In addition to running a travel business arranging Costa Rica vacations, I also operate both a physical and online store that sells Costa Rican indigenous arts and crafts. One of those indigenous groups is the Bribris of the Talamanca region located in the extreme southern Caribbean zone. I had the good fortune of finding a contact with the tribe here in San Jose during the art fair earlier this year. He put me in touch with Timoteo Jackson, a local tribal leader. We made a visit into the reserve to meet Timoteo. The experience was very eye-opening. We saw how proud these people are of their culture, as a Bribri youth group put on a theatrical presentation of the legendary struggle between a cacique (or, chief) named Pa-blu Presbere and the Spanish Conquistadors in the early 1,700’s. We also saw that the region was largely impoverished. Many Bribris that we couldn’t see and who live in remote mountainous areas, are in need of a bridge out of a desperate situation. Enter Barry Stevens and Nanci Wright and their organization appropriately known as El Puente, or The Bridge. Their organization is bringing much needed assistance to the indigenous of this area in the form of helping parents get their kids into school and keep them there, providing food and a way of making a living through microloans. And, most importantly, giving them hope. El Puente offers a number of ways to get involved, from donations to rolling up one’s sleeves and getting to work on some project in the reserve. Their approach at fostering both community and individual growth is refreshing, as well as their attention to helping the Bribris pass on their culture to future generations. For more information about getting involved with El Puente, see their web site link below.
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