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Checking in with artist-in-residence Eva Fakatselis

How cancer survivor and Harmony artist-in-residence Eva Fakatselis, has found inspiration and empowerment in a period of global crisis. 

Written in her own words

I originally came to the Harmony in August of 2019 as the artist-in-residence with a mission to create an illustrated field-guide style book to support and educate other cancer patients (and their friends and family) in a relatable and beautiful way. I was so inspired by my time in Nosara, surrounded by vibrant and fertile nature and the magical realism of life here, that I decided to temporarily leave NYC behind and move to Costa Rica to work on the project. In January, my life-long dream of a fully equipped and tailor-made art studio came true. I moved into a beautiful workspace in the forest-garden of the old Harbor Reef in Guiones.

Then Coronavirus hit.

As for everyone around the world, the past few weeks have been unprecedented, and from my perspective, things started to get real when Costa Rica decided to shut down its borders to curb the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. The Corona crisis has had a strange effect on me – mostly because there are many parallels to be drawn with my fight with cancer.  For example, the need for vigilance opposite germs and illness, wearing gloves and masks, the isolation brought on by the avoidance of public places and the necessity for social distancing, the existential fear of death (no biggie!) as well as the complete overturning of life as previously known with every corner impacted from work to friendships to family to self. Having been down this road before in so many ways, when things started to tighten and get scary some big questions and decisions loomed…should I return post-haste to the United States out of fear of being stranded far from my core support system, should I be overly cautious due to my primary immunodeficiency leftover from chemo, should I get my bi-monthly immune system transfusion and 2-year CAT scan in San Jose or return to the perceived safety of Memorial Sloan Kettering and my oncologist.

In the face of all these overwhelming questions, I truly surprised myself and I have cancer to thank for it.

I chose my life today, as uncertain as it was, over taking actions based in fear. I decided to stay in Nosara, standing by with mixed emotion as the last scheduled commercial flight left for the USA at the end of March. I found a talented oncologist in San Jose and received my medical care there with the participation of my amazing team in NYC. And after getting the jubilant news that I was two years cancer-free and that my scan was clear, I leaned into my fear of commitment, and realized my dream of having a dog. I adopted a puppy and I have named her Mika, which means beautiful fragrance.

Coming to Nosara to work on the cancer field guide, building a life by the ocean close to nature and creating a magical art studio in the forest are all dreams that I had never believed I could realize, and they had all come true in a matter of months since I came to the Harmony for the residency. I wasn’t about to walk away from them out of fear and I certainly wasn’t about to let the uncertainty brought on by the Corona crises make me waver in my path – I’ve seen the face of uncertainty before and I no longer fear it. Instead I believe I have found the key – to embrace it and to resist giving it the power to shrink your life – instead use it as fuel to expand your life in ways you had previously avoided. Remembering that the uncertainty has always been there, and always will be there, you just hadn’t noticed it before.

So for now, I remain in Nosara indefinitely, continuing to focus on the book, my art and my puppy in my jungle-cloaked studio.

all photos by Matthew Chenet

The Call of the Forest

Sometimes it’s easy to take trees for granted..for many of us they simply become part of the background landscape of our daily lives. But when you really notice them, it’s fun to think about their amazing life and transformation.  Growing so quietly and so slowly, turning water, light and air into roots and bark, leaves and twigs. And all the things they are responsible for on this planet, how vital they are for our survival! Providing habitat and shelter, medicine, oxygen, beauty and magic…it’s well worth taking a moment to recognize them as the essential organisms they are, and to always strive to live together with them in harmony.

This Thursday May 23 we’ll celebrate trees as we show the documentary Call of the Forest at the Harmony Juice Bar. In the film, visionary scientist Diana Beresford-Kroeger takes us on a journey to the ancient forests of the northern hemisphere, revealing the profound connection that exists between trees and human life and the vital ways that trees sustain all life on the planet. Check out the trailer! 

