Centro Comunidad Cristiana

Now that I have been back in the states, uploading pictures and even a video has become much easier. I wanted to share a little about our last week in Costa Rica. We spent the afternoons on Wednesday and Thursday at a community center in San Ramon called Centro Comunidad Cristiana (click the link to see their website). This is a community center next to Bajo Tejares which is a poverty ridden community primarily inhabited by Nicaraguans.
The first day we immediately got started making crafts with the children at the center and playing Costa Rican games in the gym. The second day we had the opportunity to get a more detailed explanation of the center and a tour of the community. This community center is primarily operated by a social worker, John (from the states), and a pastor. They receive funding from Faithful Servant Missions in Jacksonville, Florida. The center is focused around after school education and tutoring, with the hopes of helping the children in the community finish school at least at the ninth grade level (equivalent to high school sort of and able to enter technical schools at this level). Kids come to the center after school and are helped with homework, math tutoring, reading and are provided with supplies to use which they do not have in their homes. There is then a church for evening services for those interested in the community. They currently only have a couple classrooms for students which are frequently effected by the rain and had a mission group volunteering at the time to build a separate building for the older teenage kids. During this week the kids were all on vacation from school so they seemed to be at the center to play because they didn't have activities at home.

The community originally began with Nicaraguans sort of squatting on the land and making what they could into a home, as more and more came it became bigger. When the interest began to develop the center, there was a patch of old coffee land that was being used, of which they convinced the owner to donate. It was developed knowing there was a great amount of need and initially to help children with education, in the last two years it has changed and grown tremendously. Now they advocate for neighborhood rights, drug and alcohol programs, teen programs and do what they can to help families in need. Because they don't have funding for financial services to the families, they explained that frequently the staff is pulling money together from their own pockets or going door to door in San Ramon to collect food.

The biggest accomplishment has been getting the government to assist with sustainable housing in the community. Many now have small, two bedroom homes which house about two families, a great accomplishment from their previous homes. Unfortunately, there are not enough of these homes for everyone. There was a huge struggle to make sure these homes were built for the community and not for renters, but many had to give up on waiting for their home or were never given their home. These families continue to live in home made of corrugated metal and dirt floors with sketchy electricity. Actually, about twenty of these families lost their homes to a large fire a few months ago. Fortunately, some of them have found ways to rebuild with the scrap metal. Many have also rented out their backyards to other families...not legal in the government housing but a necessity.

It was a bit overwhelming to see this community but also very humbling. They even had a co-op in which about 20 women work in the garden and share all the vegetables produced.

After our tour we walked back to the center, with a larger group, (some of these cute kids convinced us to carry them up the hill to the center), and made some tortugas de papel with the kids at the center. Having these two days at the center really made our last week and culminated the ending for those of us leaving. The kids were great and took a spot in each of our hearts.