Tag Archives: NGO

Quarterly Newsletter

CRHF Fourth Quarter Newsletter

The last quarter CRHF newsletter of 2024 is full of activities and projects.

Our thrid quarterly CRHF Newsletter update highlighted numerous successes and our ongoing upward spiral model work. We focused on health, health education, general education, sports, hosting a family from France/UK, building bunk beds, and much more.

For the final quarter of 2024, we proudly inaugurated a health clinic created and managed by Francisco in collaboration with the local indigenous association, the Ministry of Employment, and the CCSS. This project was financed by the Swiss Embassy in Central America and the CCSS.
Read more about the clinic here.

We also unveiled the new CRHF HQ: Casa Quetzal Retreat and Conference Center, a developing project designed to host volunteers and beneficiaries while focusing on preventive health, health education, peace, and collaboration.
Read more about it here here.

Our food program continues to provide over 2,000 people with nutritious meals every week, laying the foundation for their independence. Additionally, we offer dietary and health education to beneficiaries through this program.
Learn more about it here.

In October, Gail was invited to be a keynote speaker at the Sustainability in a Global Environment Conference hosted by Troy University. She shared the stage with experts from PROCOMER, Universidad Fidélitas, and other distinguished professionals.

Children’s Programs

We resumed our monthly children’s program for the youth of Uvita. Looking ahead to 2025, we aim to expand this initiative and welcome volunteer teachers and donors to support its relaunch. The program, paused during the pandemic due to funding shortages, costs approximately $800 per month to operate.

In September, we celebrated Children’s Day with movies, popcorn, and snacks. Nearly 800 youth enjoyed a leisurely day.
See part of the celebration here.

Later in the month, we participated in Costa Rica’s Independence Day festivities on September 15th, which included dances, costumes, faroles, and a lively parade featuring thousands of youth from neighboring communities.
View highlights here.

Volunteer Contributions

In October, a group of volunteers from Ohio delivered a generous supply of school materials. The children expressed heartfelt gratitude, and the volunteers learned more about our Model of Poverty Reduction and community efforts.
See their visit here.

On October 12th, we celebrated Gail Nystrom’s 75th birthday with collaborators and youth from La Libertad. It was a joyous day filled with dancing, singing, and heartfelt moments.
See the celebration here.

We welcomed the Yoga Teachers from Lakshmi Rising lead by Liz. We have been working on strengthening the physical and mental health of our beneficiaries through different meditation, breathing and yoga techniques. This will be Lakshmi’s second season with the CRHF and we look forward to building this relationship into the future.

Other notable volunteer contributions included:
• Stephen, long-term individual volunteer, continues to support our regular activities, give english classes and invent creative ways to help educate youth.
• Hannah from West Virginia, having never left the states and who braved new experiences to work with youth development.
• Valeria, a psychology student, who provided mental health resources during her university service.
• Keren Hernández from the University of South Carolina, who conducted PhD research on food security among refugees.
Learn more about their contributions.
• Adriana and Ramon who came in during the holiday’s and provided interpretation for the Amigos optometrist medical crew.

We also hosted a multidisciplinary group through a partner organization. Their visit, centered on health and health education, included creative puppetry workshops to engage communities.
See more here.

Success Stories


• In November, we secured funding to provide a new home for a family of eight in La Carpio. Thanks to our donors, the younger children now have the opportunity to grow up in a healthier environment.
Read the full story.
• Alan, a beneficiary we have supported for years after a workplace accident, received a prosthetic leg and is walking independently again.
See his progress.
• We also bid our farewell and safe passage to our longtime collaborator Jairo. He has been with us for almsot a decade working in the foodbank and other activities. He is off to Spain supported by the IOM and the CRHF. We will be here to ensure he gets settled in safely. 
View more here.

Partnerships and Events

In late October we were invited to a NGO Fair hosted by ServiceNow focusing on CSR. We were able to showcase our work, alongside other NGOs, to the employees of the company. We are working on increasing our collaboration in the CSR field with the numerous offshore and local companies in Costa Rica.
View more here.

We hosted chiropractic care for nearly 300 beneficiaries with the help of new friends from Minnesota. Feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, and we look forward to their future visits.
Read more.

The year ended with our annual Christmas Parties, bringing joy to over 800 youth with gifts, snacks, and activities—made possible by our dedicated donors since 1997.

The Grupo Diplomatico de Costa Rica continues to support the CRHF in many ways with focus on education. They also visited Casa Quetzal Retreat and Conference Center where we hope to continue to host conferences on Peace and Collaboration.

Finally, for four days including on New Year’s Eve, Amigos Eyecare provided eye care, totalling nearly 1,000 beneficiaries in La Carpio for the year. They also conducted a reconnaissance visit to indigenous territories for future collaborations.
See their impact here.

Looking Ahead

We remain committed to improving lives in 2025 and beyond. Thank you to all our donors, volunteers, and partners who make this work possible. We continue to work with La Carpio, Rural, Coastal and Indigenous communities through our Poverty Reduction Model of Development. Thanks to all your efforts and support we are a force to reckoned with and are making significant improvements in the lives of our beneficiaries.

