Karol Fernandez wins the PSG scholarship fund to go to university

*Proyecto San Gerardo is very pleased to announce that Karol Fernandez is the first San Gerardo student to receive a scholarship through the new Proyecto San Gerardo Fund.

Karol has been studying computer skills with Proyecto San Gerardo since January 2009 and English since September of the same year. She passed her high school diplomas this year through studying at home, proving she has very good study skills and motivation to succeed at university.

Karol will study English and plans to be a high school teacher. She will be attending Universidad Latina starting in September. Without assistance from the Proyecto San Gerardo scholarship fund Karol would not have been able to consider going to university, so this new fund has made a world of difference in her life.

The new scholarship fund, brainchild of a former English volunteer teacher, started this year through various donations from Friends of Proyecto San Gerardo and fundraising events locally and around the world where the volunteers live. The plan is to offer assistance so that high school students don’t need to drop out of school for financial reasons or so young people with the capacity to study at university, but without the resources to pay for it, can apply for a scholarship (becca) as part of their financial planning. About 20 years ago it was highly unusual for children to go to high school, or even complete primary education. There wasn’t a high school nearby and the pressure for youngsters to help out at home or on the farm was intense. Typically children went to school for three – five years, but by the time they were ten they were working, contributing members of the family.

Nowadays nearly everyone completes primary school and about 80% start high school at the nearby colegio in Canaan – a mere 20 minute walk for most. The curriculum is demanding though – all Costa Rican students must graduate with a full slate of 13 materias (subjects), and the school day is long – from 7a.m. to 4p.m. So many of the students drop out: to work, to start a family or to stay home. Of young people between the ages of 14 and 25 in San Gerardo more than half fail to graduate. And their prospects for finding decent jobs beyond farm labourer or cleaning houses for gringos are few. It is for this reason Proyecto San Gerardo has set up the scholarship fund, and we hope in a small way to make a bit of difference for some of these smart, self-sufficient young people who deserve a better opportunity in life.

*Proyecto San Gerardo exists to provide opportunities for the local community to acquire skills to access secure and better paying jobs within the region. By teaching computer skills and English Proyecto San Gerardo ensures students are in a better position to compete for jobs in hotels, as guides to Cerro Chirripó, or with other attractions in the tourist sector. This website, developed by Proyecto San Gerardo, also ensures more people get to know about San Gerardo and helps visitors plan their stay here. The Information and Services page promotes small micro-enterprises and Proyecto San Gerardo volunteers all stay with local families, a wonderful experience for them and also a financial boost for the local community. For more in formation about Proyecto San Gerardo, or if you would like to make a donation to assist us with the classes or towards the scholarship fund, please visit the Get Involved page on this website.

Other news:

On Saturday 21st August we enjoyed a wonderful day celebrating the 35th anniversary of the commemoration of Cerro Chirripó as a National Park (Parque Nacional Chirripó). Communities bordering on the mountain: San Gerardo de Rivas, Herradura, San Pedro, San Geronimo and Cedral met with representatives of the UNESCO since Chirripo is located within the world heritage site: Parque de la Amistad, here in the Talamanca Mountain Range. Representatives from MINAE and the Asociacion de Arieros, Guias y Porteadores hosted the event. Dancing, traditional games, football, clowns and of course lots of wonderful comida tipico made this a great day to remember. Enjoy the photos!

IMPORTANT: Mt Chirripó is closed for annual maintenance from October 1st – 31st. Please make your visiting plans with this in mind if you have set your sites on the peak!