Costa Rica

About the project:

While much of Costa Rica has become developed, many indigenous communities still exist in the country. Living in the heart of the country, many indigenous groups must travel to  for several days to reach larger towns.  Especially for women who must travel to hospitals to deliver their babies, travel can be perilous. Thus, over the course of the next few years, DEID will be building a bridge in Grano de Oro, Turrialba, Costa Rica in the Cabecar indigenous reserve.   This area poses unique challenges because much of the land is accessible only by foot. We will be working with a local organization, St. Bryce Missions in order to design and implement this project.  By constructing a river crossing, not only will travel be safer, but  a stronger connection between the indigenous communities and outside communities will also be created, allowing for better access to education, markets and improved infrastructure. This year, we will take an assessment trip for the bridge and work on a smaller project (building safer ovens for the community) to implement while there to prepare for the bridge the following year.