 

The Harmony Event Series: Katzie Guy-Hamilton

Katzie Guy-Hamilton knows a thing or two about delicious food! Her career has spanned from Director of Food and Beverage of Equinox Fitness to Global Director and Ambassador for chocolate brand Max Brenner International, to running the celebrated pastry program at New York’s Ace Hotel.

A few years ago, after crazy amounts of work travel began to take a toll on her health, Katzie began her training as a Health Coach and started down the path to wellness by eating clean, but soon realized something essential was missing…dessert! Today, Katzie cooks and eats with an approach that balances healthful entrées with satisfying treats.

This Friday we welcome Katzie to the Harmony Juice Bar to chat with us about her holistic approach to food (and life), and to demonstrate a recipe from her debut book, Clean Enough: Get Back to Basics and Leave Room for Dessert. Healthy snacks, sweet treats, and delicious conversation with friends: what could be better?!

One of the sweetest things about this event collaboration is that Katzie is a long time visitor to Nosara and a good friend of the Harmony. We’re very happy she is back to spend some time with us, and we shared a few minutes chatting about her time in Nosara, her collaboration with the Harmony Healing Centre, and how it was part of her journey in creating Clean Enough.

I think everyone has a story about how they came to Nosara the first time, how did you discover it?

A long time ago, an important person in my life mentioned this place called Nosara that he thought I would love.  At that time in my life I was like Costa Rica? I want to go to St. Barts! Even though he kept telling me that Nosara would resonate with me, we didn’t go.

Fast forward to a late night chat with a friend who was going to Central America over the holidays and knew Monica from the Healing Centre. I was going through a work transition and she asked if I wanted to go have a respite in Nosara.  And I thought Nosara?  Ohhhhhh, Nosara! Seemed kismet, I booked my flight.

So what’d you think when you finally got here?

We were staying in Pelada, walking to Guiones along the beach after sunrise. I remember going to the Harmony and the moment we walked in, I just had this feeling that resonated with me. It was like, oh this is who I am – it’s a little bohemian, it’s a little luxury, it’s understated, and there’s a pulse here that’s thoughtful and intelligent. That’s when I met Monica over lunch…I totally remember that I got the spring rolls and while we were talking, we just saw something in each other.  I think she knew that I was going to do more than even I knew what I was going to do, if that makes sense? I knew she recognized that in me, and it started our friendship.

 We can all agree that Monica is amazing! And then you collaborated with her on a project at the Healing Centre?

Yes! During another visit, I was chatting with her and Heather Lundy, and we were just riffing off some thoughts I had about the wellness and retreat sphere in Nosara. I’m not an organized retreat person, I believe in self retreats. Whether it is a couple hours at home alone, a vacation by yourself, going away solo for the weekend…whatever it is, that moment to get away is so important.  And look, I don’t want someone to give me a green juice and tell me this is how I detox, I like to design my self retreats in a way that makes sense for me. So the conversation we had that day was the beginning of the customized health concierge and restoration week program at the Healing Centre.

I see that program as a great tool for people to drop a little deeper into the restorative potential that this area is known for. 

True, so many people come to Nosara to restore. People can be exhausted for so many reasons. You can be exhausted because you’re not eating properly, you could be overworked, under slept, and so on. The original concept to address this on the nutrition side was to help someone eat clean, nourish, and support vitality based on their needs. Eating clean means a lot of water, vibrant colors, things that don’t have a ton of oil, bread, dairy.  Then there’s eating to nourish. When you’re exhausted, you don’t need a juice cleanse, you need to be eating rice, stews, risottos, the things that are grounding and nourishing. Then there’s supporting vitality.  Some people want to take every surf lesson, every yoga lesson, do breathwork in the afternoon, run on the beach…that’s their vitality! They need energy for these activities and we looked at the foods that support that.  I have to say it’s really nice to see the program in the Healing Centre offerings. To hold space for somebody, be their health coach, help them regenerate, and also give them a lifelong tool of knowledge that lasts beyond their stay is a really cool thing.

