Site Visit 1

“La Carpio” is the largest binational community (Costa Ricans and Nicaraguans) in the country for an exchange with collectives and organizations present in the community, listening to the difficulties and challenges they face but, particularly, learning about self-management and development initiatives for this community that is still stigmatized, but also recognized for its capacity to look for collective alternatives. To learn about the community’s reality, a visit was made to Fundación Golees, Fundación SIFAIS, and Entrecosturas, a social business.

At first, some general context was given about the situation of migrants in Costa Rica. Upon arrival at La Carpio, we went to the Fundación Golees fields. Their objective is to promote gender equality, the defense of women’s human rights, and women’s empowerment through the socio-educational tool that soccer is, as a bridge, pretext, and key to work on the above, on and off the field.

Later, we all walked to Fundación SIFAIS—the foundation in charge of the “Light Cave” (Cueva de Luz), a space in the Pequeña Gran Ciudad de La Carpio area that offers education programs and art workshops for the population and fuels local social businesses.

Once there, three groups were formed to discuss and delve into the situation, with: 1) Members of Fundación SIFAIS and their realities, 2) Walkabout in the SIFAIS building to learn about its history and construction process, and 3) Conversation and presentation with “Entrecosturas,” the foundation’s first social business, which is led by Nicaraguan women.