We will be publishing our full 2024 Year End Report in the coming weeks.

We now have

Thank you for sharing our dream!

Health, Success Stories

Success Stories From the Field #10 – Alan Stands Again

3 years. More than 30 surgeries and months spent in the hospital. Alan finally got his prosthesis and is practicing walking. This is the story of real grit. Strength, tears, depth of grief and height of joy. And…perhaps we could call it a Miracle.

We have been a support to him in many ways including the tables for Cafe Howie and for the food bank visitors to sit. We also work with his partner Suley, who is now providing Gail administrative assistance with filing the receipts and some of the accounting tasks.

Alan has depended on his wheelchair to get to and from the the Foundation, and to all the other places. He also underwent surgery on his other leg which fortunately went well.

And here he stands. Upright after three years of being horizontal, more than thirty operations and countless hospital nights. And very much alive.

We are honored to have been part of it and thank him for bringing us along. I feel that we learned much more than we taught and gave much less than we got.

Health, Indigenous

Improving Health Services in Cabecar Indigenous Territory Alto Chirripo

We are excited to announce our expansion into a new area of the Cabecar Indigenous territory where we will be focusing on health services initially. In the past, our efforts were concentrated in what is known as the ‘Bajo Chirripo’ area This is closer to Limon and the Caribbean coast.

This new initiative focuses on ‘Alto Chirripo,’ located further upstream along the Chirripo River. This area is primarily accessible through the mountains of Turrialba and Grano de Oro.

In collaboration with the CCSS, the Swiss Embassy, the local Indigenous Development Association (ADI Cabecar Alto Chirripo), and the Ministerio de Trabajo, we are working to enhance the health services in this region.

Many health centers operated by the CCSS have deteriorated due to termites and weathering or are close to becoming inoperable. A total of 14 structures require renovation or rebuilding.

Regional CCSS Director, Don Vinicio, has been instrumental in contacting various organizations and advocating for funding from the CCSS Directors. His efforts have resulted in the successful rebuilding of three centers so far.

The CRHF has secured funding and provided designs that have been historically used in other indigenous areas to rebuild the Puesto de Salud Periódica in Ñari. These designs have proven to be durable, with some of our original structures serving communities for over 25 years.

Ñari is an indigenous community on the edge of the upper Rio Chirripo in the Cabecar indigenous territory. The terrain is very challenging due to extreme elevation changes and the unpredictable Rio Chirripo during the rainy season. The health services are lacking and sparce on this indigenous territory. Nevertheless, Ñari will be the fourth of the 14 buildings slated for renovation.

Currently, the local indigenous community has begun clearing the land and preparing temporary storage for clinic resources and materials. Some materials will be brought in by helicopter on Friday. Stay tuned for more updates!

Costa Rican Humanitarian Foundation, Education

#EdWed Educational Wednesday The Legacy of Maria Montessori: A Pioneer in Education

Maria Montessori was a visionary in the field of education, whose innovative methods transformed the way children learn and develop. Born on August 31, 1870, in Chiaravalle, Italy, Montessori broke through societal barriers to become one of the first female physicians in Italy and later, a globally renowned educator. Her legacy endures through the Montessori Method, an educational approach that emphasizes independence, hands-on learning, and respect for a child’s natural psychological development.

Early Life and Education

Montessori’s early life was marked by determination and resilience. At a time when women’s roles were largely confined to the domestic sphere, she pursued higher education with unwavering resolve. In 1896, she graduated from the University of Rome with a degree in medicine. She became one of the first women in Italy to do so. Her medical background provided a scientific foundation for her later work in education.

The Birth of the Montessori Method

Montessori’s journey into education began in 1907, when she opened the first “Casa dei Bambini” or “Children’s House” in the San Lorenzo district of Rome. Here, she applied her scientific observations of children to create an environment that nurtured their natural curiosity and love of learning. The Montessori Method was born from these observations, emphasizing self-directed activity, hands-on learning, and collaborative play.

Key principles of the Montessori Method include:

  • Child-Centered Learning: Montessori classrooms are designed to cater to the developmental needs and interests of each child. Children are free to choose activities that intrigue them, fostering a love of learning.
  • Prepared Environment: The classroom environment is meticulously arranged with materials that encourage exploration and discovery. This environment supports the child’s independence and ability to engage in meaningful work.
  • Mixed-Age Classrooms: Montessori classrooms typically group children of different ages together. This promotes peer learning, with older children serving as mentors and younger children finding inspiration in their peers.
  • Hands-On Learning: Montessori materials are tactile and concrete, helping children to understand abstract concepts through physical manipulation.

Global Impact and Recognition

Maria Montessori’s work gained international recognition, and by the 1920s, Montessori schools were established across Europe and North America. She traveled extensively, lecturing and training teachers in the Montessori Method. Despite facing political challenges, including the closure of many Montessori schools in Italy under Mussolini’s regime, her educational philosophy continued to spread worldwide.

