Recently I returned from an UNBOUND Awareness trip to Costa Rica.
It filled me with gratitude to meet the dedicated staff of UNBOUND in San Jose and my sponsored friend. Our group of 22 people were from across the U.S.
The staff showed us a side of Costa Rica most tourists don’t see. Although called the most stable economy in Central America, it too has been facing high unemployment and income inequality.
Twenty-one years ago, a representative from the organization founded in 1981 by Bob Hentzen, a former missionary spoke at Our Lady of Good Counsel Church in Vienna. We were interested in being agents of positive change and so it piqued our interest, but we wanted to make sure that our funds would be used wisely. I researched CFCA (as it was known then). It received four stars from Charity Navigator, but my friend’s letters were proof to us that our funds made a difference.
We arrived on a Saturday afternoon and were met at the airport by exuberant volunteers who would serve as translators for the next six days. Some were former recipients of scholarships through UNBOUND. We were driven to their complex up 5,500 feet. Each morning we met early to reflect and sing hymns written by Hentzen and discuss our goals for the day.
Our first Sunday we went to the Cartago Basilica. After we walked to the miraculous fount of healing waters there. Then we visited a barrio on the outskirts of San Jose, El Dique, San Ramon on Tuesday and Desamparados on Wednesday. These barrios were not pleasant but the community was — greeting us exuberantly. The UNBOUND centers were havens with bathrooms and an open space for children to play or elders to meet. Community involvement is stressed, as is entrepreneurship and small groups known as Circles of Hope (Circulos de Esperanza).
We were invited into the homes of UNBOUND families. They were haphazardly constructed, and many had leaky tin roofs. Several beds, with mosquito nets, were in small, shared bedrooms. Sidewalks were broken and littered, but the children smiled warmly and shared their pets with us. The people were so thankful. We were told that the honor and gratitude may feel overwhelming, but to remember that the promotion of dignity includes the respectful acceptance of gratitude.
In San Ramon, the townsfolk stood in the rain playing instruments to welcome us. We browsed the tables at the center where entrepreneurs sold their baked goods, crafts and handmade dresses. Afterward, we were treated to a lunch of rice and beans with chicken while watching intricate dances. In Desamparados, which we were told was one of the most dangerous barrios on our tour, the rickety houses were right up against the town landfill.
On Wednesday, I met Wendy and her mom, Maribel. Wendy is 11 and growing tall. It was a 10-hour trip for them to the center but they never complained. To prepare, I had studied Spanish and could communicate some. Maribel told me that by selling her homemade food she earned money to pay to for an indoor bathroom in their home. It was fun to see a photo of the cow they bought for their farm with funds we sent them last Christmas. I showed them some videos of my family. A robust fire in the fireplace and the newly formed friendships warmed the cold mountain air.
The final day was filled with games and music and the biggest conga line I had ever seen. Wendy’s mom had such fun dancing as did most of the UNBOUND staff.
UNBOUND works in 17 countries from Bolivia to Uganda but its headquarters are in Kansas City, Kan. This year, if you can spare $40 per month, you can select a friend to sponsor on their website. Your gift will be appreciated and bring hope to a family in need. Before the trip ended, I committed to sponsor another child and a senior.
The sun did poke its head out on the sixth day. “I am going from the deluge to the volcano,” I said, and I did. Toucans, monkeys, hanging bridges and sloths greeted me along the way — but the sloth spotted outside the UNBOUND center moving very slowly along the electric lines was my favorite.
“Pura Vida” as my new Costa Rican friends would say.
Greenfield is a parishioner of Our Lady of Good Counsel Church in Vienna. Learn more at UNBOUND.org.
