Team #2 Costa Rica | Day 7

The following article was contributed by a Global Village trip participant.

Well, here we are again. Our new family of 26 volunteers has completed our building project, with two new houses for deserving families from the Biolley region. This is my third Habitat Global Village trip to Costa Rica and I can sincerely say that every year is better than the year before. 

This year was different than previous years for several reasons, but the biggest difference has been the communities in the region. Ten small villages, such as Sabalo, Alta Mira, El Carmen and Colorado, have learned how to band together in order to advocate for a better world, not only for themselves in the short term, but for future generations and for the environment. 

During our week in Biolley, we were introduced to several associations of women who have formally organized themselves in effort to achieve a specific mission and goals. One of these associations organized to buy land to build a community kitchen and community center, to work on various environmental projects around town and provide education and training to families in the community in order to build self-sustaining farms.

This week we were fortunate enough to be able to visit a family farm with a bio-digester, a system that recycles animal and food waste into methane gas for the cook stove. We were also introduced to an association of organic farmers and another of women who grow, process and roast coffee in order to create jobs for the women in the community. These associations of women have learned to advocate for themselves and have found a way to make their communities better, in spite of the existing problems of poverty and lack of sustainable work for women.

As volunteers, we have benefited as much, if not more, than the families who will receive a home from Habitat. We have created a community amongst each other and have a renewed hope for a better world. I am inspired by the women in Biolley. They use every resource they have, even garbage, to improve and beautify their communities. I know we will all go away from this Global Village experience with a new perspective on life here and at home.  Thank you Habitat Costa Rica for allowing us to come build homes, communities and hope!

Bobbi Higgins