Carbon 1 is a small village two miles inland from Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica.  There are about 300 inhabitants spread throughout a large area of approximately one square mile.

The current primary elementary school, which was built in 1983, receives partial aid from the Government as well as some of the parents of the students  There are approximately twenty children registered at the school who are between the ages of seven and thirteen.  There is only one teacher/principal, Maritza, who travels from Limon.    The present infrastructure includes a building that has two classrooms and a separate, smaller building, where kids have their meals. 

El Yue Women’s Center

The Women Like Us Foundation has recently formed a partnership with the Asociación de Familias Productoras El Yüe. El Yüe is a United Nations funded community center located in the small farming community of Carbon #1, Talamanca, Costa Rica. The center invites international student groups to come and stay to learn about Costa Rican culture and environment, offers a library to enrich the minds of the local community, and serves as a center for community dialogue to discuss problems around physical, environmental, and economic health.

Women Like Us Foundation has empowered Addison Demaree, a recent Loyola University graduate, to teach English, engage with the community to discover need, and to create a sponsorship program to aid the students in transportation and attending High School. She offers five English and two Yoga classes every week to the children and adults of the community, hoping to aid in increasing economic health and creating positive memories around learning.

·      English Teacher – salary is $600 a month

The English teacher’s responsibility also includes the library, reading to the children, managing book lending process, and implementing other unique activities such as art, sports, yoga, drama, etc. 

·      Library

The goal for the library is to have a minimum of 500 books by the fall of 2012.

Bookshelves and tubs for books have been purchased providing additional storage space in the library. 

·      Computers

One of our goals is to add computers and training in the library. 

Future potential projects:

·      Women’s revenue project

·      School van

·      Playground and/or a Preschool

·      Workshops, such as, women’s finance, child rearing, adolescent girls’ self image

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