Montessori’s impact extended beyond the classroom. She was a passionate advocate for peace and believed that education was the key to creating a more harmonious world. Her later works, such as “Education and Peace,” reflect her commitment to nurturing the whole child and fostering a global community based on mutual respect and understanding.

Lasting Legacy

Maria Montessori passed away on May 6, 1952, but her legacy lives on. Today, thousands of Montessori schools operate globally, from preschools to high schools, continuing to implement her innovative educational approach. The Montessori Method has influenced mainstream education. It has contributed to a greater understanding of child development and the importance of a child-centered approach to learning.

In conclusion, Maria Montessori was a pioneering educator whose work reshaped our understanding of how children learn. Her method, grounded in scientific observation and respect for the child, continues to inspire educators and parents around the world. As we look to the future of education, Montessori’s vision of nurturing independent, curious, and compassionate individuals remains as relevant as ever.

Migration

Yader Goes to Dallas

This is a very bittersweet day because it’s Yaders farewell, he’s on his way to Estados Unidos, to Dallas, TX. He’s gotten really good orientation from the International Organization for Migrants, from the UNHCR, and from the local government officials. He’s got all his documents in order.

It’s really hard because he’s really happy here, but he also knows that this is a unique opportunity, and he knows that he’s up for it and ready for it.

We gave him our best advice, you’re strong , you’re kind, you’re honest, you’re a good worker, you’re gonna find something really nice to do so that you can live in a fine place. And you’re gonna come back in your car and wave to all of us.

And then I proceeded to show him how to use the bathroom in an airport in an in an airplane since he doesn’t yet read, he can’t read the instructions.

So, we had quite the time just talking about how to take care of that issue. And then we also pantomime about take off your shoes, your belt, your things in your pocket, put it in the bin.

That’s as much as we can do. And all of us mothers were a little bit teary eyed because we remembered when we dropped our kids off the bus, the airport, the college, the wherever, the camp, it’s hard to leave your kids, it’s hard to see your kids go. And the love will never change.

Volunteers

El Centro de Amigos para la Paz

I had a good meeting with Luis and Marcela yesterday. The thing is, when you get three ticos together for a meet you have to first spend a lot of time reminiscing..better known as gossiping. We wound around the mulberry bush about when the house was built, what famous families lived there…etc.

Out came the old photo albums. And we found pictures of the founders. We even found the original founding papers of the Centro de Amigos para la Paz…CAP.

After consuming some tea and biscuits we got down to business. And did a walkabout the house. I must say I was impressed with how much care had gone into the maintenance of the rooms etc.

So… Karen and Olga joined us and somehow we wound up reconfiguring the whole main room. We unblocked the windows, reorganized the wall hangings and created spaces for different uses. The whole place lit up.

We are a mighty force. And it feels so right. Luis and Marcela were guardedly enthusiastic. But when they saw us actually DO something I think they were quite …astonished.

Anyhow…there is a lot to do. But..we work with resonance and strength and harmony. And so it is. Stay tuned. It is all enfolding as it should.

Peace

A Legacy of Peace on the Day of Abolition

In the heart of Central America lies Costa Rica, a nation known not only for its breathtaking landscapes but also for its commitment to peace and humanitarian efforts. One significant milestone in Costa Rica’s history is the abolition of its military on December 1, 1948. On the occasion of this historic day, let’s delve into the remarkable work of the Costa Rican Humanitarian Foundation, an organization that has played a pivotal role in maintaining the country’s dedication to peace.

Peace

Founded on the principles of non-violence, the Costa Rican Humanitarian Foundation’s Peace mission is concomitant with the countries decision to abolish the military. With the belief that resources traditionally allocated to the military could be better utilized for the well-being of the population, the foundation set out to create a society focused on education, healthcare, and social welfare.

Education

One of the key pillars of the foundation’s work is education. By investing in schools and promoting access to quality education, they aim to empower the youth, providing them with the tools to shape a prosperous and peaceful future. Scholarships, vocational training programs, and community outreach initiatives have become cornerstones of the foundation’s education-focused endeavors.

Healthcare

Healthcare is another critical aspect of the Costa Rican Humanitarian Foundation’s mission. Through the establishment of medical clinics and outreach programs, the organization ensures that healthcare services are accessible to all citizens. This commitment to the well-being of the population reflects Costa Rica’s belief that a healthy nation is a strong nation.

Social Welfare

The foundation’s involvement in social welfare extends to addressing poverty and inequality. By supporting community development projects, providing housing assistance, and fostering entrepreneurship, the Costa Rican Humanitarian Foundation strives to create an inclusive society where every individual has the opportunity to thrive.

As we celebrate the day when Costa Rica made the bold decision to abolish its military, it’s essential to recognize the ongoing efforts of organizations like the Costa Rican Humanitarian Foundation. Their dedication to building a nation founded on the principles of peace, equality, and social justice is a testament to the enduring spirit of Costa Rica. Through education, healthcare, and social welfare initiatives, the foundation continues to shape a brighter future for the people of this remarkable country.