With this letter, the parents of children in Alto Katsi, Talamanca, Costa Rica are appealing for your valuable support explained below.

For the past three years our children have been receiving school lessons in our own community.  Before this time, our children had to walk almost two kilometers down the mountain to the closest school in the nearby community of Katsi.  The small building we were using for the school was in very poor repair and no longer safe for children.  It was taken down early in 2009.  As parents, we have been given the task of working to construct our community school since our children no longer have a formal structure to receive classes.  They are currently receiving classes in the home of one of the community members

1.    Lack of cut wood

2.    Acabado de la misma como enderezado y machinerbrodo

3.    Funds to cover the foreman´s salary

This structure has the following measurements à 18 X 7.50 square meters (m2) and consists of 2 classrooms measuring 6 X 9 m2 and a front corridor measuring 1.50 X 18 m2.

Also missing is the cafeteria which measures 14 X 8.40 m2 consists of kitchen, eating area and bathrooms.  For this structure we already have 300 cement blocks, 30 barrilos and 20 bags of cement.  This material was donated to us to make the set of bathrooms.

We wish to finish the school and through this card we are asking for your support and collaboration in our important objective, which is to complete the construction of the school, eating area, kitchen and bathrooms.  In order to finish, we need:

1.    Funds to pay the construction foreman, which will be 2 months at a value of C15,000 per day, for a total of C900,00.

2.    8,000 inches of wood which comes from trees donated by parents.  Por lo ceiol there is a cutting fee, which is C150 per inch, for a total of C1,200,000.  lo ceiol cubrirla el faltante de madera que tiene la escuela y el resto es para la construcción del comedor.

3.    Arreglo de madera como enderezada y madrenbrodo de 8,000 pulgadas, con un costo de la pulgada para un total de C480,000.

4.    Hardware materials and supplies totaling C892,464.

TOTAL BUDGET à C3,472,464.00

Saint Francis of Assisi, Francisco de Asis in Spanish, is not the most famous of Catholic Church Saints, but he is one we all have to learn from. Indeed, Francisco de Asis used to place as equals, all the creatures of God. The interesting part to us is not about God’s Creation, but more about the equal aspect. What Francisco de Asis wanted for all of us was the unity, the harmony and a synergy between human beings and the whole of nature; and that is what Alvaro and his father Jaime want for all of us as well. From this comes the name Asis Project.

Asis Project is located near La Fortuna and the Arenal volcano, in Alajuela province of Costa Rica. When you are standing outside the front gate, waiting to enter, you think about an old factory or an illegal workshop. Once inside, it is just another world.

The office reminds you of a nice and cozy hotel office, the main building is very impressive and it is hiding a beautiful pond, full of ducks, herons, blue jays, fishes and even a caiman! If you hear like a buzzy noise, turn your head and you'll see dozens of hammerbirds flying around.

In addition to its amazing scene, humans and animals live in a perfect harmony in this Center. You will meet two adorable Kinkajous, Benjamin and Cindy, three funny monkeys, a lovely and smelly wild boar named Perla, parrots, parakeets, an impressive hawk and three hilarious and likeable baby raccoons, who are only 3 months old and are already smarter than any dog or cat.

This is the wildlife you are going to meet in Asis Project, where Alvaro, his father Jaime who is a professional veterinarian, Teniente, Mary and volunteers and students work every single day a year, helping animals and educating people. Because that what all this is about: Education.

This Wildlife Rescue Center exists because of people’s behavior, for example if they see a raccoon or a caiman in the backyard, they will try to kill it. This is just ignorance, you can find examples of even more cruelty.

Let me tell you a story: two days before leaving the Center, a MINAE car (governmental environment safety), brought us an animal they found on the road side, an owl. It was a beautiful white owl, with black patches around its yellow eyes. Very impressive in its way to stand and to look at you, it was clear that this owl, young but at least one year old, did not fall from a tree and had not been attacked but was abandoned. It was accustomed to human presence (even if you could barely touch it) and especially because it had its wing cut off. Yes, some people wanted to make it as a pet, and to be sure it would not fly away, cut its wing off. This owl won’t never fly again, and, without the help of the MINAE and Asis Project, it would have been dead a couple of hours after they abandoned it.

This story, which is one among dozens, is a proof of the importance of Asis Project, but it especially demonstrates a lack of humanity in some humans…Volunteering in the Wildlife Rescue Center means working hard, digging out for days to build a lagoon for example, or building new cages for new arrivals, because even if they are shut in, they still need a decent place to live, if you want have idea in video, clik here. Come and help us! This project is beautiful for any person who wants to be useful and humane, because these animals just need a hand from you.

