There are, however, many dangers for children and youngsters who live there, and people ready to take advantage of them. These include things like sex tourism, drug trafficking and accidents waiting to happen in and around their shacks.

Educación Plus provides healthy recreational activities for children and young people, both within and away from their environment. We hold weekly Bible Clubs and sports activities in three areas of shanty town around the capital, San José, reaching around 600 children and their families.

Every year, we also give as many children as possible the opportunity to attend a residential camp. There, they can enjoy organized sports and adventure activities, plenty of good food and friendship, and develop their social skills.

All the camp staff are Christians, who both lead Bible studies and live out the Christian message in front of the children on a daily basis. There is always a marked contrast between the Christian atmosphere of the camps and the children’s home environment of the shanty towns.

How it all began
The first Educación Plus camp was held in February 1997, and was only possible thanks to a very generous gift from a church in England. It was with just a few misgivings that we took 30 shanty town children aged 9 to 13 years to the coast for three nights and four days.

However, one of the volunteers on that camp was so moved by the experience that she returned to England and raised the money for the following year’s camp. And so our camps programme was launched.

In February 2004, we held our 20th camp, which lasted for five days. During the previous seven years we had provided over 1000 places for youngsters to enjoy a Christian holiday away from their difficult home environment.

Youth camps
It has also been exciting to see our Youth Camp programme develop. To be a teenager in a shanty town is tough. Some have left school with little to show for their time there and many are too young to legally start work, even if work were available. Their days are filled with boredom, which makes them easy prey for the drug traffickers who always live nearby in a shanty town.

Our Youth camps include challenging activities such as rock climbing and abseiling. They are very popular and we never have enough places available to meet demand.

Funding
The children are unable to pay anything for these holidays. They can only continue if funds are found.

In the past, we have been very grateful to various churches and groups. The British Ambassadors to Costa Rica have also always been very generous. However, due to a change in British Government policy, they will be unable to help in future.

This is an important part of our programme and we are continually seeking the necessary funds.