Costa Rica

36 Thousand (reasons to go)

Costa Rica is a small country the size of West Virginia that happens to be home to 5% of the worlds bio-diversity.  With over 800 species of birds, 230 mammals including four species of monkey's and some of the most beautiful beaches and forests on the planet Costa Rica is a nature lover's paradise.  It is a country that has no army and a peaceful democracy.

 

However, it is a developing country that lacks resources while it struggles to advance in the 21st century.   Visiting Orphans has opened up a relationship with Costa Rica due to this great need, especially on the Caribbean Coast.

 

Visiting Orphans, is working in partnership with PANI, the Patronato Nacional de la Infancia. PANI is an organization in Costa Rica which protects the rights of children and adolescents. This includes the rights to health care, education, justice, work, culture and recreation, and the right to a safe and healthy family life.  We will visit two orphanages each day in the port town of Limon on the Caribbean Coast.  Port towns have many issues and one of the greatest problems in Limon is family life due to the instability of the area.  

Costa Rica is one of the most bio-diverse countries on the planet.  Its natural beauty is stunning and its beaches breathtaking.  However, on the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica in the port town of Limon there is something that is breathtaking in a different way.  There are kids sleeping in the streets, there are problems with drugs and prostitution, the Afro-Caribbean population there that originally came from the Caribbean islands has been forgotten by the central Costa Rican government.  Social programs are seldom seen and the ones that do exist have a difficult time getting resources.  

Fortunately, there are two orphanages in the port town of Limon that fight hard to take care of the towns youth.  These two orphanages offer hope to children from broken families.  Not only hope but education, justice, recreation, access to health care, culture and recreation.  Limon is one of the locations in Costa Rica with the most needs.  

Your support and action are necessary to the advancement of these young children and teens.  At the moment there are 48 orphans in two orphanages in Limon that are readily anticipating the arrival of the next Visiting Orphans team.  

 

Our contacts in Costa Rica work directly with community leaders when organizing service projects and visits to orphanages.  A simple visit to an orphanage can change the life of a child.