You’ve had a really amazing career journey – how did you add author to your list of accomplishments?

I’ve always wanted to write a book. I had a blog when I lived on the west coast called Dirt Cake, and Charlotte Druckman, an author and food writer, followed it. We connected and became friends, and she once told me in an email to hold on to the fact that I like to write because she thought I should write a book one day.  That stuck in the back of my mind for a long time…it was always there. Just before one of my visits to the Harmony, I had started writing about self care, which would turn into the chapter in Clean Enough called Your Universe Feeds You. After I had been at the Harmony for a few days (I usually turn into a limp noodle four days in, and that’s the best feeling known to man), I got into my flow state and had this light bulb go off in my head. I was in the hotel lobby on those couches and all of a sudden the concept for Clean Enough dawned on me.  And I’m not kidding you, a book started pouring out of me. Truthfully it all started to come together as I was sitting on the couches at the Harmony, somewhere in between a state of peace and joy.

Since you’ve spent a bit of time around our menus, I have to ask, what’s your favorite thing to eat at Harmony?

I’m obsessed with the banana nut smoothie at the Juice Bar!  I remember sitting under the rancho there when I had it for the very first time. It turned into a daily thing! I would get a coconut from the coconut cart every day, and then that smoothie.  I’d wait for it, and have it in the middle of afternoon, sipping it through that bamboo straw. It’s such a strong memory and I had to make my own version of it for Clean Enough. I made sure the photographer for the book shot it in one of those big shaker glasses with a bamboo straw!

I’m really glad that this place could be part of your creative process.

It was a dream to do something with the Harmony and to have the opportunity to honor that. I was really excited to name the section Harmony Bowls. Those recipes are all about being in harmony, having something that makes you feel good, and the notion of having some balance in your life.  I wanted to honor Harmony in the book because I started writing it there. I whole- heartedly believe in what I’m doing and I feel like the Harmony shares that philosophy in what it does. It makes me feel connected to something that matters.

Katzie Guy-Hamilton will be at the Juice Bar Friday March 15, starting at 6pm. She will demonstrate her garden pesto along with a fresh zucchini salad, and chat with the audience about eating with simplicity, in Harmony and with elegance. Check out her delicious pesto recipe below!

Garden Pesto

Makes 1 Cup

Prep Time: 15 minutes

 

½ teaspoon Lemon Zest

15 g (1T) Lemon Juice

5g (1 each) Garlic Clove

40g (1 cup packed) Basil Leaves

20g (½ cup packed) Parsley Leaves

20g  (½ cup packed) Mint Leaves

75g (1/3 cup) Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 tsp Himalayan Pink Salt

½ tsp Black Pepper, freshly ground

25g (¼ cup) Pine Nuts (toasted or raw depending on your preference)

  1. Pile all the herbs on your cutting board with the clove of garlic and begin chopping.
  2. At this point you can rough chop the herbs down and then transfer to a mortar and pestle with the nuts and lemon zest, salt and pepper and begin to mash with the oil, seasoning with the lemon juice at the end.
  3. Alternatively, you can transfer the mixture to a food processor to pulse with the lemon juice and stream in the oil.
  4. Alternatively, you can make a finer puree by using a Vitamix blender, streaming in the olive oil.
  5. Finally, you can go ditch all these tools and finish by hand, chopping the herbs down with the garlic, nuts and lemon zest until very fine with the salt and pepper. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the lemon juice and olive oil as to not make a further mess of your cutting board.

 


Recipe from Clean Enough: Get Back to Basics and Leave Room for Dessert © Katzie Guy-Hamilton, 2019.

Photography © Brian Kennedy, 2019. Reprinted by permission of the publisher, The Experiment. Available wherever books are sold. experimentpublishing.com

 

The Harmony Event Series: Robin McKenna

We’re excited to welcome special guest Robin McKenna for the screening of the next film in The Harmony Event Series. Robin is director, producer and writer of GIFT, a feature-length documentary and crossmedia project inspired by Lewis Hyde’s bestseller The Gift. By now a modern classic, The Gift is a brilliantly orchestrated defense of the value of creativity and of its importance in a culture increasingly governed by money and overrun with commodities.

