Worker Sponsorship Programme

Motivation
The shanty towns where Educación Plus works are unique places. Often quite isolated from other public thoroughfares, their poverty and sense of impermanence and insecurity produce a mixture of oppression and defiance. All this, along with other characteristics such as colloquial language, helps to create a distinctive sub-culture.

It is very unusual for foreigners to be able to penetrate this sub-culture. Even many Costa Rica nationals find it difficult, but they do start with certain advantages. One obvious example is their Spanish, which makes the language of the shanty towns easier for them to pick up. There are also a number of economic advantages in employing nationals rather than expatriates, (see below). Educación Plus seeks to employ suitable Christian Latin American nationals for our ministry in the shanty towns. The Worker Sponsorship Programme provides a way of raising the funds needed to pay them an appropriate salary.

Other advantages of employing Latin American workers

EXPATRIATE WORKERS:

need costly and time consuming language and cultural orientation;

are often perceived by locals as just a source of handouts;

require more expensive private education at
international schools for their children;

usually require more expensive, international, medical insurance cover;

need to return home periodically to see family and raise support;

need regular, time consuming and expensive renewal of visas etc.

NATIONAL WORKERS:

are working within their own culture and language;

are not perceived by the local population as being wealthy;

use local state schools for their children’s education;

use national medical insurance, usually employment - linked;

have their emotional and material support around them;

require a minimum of documents for identification.
What do they do?
Educación Plus workers do many and varied
tasks. In any given week these might include:
Visiting Schools
Parents are often unwilling to speak to teachers or school staff because they are embarrassed at not being able to read or write themselves. We stand in for them and take up individual cases.
Leading Bible Clubs
Around 300 children and young people enjoy the weekly Bible Clubs and Youth Groups which include singing, stories, dramas and competitions.
Pastoral Visiting
Many families of Project children need regular counselling and support and we also help with food, transport, medical emergencies, or write official letters for them. We keep a close watch on any children we consider to be at risk.
Sports Activities
Soccer and volleyball are weekly activities offered to Project children, along with occasional trips to the swimming pool, beach or skating rink, etc.
Practical Help
Re-roofing shacks or digging latrines are some of the things that we do for Project families. We also help our teenagers to find employment.
As well as these regular activities, Educación Plus staff host parties for over 550 children at Christmas, lead a number of camps each year, run three annual soccer championships, and organize school uniform and equipment for around 450 children at the start of the school year in February. They are kept very busy!

Funding breakdown
Our Worker Sponsorship Programme enables us to raise the salaries required for the staff shown here. You can help us keep this valuable team together and maybe add to them. The project depends on it. (Sponsors receive regular news from the worker they sponsor.)

Cost of sponsoring an Educación Plus worker:

As little as £20 a month

£600 pays one complete salary for a month

£7000 pays one complete salary for a year

Our Worker Sponsorship Programme enables us to raise the salaries required for the staff shown here. You can help us keep this valuable team together and maybe add to them. The project depends on it. (Sponsors receive regular news from the worker they sponsor.)

As little as £20 a month £600 pays one complete salary for a month

£7000 pays one complete salary for a year
© 2005 Educación Plus –  in England Educación Plus is a Registered charity, No 1048617
| web design by terrygrafico.com  |
Call Educación Plus at: +506 2227.8642