U.S. donors help Costa Rican school affected by Jan. Earthquake

In early 2009, Amigos of Costa Rica and the CRUSA Foundation established the Costa Rica Earthquake Relief Fund to help those affected by the January 8, 2009 earthquake. The 6.2 magnitude earthquake leveled homes, isolated entire villages, destroyed schools and devastated local economies and ecosystems.

One school in particular, the Liceo of Poas near the epicenter of the quake, witnessed firsthand the devastation of the natural disaster, the outpouring of support in the immediate aftermath of the quake, and the lingering economic and social affects on the local communities. Since January, their student population has nearly doubled to 1150 students, an increase mainly attributable to new students whose schools were destroyed and whose parents are struggling to find work in the devastated local economy. According to Principal Seidy Jiménez Fonseca, while the teachers have admirably incorporated the new students into the academic classes, despite an inadequate infrastructure, the most difficult adjustment the school has had to make is in providing a hot lunch to over 400 students a day, in a cafeteria equipped for just 90 students. Every day, kids wait in line for an hour for lunch, and have only 15 minutes to eat before their plates need to be handwashed and the next round of food cooked again for the next shift. This is the only meal of the day for many of the 350 students who receive a government stipend to cover all of their transportation and food costs.

When Amigos of Costa Rica staff arrived last Monday, September 1, we saw the state of the cafeteria, inadequate for the demands of the student population. Thanks to the generous support of many donors to the Earthquake Relief Fund at to the CRUSA Foundation, we are proud to report that over $5000 in equipment and materials were delivered on Monday, September 1, 2009 to the Liceo de Poas to help alleviate the ongoing economic and social affects of the January earthquake.