We will gather at the Juice Bar on February 21 at 6:30pm, when author and meditation teacher (and good friend of the Harmony :)) Jeff Warren will introduce GIFT and guide the audience through a meditation before we screen the film. Afterwards, in conversation with Robin, he’ll invite everyone into dialogue and reflection on creativity, generosity and how we share our gifts.

A little more about Robin: she grew up in Montréal, Canada, and began making films with La Course destination monde, travelling around the world alone with a camera making short, creative documentaries.  Her film The Great War Experience won Yorkton Film Festival’s Founders’ Award in 2007. She was producer and associate director of The Jungle Prescription, for CBC’s The Nature of Things, about ayahuasca, medicine and healing, with Dr. Gabor Maté.

She is currently making Thanadoula, a short animated documentary fairytale about a real-life “death doula”, in co-production with the NFB.  Recently she directed a short film with actress Geneviève Bujold, produced by the NFB for the Governor General’s Awards.

She has directed award-winning series for networks in the US and Canada, and her cinematography credits include City of Borders (Berlinale, Hot Docs 2009) and The Take with Naomi Klein and Avi Lewis (AFI Best Documentary 2004). She is an alumnus of Hot Docs’ Doc Lab, and has been a filmmaker-mentor in indigenous communities with Wapikoni Mobile.

GIFT is a richly cinematic film, interweaving character driven stories. On North America’s Pacific Northwest Coast, a young Indigenous man undertakes the elaborate preparations for a potlatch – to make a name for himself by giving everything away. In Rome, Italy, a factory occupied by migrant families is transformed into a living museum, protected by a barricade of art : a model of resistance, and an invaluable gift.  In the pirate utopia of Burning Man, a mutant bumblebee art car distributes honey in a post-­apocalyptic desert landscape. Meanwhile, in Auckland, New Zealand, artist Lee Mingwei prepares to launch Sonic Blossom – a “transformative gift” of song.

Check out the trailer: https://vimeo.com/283716447

The Harmony Event Series: Chef Pablo Bonilla

The Event

On Friday Feb 1, Costa Rican chef and researcher Pablo Bonilla prepared an intimate gastronomic experience at the Harmony Juice Bar.  He created a tasting menu of 6 dishes inspired by his work with the Bribri of Costa Rica, with most ingredients being sourced from this indigenous community.  

The tables for the evening were set with menus that resembled the traditional conical house structure that is the center of the Bribri spiritual practice, and a symbolic representation of the universe.  It is believed that the highest level of this house is where Sibö, creator of the universe, resides with the vulture king.

“When Sibö created the world, he celebrated. And he invited the vultures to dance for they knew the songs and knew the steps. That’s how we learned to dance. When we see the vultures flying above us, we remember this. We dance when we finish sowing corn, after building a house, and in order to give thanks to Sibö and to nature.”

At the center of the evening’s dinner experience was a beautiful barbecue. Pork cooked in the open air as the first plates and their accompanying drink and wine pairings were served. The taste of the food itself sparked lively conversation, as did Pablo’s concept of marrying indigenous ingredients and ancient techniques into his contemporary cuisine.

The Menu

Cured fish in pejibaye vinegar and dakoshka (pejibaye dough) – paired with Chicha de pejibaye

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Pujagua corn meatballs and smoked hearts of palm patepaired with Chicheme of pujagua corn and ginger

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Hearts of palm soup and purple and white ñame chipspaired with Sauvignon blanc

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Gallos de arracache with chicasquilpaired with Pinot grigio

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Smoked pork pozolpaired with Merlot

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Smoked sweet plantain ice cream with cocoa nibspaired with Rum collins

A little more about Pablo…

Pablo Bonilla started his career in 2000, and after a few years working for local restaurants in Costa Rica, he travelled abroad to improve his gastronomic skills in Spain and Mexico.

