One of the most beautiful and inspiring projects that you can get involved with in our area is Casa Sonja. It is a truly inspiring and hope-giving project.
Casa Sonja is a shelter located on the outskirts of Cóbano. It is a shelter that welcomes children and vulnerable mothers who are escaping violent situations in their homes. The shelter was founded, and continues to be operated, by Sonja Bautista, who has lived in the Santa Teresa area for many years. Sonja, originally from the Dominican Republic, is a Pastor, a mother and an all-round incredible woman who has dedicated her life to helping children by offering them a safe haven, as well as nourishment, love and support.
The shelter is currently at maximum capacity, with 32 children ranging in age from 6 months to 17 years old. Each child has a different story, but all come from unstable homes where they have experienced violence or sexual abuse. The shelter offers them a safe and loving home, with healthful food, care and support. The shelter currently has 9 members of staff, in addition to Sonja. One of those staff members is an in-house tutor, who helps the children catch up on their school work (as they often arrive at the shelter significantly behind academically).
Currently the shelter is located on a rented property close to Cobano. However, there are big plans in the works! Inspired by Sonja's mission, various members of the local community have joined forces with her to create a beautiful vision for the future of the shelter. Two years ago the president of the board of Casa Sonja purchased and donated to the organization a beautiful 5-hectare property on the outskirts of Cobano, which will be the permanent home for the shelter. Since that time the board has been busy working with architects and other professionals, preparing the land and fundraising for the build. You can learn more about the building project for the shelter here - https://www.ecovillageforchildren.org/building-an-ecovillage
If you would like to learn more and get involved with the incredibly important work of Casa Sonja you can sign up for their quarterly newsletter here or contact us to be put on the mailing list.
Support from people who visit and love the Santa Teresa area is essential in keeping the shelter running. With 32 children, monthly running costs are high. One beautiful way to support the shelter is to Sponsor A Child. You can sponsor a child for $150 per month and keep up to date with their progress. The monthly sponsorship money goes towards the daily necesities of that child (clothing, food, toiletries), school materials and uniforms. You can learn more about the Sponsor a Child program here.
If you prefer you can also make a one-off donation via the website donate page, or take part in the fundraisers that take place throughout the year. Donations made through Amigos of Costa Rica are deductible for US tax purposes.
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