La Carpio is an informal settlement located in the extreme west of the city of San José, Costa Rica. It has a territorial extension of 23 square km and is surrounded by two rivers (Río Virilla and Río Torres), at the end of the territory there is a Sanitary Landfill (municipal garbage dump), which makes the territory visually have the shape of an island.

The community of La Carpio is made up of the largest binational population (Costa Ricans and Nicaraguans) in the country, and the majority of its inhabitants are of Nicaraguan origin. 

In its more than 20 years of existence, the community has grown exponentially, both in the number of people who inhabit the area, and in the challenges posed to the Costa Rican State, civil society organizations, and the general population, being able to intervene in the space of various ways.

This organizational difficulty, of territorial ordering in general, has led the community to self-manage on many occasions and among themselves to seek solutions to the various social problems they face.

Internally, various initiatives have emerged that promote community development, sometimes supported by external organizations. 

In order to learn about the reality of the community, the Goles Foundation, the SIFAIS Foundation and the Entrecosturas and Panadería social enterprises will be visited.