Romain, Marketing Intern for Tropical Adventures.

Visiting Alto Katsi
 
Alto Katsi is a small, remote community in the mountains of Talamanca, Costa Rica.  There are about 16 houses and approximately 80 people.  I had the pleasure and priveledge of visiting this community with another volunteer, Chiara Nardi, during the early part of May. 
 
The purpose for the trip was to disperse medicines and vitamins to animals. I had been given a donation by family friends to spend during my internship here and chose to spend part towards animals after speaking with a few people here about how it could best be used.  In communities such as Alto Katsi, where people and their animals live in close proximity, animal health is important.  Healthy animals mean healthy people.
 
So, the supplies were collected at the vetrinarian in Bribri, our bags were packed and off we went…let the adventure begin!
 
Life in Alto Katsi
 
Disclaimer:  It has been a challenge to write this part of my experience because life in Alto Katsi is another reality. I have grown up in one reality and one way of living on the planet. Alto Katsi is a different way of living in this world, going through daily life, experiencing nature. It is not fair to say one way is better than the other or place judgement.  So please read the following, knowing that is written through my lens and perspective on the world and I hope I can do some justice to what was an amazing experience.

Life in Alto Katsi is peaceful, beautiful, serene and surrounded by nature.  It is a hard life for residents as there is not consistent work for those who live there.  Most work daily is a matter of survival:  on their farms producing and cultivating for their own consumption.  Harvest is not a source of earnings and savings, for most it is the source of food.  In these times of food security issues, perhaps this kind of knowledge and production is some of the most sound.  What is poverty?  Who defines development?
 
There is no electricity and no running water.  As someone who has grown up in North American culture, with running water and electricity, I first assumed this would be a priority need for people.  Not so.  Living without electricity means there is a peace that comes from not having neighbors blaring music or televisions.  The people I did speak with who have experienced how life is with electricity said they preferred living without electricty. 
 
I found the evenings, after the sun went down and the rooms were lit with lamps and candles, became a sacred time of day for me.  People speaking quietly in Bribri in the room above where we had set up our tents, watching fireflies outside, or learning new words in Bribri.  Everyone went to sleep early, everyone woke up early.  Chiara’s best friend was the family rooster, who was very punctual each morning at 3:00amJ.
 
The source of water for everyone is the river.  The river is to bathe, to drink, to fish, to wash dishes, to wash clothes,….From what I could tell, most houses are located very near the river, perhaps a five minute walk.  On a particularly rainy, muddy day I was feeling grateful that the non-running water situation was temporary.  However, that said, the novelty of this beautiful river did not wear off during my four days there.  Beyond the novelty, however, are people who live here daily and it is not a temporary situation.  It is one full of economic, educational, nutritional challenges as well as limited access to basic needs.
 
 
The Balsa
 
Everyday is an adventure in Alto Katsi…crossing rivers on foot and on horseback, watching with great amusement and pigs, goats and cows were being chased and lasooed to receive their injections, battling mosquitoes, navigating muddy paths, bathing in the river, the kindness and generosity of the people we shared with and last, but certainly not lease the grand finale:  the balsa.
 
How would we get back to Bambu?  Horse?  Bus?  Hmmmm….  Justo told us on Saturday that we would get back by “Balsa” on the river.  I did not know what a Balsa was, but I understood via river so I assumed boat.  Then later on Saturday Justo told us that he and Diego would get up early on Sunday to make the Balsa and that we would leave together after that. 
 
         **Rebecca is thinking “MAKE the Balsa??!!  Ok, what is a Balsa?”
 
Think Huck Finn. Think six Balsa logs tied together with rope. Approaching the river and seeing the Balsa, my first thought was fear.  What the hell were we in for? 
 
Then the fear subsided as I saw the expertly crafted basic transport, the knots, the design and built by people who know the river as well as I know my childhood streets and roads.  Not only that, but a bench had been crafted and tied together for Chiara and I to sit on so we didn’t get wet.  I felt peace as we launched off and was very touched by the thoughtfulness, care and time that was put into this. The ride back to Bambu lasted a little under two hours and it was beautiful.  When we reached the riverbank at Bambu, the knots were untied, the logs were set loose and all that remained of the beautiful Balsa was the rope - to be saved for another use and another day.  There is a lot of wisdom, knowledge and expertise here when it comes to living with nature.
 
