use of their cars but also the price of bus fare has gone up as a reflection of the increase gas and diesel costs and is the way most people get to work. Also the general costs of food have gone up as the trucks transporting goods are having to pay more for transport which gets translated into higher food prices. The country is actually in a critical state financially.
We have a few more communities to visit in the Limon area still but all seems to be coming together well for next year.
We noticed many changes in these communities from when we visited them the first time in January 2007. There were many changes in the families, fathers who were staying home with their families, situtations of abuse that have been dealt with, mothers who now have work fixing the roads in their own towns (wages that a man would make), schools that have been painted and have vegetable gardens to provide food for the school. Also children who were just getting by in school are now passing and even excelling in their classes. Most of the children who didn`t pass last year and so did not qualify for support are now passing and will join the program again in January.
We are currently raising the funds to sponsor these children back in Canada, the cost is only $70 per child. We are working hard here to find the best prices possible to make our dollars stretch as far as they can go. Unforutnately in Costa Rica right now there are extreme financial hardships especially for the poorest of families. Rice prices have gone up considerably and gas prices have sky-rocketed. This doesn`t just affect the use of their cars but also the price of bus fare has gone up as a reflection of the increase gas and diesel costs and is the way most people get to work. Also the general costs of food have gone up as the trucks transporting goods are having to pay more for transport which gets translated into higher food prices. The country is actually in a critical state financially.
We have a few more communities to visit in the Limon area still but all seems to be coming together well for next year.
posted by Lana @ 4:39 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home