Sonia Smith, active volunteer and Collette Vacations employee, visited the Escuela Jaime Gutiérrez Braum school located in Tierras Morenas, Tilarán, Guanacaste in Costa Rica with her family recently and shares her story with us today:

The small village school has approximately 110 students from preschool through sixth grade with only 2 classrooms to hold all the students. The Collette Foundation is currently working to build a new structure to make room for more classrooms. During my visit, my family and I got a sneak peek at the early stages in the building process. I saw the area that will soon be classrooms where the wonderful children I met can thrive, learn and be inspired.

The current conditions make learning difficult, yet each child I met was so friendly and extremely sweet. They were always smiling, wanting to hold our hands; they loved taking pictures… especially looking at themselves on the camera afterwards. They showed us their classrooms, play areas and even some artwork they had created. These kids have so little and they are so proud of what they do have. They are happy. The experience was very humbling.

The most unforgettable moment for us was when we got to give the students some gifts we had brought with us from the States. We brought a variety of new school supplies for the kids to enjoy and help enhance their learning. They were so appreciative and just so excited.

We left the school feeling truly moved by our visit. On our trip, we learned that “Pura Vida” is a saying in Costa Rica that means “pure life” or sometimes “full of life”… the saying reflects an appreciation for really living. These children captured the Pura Vida spirit and really taught us what it was all about.

A student at Ujarras enjoying his improved classroom environment

The Collette Foundation recently funded some much-needed improvements and repairs at the Escuela of Ujarras in Sarapiqui — a school the Collette Foundation supports which I had the pleasure of visiting in the Summer of 2011. With this donation, new windows, new floors, painted walls and ceilings in every classroom have truly made over the school, brightening it up for the children — and modernizing it where it needed improvement. Two new bathrooms were built, one of which is for handicapped children. The cafeteria has been transformed and is now also cleaner which is better for the children as this is where they eat their meals! The funds also supported the purchase of new chairs, tables as well as a ramp that will enable children in wheelchairs to easily access their classrooms, cafeteria and outside play area by the hill.

Lastly they built a small recreational spot just behind the school where both students and teachers can relax outdoors. With the remaining money, school materials needed for class were purchased. Everything looks beautiful and now the children can enjoy a safer, more functional school to study and play. I can’t wait to go back and see the children again — and see all the wonderful changes that have taken place in their school.

The school was hit very hard by a tornado last year and it is a dangerous area for the children to go everyday but they don’t have anywhere else to go. Here, there is just a small area to eat, not a lot of food, and hardly any school materials. The clothing the children wear are mostly hand-me-downs-many of the children were wearing outfits that were too big or too small them as a result.

Last year, the Collette Foundation donated $2,500 to buy Christmas gifts for the children, school materials as well as food.

Enjoying a dance from these adorable, colorful kids.

When Danny and I went, we took 35 backpacks with notebooks, pencils, crayons, ruler, erasers, pencil sharpeners, folders, socks, a pair of sneakers for each child and a box for the whole school with markers, glues, pens, first aid kits, as well as many books with Spanish-English to help them learn English. They all want to learn English very much.

The supplies behind the smiles

Each sneaker that was given to each child was recycled from Danskin water bottles and all the Crayola crayons we took were made by solar power and for every one used a tree was planted. The Collette Foundation not only put beautiful, huge smiles in these kids’ faces but also helped the environment by buying recycled materials. 

The children at Escuela Ujarras were so excited to see us! It really made our hearts swell to have such a genuinely warm welcome. They were waiting by the gates and couldn’t wait to say “Hola!” and show us their classroom and even sing to us. When we delivered the backpacks, they didn’t know what to do – they were so very excited. They couldn’t stop smiling and their hands were just itching to open the backpack to see what presents lay inside.

Danny and I also presented a check to Ofelia, the director at the school for $5,000 to support some much-needed school repairs.

It was so hard to leave the school and the children. They were so sweet.

My trip to Costa Rica really was life-changing. I’ve been so committed to these projects without ever really knowing how much it meant to the people receiving our support. Now, I can picture so many innocent faces smiling with excitement and gratefulness. I can hear their voices singing, feel their arms around me, hugging me and showing me how happy they were for my visit and for our continued support.

In a sentence – I’m more motivated than ever to make the lives of these children better. It’s such an honor to be a part of this mission.

The smell of fresh coffee wafting over from a nearby plantation is one of the best wake up calls in the world – and a telltale sign that you’re “not in Kansas anymore” so to say. This is how I felt on a recent trip to Costa Rica. Every part of the experience thrilled my senses, reminding me that I was far away from home on an adventure filled with rugged beauty, volcanoes, plantations – and giving back.

When you close your eyes in many places in Costa Rica, you can hear the relaxing sounds of birds chirping, monkeys calling in the distance, and waterfalls flowing. The people are kind and welcoming; the food is delicious; the music is rhythmic – and everywhere seems to live up to the nation’s “Pura Vida” mentality. Costa Rica is 100% eco-friendly to protect its beautiful rainforests.

Enjoying every moment in this natural wonderland

Zip lining through the forest in Sarapiqui was the most exhilarating experience of my life. I loved learning how coffee was made during two tours in Sarapiqui and Tierra Morenas.

At the two plantations we visited, from every coffee sold a percentage is donated to the Hijos del Campo foundation to support education for children at the schools. It is these schools the Collette Foundation is also supporting. This part of the trip surpassed all of my expectations and was truly the highlight of the journey.

You see, I am the ambassador for the Collette Foundation’s Costa Rica projects. What are we doing in Costa Rica? The Collette Foundation has been working with two schools in Costa Rica now though a foundation there called Hijos del Campo:

One of these schools is called the Escuela Jaime Braun in Tierras Morejas. There are about 80 students from kindergarten to 6^th grade; the school has just two small classrooms.

The Collette Foundation is helping build a sports multi-court (gymnasium) for the school and also the community. Here, the children can play soccer, basketball, volleyball, tennis, and they’ll also have a stage for plays and changing rooms. This will be the only entertainment this school and community has ever had that is safe and fun.

When we visited the school, we were welcomed with the kindest, happiest children! Their faces were beaming with joy just to have visitors. They danced for us and we danced with them and played with kites with them and ran around and talked with each student. They wouldn’t let go of our hands; they kept saying “thank you” over and over again for supporting them with school materials and mostly helping them build a gymnasium.

Me with the kids from the school in Ujarras.

We were there all day. The parents cooked lunch for us and we ate with them and had a tour of the school and the small areas in the community.  They didn’t want to see our time together end; they wanted us to stay there and sleep at their home and they wanted to show us so much more but our day had to end.

So many thank cards and notes were written thanking us for the support we are giving them.

As I left, my sense of commitment to this charming school intensified. They still need so much. They have so little food and materials. They have no idea what the outside world is like but they are so happy, so kind, and so grateful for what they have. They have dreams of becoming doctors, singers, actors, teachers and hope that one day they’ll be the change in their community.

To read part II of our Costa Rica adventure – click here.

After months of planning, construction has begun on the outdoor multi-purpose sports court for Tierras Morenas school. The 110 students will soon have a safe place to learn and play. They are so excited for a place to play volleyball, soccer, basketball and tennis! Since the court is covered it is ideal for teachers to hold classes, as well as dance recitals and school gatherings.

We are expecting the court to be completed by the end of the summer.