I feel most grateful for this four days. Much love and thanks to Diego, Justo, Marina and their family for being such kind and thoughtful hosts, and to Chiara who was a great traveller to share this intense experience with.

Rebecca Uncles, intern for Tropical Adventures

This past Saturday, October 27, 2007, we had our second joint all-day volunteer effort between Tropical Adventures and Helping Hands Costa Rica at the Bambu Retirement Home on the Talamanca Indigenous Reservation. For those of you who didn't read the original post, you can find it by clicking here. This event was made possible by a very generous donation made by the "Iain Programa, S.A." and through the hard work of Meranda Glesby and Evangeline Mathura.

The event was a smashing success! We were able to finish up the project we started last month in record time this weekend, mostly thanks to the surprise arrival of many extra people we weren't expecting.

One of our volunteers, Susan Schuetze, from Ontario, Canada, had just finished up two weeks of volunteering in the Bambu area where she had been living with one of our host families, working with the retirement home, and teaching English in the nearby Bambu elementary school. It just so happens that she is good friends with the Director of the Police Force of Costa Rica, Jose Fabio Pizarro, and had invited him and his family to join us. Not only did they join us themselves, but they also invited some of the local police force to help us out as well.

When we arrived and saw them all there, we initially thought something terrible had happened! But when we realized they were there to help us out, we got pretty excited, as you might imagine!

Thankfully we had some extra food with us and we were able to feed all the hard working folks with sandwiches, sodas and chips. Many thanks to Evangeline Mathura and Helping Hands Costa Rica for donating the food for our lunch. It was well deserved and delicious!

The following amazing people were on hand to help out:

From the Tropical Adventures Foundation:

• Scott Pralinsky, Executive Director
• Isaac Garcia, Director
• Allen Vinicio Meza Sandino, Tropical Adventures Volunteer Center Co-Manager
• Alison Smith, Tropical Adventures Volunteer Center Co-Manager
• Susan Schuetze, Volunteer (Ontario, Canada)
• Ryan Rigoli Volunteer (San Francisco, California)
• Kim and Jonathan Stout with son, Miles, Volunteer (Portland, Oregon)

From Helping Hands Costa Rica:

• Adriana Woods, Escazu

Through the Banana Azul Guest House:

• Silvio Antonio Duran Salinas

Guest Volunteers (thanks to volunteer, Susan Schuetze):

• Jose Fabio Pizarro, Director of the Public Police Force of Costa Rica
• Jose's wife, Yalile and daughter's, Natasha and Sharon
• Eight to ten police officers from the area

Also present were some TV cameras to interview everyone about their experience, which made things pretty fun and interesting and created quite a buzz in the community.

We hope to not only return to the retirement home in the near future to help them with many other much-needed projects, but to also put together fun volunteer weekends in other parts of the country to make these opportunities available to more people. If you have any interest in possibly joining us in the future for one of these kinds of events, please contact us and we'll be sure to put you on the list of people to keep updated.

Thanks again to everyone who helped!

My fingers are still covered in paint as I type this post five days later. But a good time was had by all! Helping Hands Costa Rica and the Tropical Adventures Foundation joined hands this past Saturday and really got down and dirty!

We all ventured out into the Talamanca Indigenous Reservation for a day of painting at the Bambu Retirement Home. We were able to get a lot done. Truthfully, I was really amazed at how much thirteen people could accomplish in a short, 7-hour period.

This retirement home is actually a pretty huge place. And we were able to paint three out of four wings, as well as 8 out of 16 bathrooms. In addition, two of the volunteers worked out in the back of the property scraping and painting the chain link fencing and metal bars that enclose the entire laundry section. Both of them went to visit their chiropractors this week!

Yes, I admit. My muscles did ache a bit the next day. But it really was a lot of fun. We had such a great group of people with us. Everyone had a wonderful attitude. We danced, laughed, listened to music, made a big mess and got to know one another pretty well.

Many thanks again to the Iain Programa for their generous donation of $1,000. It was exactly enough to buy us the paint and supplies we needed. And, of course, we can't thank all our volunteers enough for taking the time out to come all the way out to help out these great folks -- who, by the way are extremely grateful for everything we did. A big Tropical Adventures / Helping Hands hug goes out to:

• Meranda Glesby
• Matteo Brancacci Soto
• Evangeline Mathura
• Tamara Day
• Margaret Gibson
• Philippa Wildash
• Allen Vinicio Meza Sandino
• Alison Smith
• Willy Rojas
• Silvio Antonio Duran Salinas
• Isaac Garcia Gutierrez
• Scott Pralinsky
• Maria Jose Cascante