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| | Working towards environmental sustainability through education & capacity building | | | | PROGRAM IN BRIEF: | | | | | Continent: | Central America | | Development areas: | Environmental Conservation | | | Education | | | Health | | | Gender Equality | | YCA Focused MDG: | Number 7; Environment Sustainability. |  | | | | PROGRAM OVERVIEW: | | Youth Challenge Australia (YCA) has been involved with over 150 community-identified development projects in Costa Rica. The YCA program in Costa Rica has been providing the opportunity for remote community development since 1992. Hundreds of communities have been involved with YCA by identifying a need and having the support to achieve their community goals with the help of passionate and enthusiastic youth from around the world.
| The Costa Rica program is focused predominantly on environmental conservation and education, as well as some work around capacity building, youth work and health. Each project in Costa Rica is different and has its own individual goals, objectives and activities ranging from educational capacity building about the importance of protecting the environment, to facilitating educational workshops towards the prevention of drug use. The purpose of engaging with Costa Rican communities across this beautiful, bio diverse nation is to enhance the capacity of community members to engage in sustainable development. YCA continues to work in collaboration with Reto Juvenil International (RJI) to identify and support numerous communities that require assistance in Costa Rica and to work with them towards a sustainable future. | | | | GET INVOLVED: | | YCA aims to support Costa Rican communities to protect and sustain their biodiversity and unique environment through supporting their individual project development initiatives. This includes working with communities to protect their beaches, flora and fauna, rainforests, national parks, volcanoes and the amazing array of species unique to the Central American region. The nation’s economy also is heavily reliant upon the environment as tourism is one of the prime industries of Costa Rica.
Costa Rica currently ranks among the top ten countries in which citizens of a country make below $2US a day according to the United Nations Development Programme Index. The ongoing support of Costa Rican communities is crucial to the sustainability of the environment and also to the region. YCA conducts projects in Costa Rica year round. We aim to assist these communities to make a small contribution to achieving Costa Rica’s long-term development goals. By getting involved you will be able to learn more and experience the lives of the Costa Rican people first hand, contribute to improving the standard of living, assisting in educational objectives to increase income in the poorest areas and help preserve the precious natural resources of Costa Rica.
| | |  | | | | COUNTRY PROFILE: | | |
| Location: | Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north and Panama to the South. | | Capital: | San Jose, located in the Central Valley, Costa Rica. | | Population: | 4.5 million. | | Language/s: | Spanish | | HDI: | 54/182 | | Life Expectance: | 78.8 years | | Infant Mortality: | 8.77 in 1000 births | | Adult Literacy Rate: | 95.9% | | Population living below the national poverty line: | 18.0% | | Climate: | Costa Rica is a tropical country and experiences only two seasons: wet and dry. The dry season is generally between late December and April, and the wet season falls on the rest of the year. | | Government: | Democratic Republic | | | |
 | | | | PAST COSTA RICA PROJECT: | | Year: | 2009 | | Location: | Juanilama, Costa Rica | | Project Length: | 10 weeks | | Project Goal: | To facilitate natural resources protection, the promotion of gender equality and to engage in capacity building around education and language. | | Youth Participants: | 7 participants | | Direct Beneficiaries: | 50 families (women, men and children) who live in Juanilama. | | In-Direct Beneficiaries: | The community of Juanilama | | Project Summary: | The project improved community facilities, with the instillation of recreational and sporting equipment for young people as well as language classes undertaken. This assisted the youth in enhancing their socialisation and participation in their community. The team worked with improve the Ecological Reserve by planting trees, constructing trails and environmentally friendly tourist locations to conserve the natural environment from excessive tourism. By enhancing the tourist experience, the community will be able to gain economic benefits from increased tourists, as well as ensure the protection of their natural reserve. The team delivered classes and conferences to the women in the community in order to engage them in participating in both the social and economic sphere. Planned activities included art classes, health discussions, and empowerment and self-esteem workshops. | | | | | Click here for Costa Rica Photo Gallery | | | | | | |
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