Country: Costa Rica

Program: Community Service at Hotel California

Location: Manuel Antonio/Quepos

Sponsorship of the Program: Felix Foundation and donations of hotel guests.

History/background: The initiative of the community service program is recent. The Felix Foundation is in the process of all the government bureacracy to create an international foundation for the benefit of the children living in Manuel Antonio. Hotel California began collaborating with the foundation in 1999.

Approximate number of children served: unknown. The program is open to the children who live in the community next to the hotel (approximately pop. 5,000 or less).

Characteristics of the Children served: A large percentage of the children in these schools are illegitimate and have single mothers that started their families very early in their lives. Many families consist of a single woman and several children, and typically the woman may have virtually no job skills.

How children are selected: The program is open to all the children of the community.

Program Services: Hotel California takes food to the schools when the foundation asks for it. The visitors that bring donations can go along with the hotel to spend the day with these children. For the future, Felix Foundation plans to build local community centers next door to each poor school and offer food, clothes, school uniforms, counseling, libraries, scholarships and support groups for children of addicts and alcoholics and shelters in the event of domestic violence.

Financial basis of the Program: A carload of basic food costs about 200 dollars and feeds the hungry kids for several weeks. The budget for Felix Foundation is unknown, but they do not accept monetary donations.

Philosophy of the Approach: The idea is that visitors to the area can make a difference by simply taking extra books, school supplies, or clothes in their suitcases. It is a very simplistic approach and targeted specifically to tourists.

“We actively encourage you to consider that a very small effort on your part can a change a child's life forever”

Special features: The existence of programs ran by tourist services is important because it brings the benefits of globalization closer to the less privileged. Tourism is the main economic revenue of Costa Rica but often it is only enjoy by a small sector of society. With this type of programs, tourists can see beyond the glass of Eco-tourism and meet the children of Costa Rica.  

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