In this article, you will find news about the support given during the Covid-19 crisis, our CIDAI program, psychology counseling, and women empowerment.
Beneficiaries of the donation of essential goods:
The food delivery phase of the project came to an end. We are not distributing any more food baskets right now due to a lack of funding. We are engaging the second phase of the project which consists of connecting people with skills and motivation to existing resources, agriculture projects at home, and community gardens, as well as addressing social and psychological needs.
Since April, CEPIA, in collaboration with CRJuntos, delivered a total of 6443 packages benefitting 18645 people in the Santa Cruz canton in Guanacaste:
- April: 556 packages for 1763 people
- May: 2120 packages for 6319 people
- June: 2052 packages for 5682 people
- July: 1715 packages for 4879 people
80% of the total population served is Costa Rican, 15% is Nicaraguan and 5% are other nationalities.
In July we also coordinate food support to the communities around the center of Santa Cruz, as well as to the community of Guaitil, the only indigenous community in our area that creates beautiful pottery. Last week CEPIA received a donation of a lot of fish from the Flamingo Marina Project. On July 14th and 18th, volunteers distributed free fish in the communities of Brasilito, Huacas, Portegolpe, and Hatillo.
Our support at people´s homes!
CEPIA offers emotional, academic and nutritional daily support at the CIDAI center (Intervention center for high-risk kids) In order to keep working during the Covid-19 crisis, CEPIA decided to deliver these services to each of the 88 people’s homes:
Nutritionist Diana Fuentes was in charge of the food packages that the children receive every two weeks. Teachers prepared materials and carried out activities according to the Ministry of Education´s planning. For primary school kids, CEPIA sent printed material to their homes. Every other week we also sent foam, paints, brushes, and other school supplies. One of the mothers who benefit from this material told the teachers: “I am happy with your support. My daughter explores her creativity. She even made a kitchen with a cardboard box and soda cans”. Relaxation techniques are sent to parents through videos, as well as daily scheduled routines. We are also happy to announce that 20 teenagers will soon be part of this CIDAI program! More news in our next newsletter! We thank the governmental agency PANI for their trust and collaboration in this amazing project for high-risk kids.
World Environment Day:
On June 5 all the world celebrates Environment Day. Thanks to Salvemonos and Nandamojo Association, CEPIA gave away 120 trees! Great volunteers planted them all over Guanacaste. The greener, the better!
Our psychology counseling keeps helping!
CEPIA staff provides weekly psychological counseling to children and adults. Our psychologists are Patricia and Eleana.
During April, May, and June, 603 people requested psychological counseling. CEPIA offered psychological counseling to 215 people. Women represent almost 88.37% of the population, which shows that women seek more emotional support than men.
The reasons for consultation are diverse: unresolved childhood conflicts, family or personal problems, mourning. However, most people have stress, anxiety, or depressive symptoms produced as a result of COVID-19.
43% of people are having sleep disorders. 65% are Costa Ricans and the rest are foreigners.
We share some words of a woman that receives psychological counseling: “The Covid-19 had hardly started and my employers already reduced my salary. Before I bought food and my partner paid the rent for the house, water and electricity (…) I can’t help him financially, so he told me that I better leave with my daughter. He told me that this way he will spend less money on food. He also told me that I am a leftover (…) and that I eat a lot, that’s why I try to make only one meal per day”
Another man also told us: “I can’t sleep, it is 3 in the morning and I am sleepless (…) I’m worried about not having a job, water and electricity bills, children asking for something to eat and having nothing to give them (…) my neighbor gave me some sleeping pills and sometimes I take 2 of those in order to sleep”.
Women empowerment!
CEPIA supports women in vulnerable conditions, many of them immigrants and heads of households. During this year CEPIA developed several actions in order to work on their empowerment and personal growth.
CEPIA made a group of 25 women and prior to the Covid-19, they had meetings every 15 days. During those meetings, women have time for recreation and personal growth. Nowadays meetings are carried out virtually through tutorials and videos. Several workshops were held where women learned to do things for themselves, seeking to strengthen their self-esteem. They received training to make earrings, home decorations, and crochet. CEPIA aims that they can become entrepreneurs. In fact, CEPIA contacted Grameen Bank that finances micro-entrepreneurship and now there are three groups of entrepreneurs in Huacas, Portegolpe, and Hatillo. At this moment they are learning how to make bags. Now they are in a testing stage, fine-tuning the quality of the bags and identifying places of sale! Congratulations!
THANK YOU!
We thank all the volunteers who have supported the delivery of packages, especially the ones that (almost) never missed our call: Marco Bedino, Amiel Chan, Phil O’Shea, Chris Ingalls, Verena Moshammer, Eleonore Bronne, Yves Deweer, Fabio Rutili, Petra Schoep, Ricardo R. de Leon, Simon Preston, Luciano Leao, Duilio Espinoza, Wilfredo Benito, Catalinas Vargas, Jogi Gerner, Brett Gartner, Alice Palma, Rafa Sandoval, Vanessa Gutierrez, Fabiola Montero Quesada, Gabriel Vilchez, Luis Peralta, Eliezer Alegría, Mainor Velas, Rosa Cardenas, Cristian Mendieta, Mackensy Matarrita Zelaya, Manuel Jiménez, Patricia Retana, Yaneli, Ana Victoria, Jaqueline, Erik, Belquis, Daniel, Luis, Filimon, Paola.
We thank the staff at CEPIA and members of the Board of Directors involved in this project, for their hard work and professional commitment: Karla Marin, Bryan Nuñez, Sio Guie, Maria Jose Cappa, Simona Daniele, Laetitia Deweer, Patricia Leon, Martin Salerno, Wences Mendioroz, Courtney Borquet, Cesar Abarca, Selvia Ortiz, Priscilla Arias.
We thank our partner CRJuntos especially Gabriela Valenzuela, Gig, Vanessa Keen and Ben Ziegler!
Thank you to the Municipality of Santa Cruz for coordinating efforts and logistics!
Thank you to Fondo por Guanacaste and other allies in the Juntos por Guanacaste group.
Thank you to The Greater Tamarindo Food Bank for their partnership. We want to recognize restaurant Lola’s for their amazing work in the Avellanas area.
Thanks to our beloved Emergency Donors:
Asociación de Desarrollo Integral de Tamarindo
Chris Daley
Colleen Sullivan
Marshall Parks
MC NULTY foundation
PURE international
Cathy Maucourant, Bruno Donato, Joel William, Luciano Leao, Cinthia Duran, Misty Yates, Misty Yates, Laura Lopez, Urban Bodyworks, Valerie Rey, Amanda Melin, Sockfeet Music, Carla Rowlings, Brad Wells, Kathryn Powderly, Kathleen Segura, Michael Sutor, Suzanne Whatley, Elizabeth Rodd, Danielle Koornwinder, Naomi Rappaport, Paul Braithwaite, Victoria Collins, Brian Bratton, Gloria Barajas, Catherine Thompson, Nelson Rodriguez, Gonzalo Chaves, Victor Roldan, Mauricio Gomez, Jose Arnaldo, Teresita Johanning, and Adriano Graciano.
