HOW TO DONATE TO KIDS IN COSTA RICA

Today I was driving home from the gym and passed hitchhikers. I shouldn’t have stopped. I knew I shouldn’t have stopped. But I did anyway. It was a Nicaraguan woman with two children coming across the border. She said her husband had died 22 days before in an accident and the “patron” had asked them to leave afterward. She had two older children in León, so they were travelling on foot and by hitchhiking. They had left Nicaragua 8 days ago. The little boy, Nicolás, asked me if I had any food. They hadn’t eaten, they said, in two days. I had almost an entire energy bar and the kids split it. On the way, I stopped to drop off the recycling, and while mom and daughter got out to help me unload it from the trunk, the little boy stayed in the car. I should have known better. When I got back in the car and realized that I had left him alone I surreptitiously checked to be sure my belongings were still on the front seat. My gym bag contained some credit cards, the camera, my Ipod and some cash. I dropped them off with a little bus money. They stole nothing. I felt guilty I even checked. I felt guilty that I even had an Ipod. I felt bad that I didn’t have more food in the car that day.


The depth of the poverty here is unbearable. When we asked the school to make a wish list, toilet paper was at the top. There is a community nearby where the poverty is so severe their cupboards are literally bare of even rice. A fellow volunteer said that she had been there once and couldn’t go back. There were people who can stomach seeing starvation and people who can’t, and she knows she’s in the group that can’t.



Below is the priority list from one of the four schools that the Secret Santa group here supports. Ultimately, though, once I visit this rice-less community on the 12th, I don’t think it will surprise me to learn that most of the donated money this year will go there. I’m already fantasizing about filling the car with food and driving there.



Here’s the information on how to donate to Secret Santa. The fundraiser is THIS Saturday. I’d love to get donations in time for that.



USD WIRE TRANSFERS INSTRUCTION

The customer must instruct his/ her bank to transfer funds as follows:

The Bank of New York

New York, New York, U.S.A.



ABA: 021000018

SWIFT: IRVTUS3N



For credit to account number:

803-338-3577

Scotiabank CR

San José, Costa Rica

SWIFT: NOSCCRSJ



For final credit to account number: #_$13000054505____________________

No Problema Property Management Secret Santa

San José, Costa Rica



In all cases No Problema must be notified of the transfer along with the dollar amount, transfer number and the date of the transfer to ensure that you are credited for the transfer. noproblemapm@yahoo.com Also please ensure your bank includes your name on the transfer.









This was the priority list from the school:



Material que se ocupa

Papel higénico (toilet paper)

Desinfectante

Palo de pisos (mop)

Escobas (broom)

Machas (mop head)

Machetes

Rastrillo (metal rake)

Palas (shovels)

Macanas (6 ft crow bar)

Arañas (rake)

Hojas blancas (blank white paper)

Utensilios de cocina (cooking utensils)

Basureros (trash cans)

Pilot (White board markers)

Material didáctico (colored paper, erasers, glue, scissors)

Libros de cuento (story books)

CDs de música infantil (music for the pre-schoolers)

Paños para secarse manos (hand towels)



A corto plazo

Abanicos (fans)

Aceras (cement / concrete apron)

Piletas (sink for mopping)

Lavamanos (sink for handwashing)

Cerrar espacio kinder (fence for the pre-school / Kinder play area)

Chapiadoras (Lawn mower / gas)

Escritorios (teacher’s desk)

Cerámicas (tile)

Armarios (closets or bookshelves with locks)

Grabadoras (CD Players)

Telefax – fax machine





Proyecciones a Futuro

Salón de Actos – covered roof

Aula de Informática – computer classroom

Aula para Profesor de I y II ciclo – classroom for one more teacher (would create the opportunity for all day school)

Aula para Biblioteca - library



Requirements to have a computer in a school:

Seguridad de las aulas (Secure classroom / bars on window)

Mobilario para los equipos (Computer desk)

Extintor (Fire extinguisher)

Un ventilador de pie por cada dos computadoras (One fan for every two Computers)