Since its inception, Peninsula Papagayo has strived to champion eco-tourism, both in terms of protecting the environment and empowering Ticos in the local community. Here at Papagayo Luxury, we’re incredibly honored to partner with the Creciendo Juntos (Growing Together) initiative. It’s an organization that’s close to our hearts, and has radically changed the lives of thousands of children and families in the area over the past 20 years. As we continue to promote various programs that have contributed to social transformation within these communities, we wanted to share a little more about the program itself and the areas that you can get involved in.
What is Creciendo Juntos?
Creciendo Juntos is a non-profit collaborative platform that promotes and guides initiatives in social investment, education, health and wellbeing for local communities in Guanacaste. The vision is to be a vessel for transformational change within the region, allowing locals to reach the socio-economic levels enjoyed by other regions of the country. As individuals have increased opportunities to develop and train their professional skills, the hope is that they will be able to be part of the tourism workforce here in the years to come.
How did the project begin?
Peninsula Papagayo was taken on by new ownership in the year 2000. Around the same time, the new owners, Ecodesarrollo Papagayo S.A. commissioned a liaison office to build relationships with the neighboring communities, as well as undertaking local studies to identify the needs prevalent within the area.
Their reports showed that the low level of education and lack of resources for residents would severely limit their ability to take an active role in the growing economy. Like much of Costa Rica, Guanacaste province had, and continues to experience, enormous social needs. Recent State of the Nation reports suggest there are over 119,000 people living on the poverty line – amounting to roughly a third of the local population. There is also a 9.6% rate of unemployment, notably higher than the national average of 7.5%.
It was at this point that Ecodesarrollo Papagayo S.A. launched “Creciendo Juntos” on the same foundations as Peninsula Papagayo. They wanted to build sustainability into all their work across the board, and this included investing in people by contributing to their future development. The aim was to improve education for residents, as well as help local communities to understand the key role that education could play in improving their quality of life.
From the offset, they realized that this was a huge undertaking. It was a project that required them to seek out alliances with both public and private organizations, forming a robust network that could provide the support that the communities needed. Over the past 20 years, they have become pioneers of what is now known as public-private partnerships, maximizing resources and knowledge for the greater good. Today, many institutions work towards common objectives alongside Creciendo Juntos, from the Ministry of Health, University of Costa Rica and the National Institute of Learning to the North American Embassy, Guanacaste Conservation Area and countless private companies and social organizations.
What types of projects does Creciendo Juntos promote?
There are 4 key areas that the organization focuses on:
- Formal education in 18 elementary schools and 3 high schools
- Technical education for mature students, providing them with vocational training
- Healthcare through 2 clinics, providing preventative and immediate care
- Volunteering opportunities for guests, visitors and residents, giving them an experience that enhances their stay
What impact has the program had over the past year or so?
We’ll further explore some of the specific projects and initiatives that you can get involved in supporting over our upcoming blog posts, but the work that Creciendo Juntos does has a marked impact on the community. Here are just a handful of highlights from the 2021 report:
- 472 children benefited from essential literacy training
- Over 1,000 core text books were distributed to students in local schools
- 106 families received equipment, materials and training to set up a vegetable home garden, allowing them to grow their own produce
- Over 7,000 children received medical care and psychological support
- 900 food parcels were delivered to families facing unemployment.
- 36 young people were trained as bartenders and waiters
Interested in learning more about how you can support Creciendo Juntos or spend some time volunteering during your stay with us? Reach out to our dedicated concierge team and let us handle all the details for you – so you can experience a vacation like no other.