In 2013, he returned to the country and began his research on the culinary traditions of different indigenous communities in Costa Rica. This work made him discover a whole universe of techniques, ingredients, and knowledge that were never before documented.

Mixing his experience in contemporary cuisine with the knowledge he is still gathering from his research, Pablo opened Sikwa, the only restaurant in Costa Rica focused entirely on indigenous and ancestral cuisine, sourcing 85% of its ingredients from the communities. Sikwa was recently named by New Worlder as one of The Americas’ 20 Best New Restaurants in 2018.

A little more about the Bribri…

The Bribri are located mostly in the mountains and Caribbean coastal areas of Costa Rica and northern Panama. Often called “the hidden people” because they live in relative isolation, there are varying estimates of their population.  This isolation, along with the resolve of some community members, has helped them maintain their language, traditions and culture in the face of encroaching modernity.

The Bribri society is structured by clans (groups of extended family). Clans are “matrilineal,” meaning that the clan of the mother determines the clan of the child.  Women have a very important place in society since they are the only ones that can inherit land and prepare the sacred cacao. Roles like the shaman are reserved exclusively for men.

Known for living off the land, the Bribri are able to raise much of their own produce, medicine, and housing materials, and the people have developed an extensive bartering system. Tourism, as well as selling products like cacao, bananas, and plantains, provides cash income to purchase what they can’t grow themselves.  

Pablo continues to work hand-in-hand with communities to create a supply chain between indigenous farming communities (whose products are 100% organic) and restaurants in San Jose. You can read a great write up about his restaurant in Perfil Magazine online.

photo credit Perfil

The Harmony Event Series 2019

The Harmony Hotel has always held creativity and discovery as core values. Over the years, we’ve hosted a variety of events with the intention of gathering our local community together to enjoy and share in the creative work of our guests and friends. These events were always well received, and a great reminder that the well of creativity and curiosity in Nosara runs deep.

This year, we’re excited to continue building this sense of creative community with The Harmony Event Series. It’s an initiative we’ve designed with San Jose based creative team Pupila to bring smart, impactful, low-key cultural events to Guiones. Twice each month we will hold space for a variety of experiences that explore some of the things we’re most passionate about: namely surfing, arts, nature and wellness. Our goals are to provide our Nosara community with fun and thought provoking content, and to strengthen the connection between the creative culture of our town and other creative hubs like San Jose.

To start off the series, we hosted the first installment of The Harmony Film Series at the Juice Bar on January 17.  This was a set of 3 short movies curated by our friend Katherine Terrell of Jeux De Vagues. The three films “La Maestra” (The Teacher), “The Fisherman’s Son” and “Introducing The Super Stoked Surf Mamas of Pleasure Point” were all unique in that they told the stories of local people in the locations they were filmed. 

We’ll be announcing future events on Facebook and also on the events page of the Harmony website. Come join us! 

Kit Noble: OceanMinded

Kit Noble is a Nantucket based photographer currently living in Pelada.  Earlier this year he spent 2 months living and shooting around the Nosara area. The resulting body of work is his newest gallery show, OceanMinded. Printed on metal to withstand the humid Costa Rica climate, Kit’s photos capture the raw and dynamic beauty of Nosara. We sat down over a couple of green juices to chat about his life and work as we prepare for his exhibit on Thursday at the Juice Bar.

So how’d you get your start in photography?

As the story goes, I’ve been a photographer since I was 12, when I moved to Singapore with my mom and stepfather for 2 years. I was basically pulled away from school and my normal life, and thrown into another world, which I found fascinating and wanted to document.  Obviously there was no social media at the time, so I wanted to show my friends in the US where I lived. My parents said if I could pay for half the camera, they’d cover the rest, so I started a car washing business in their apartment building. (There were a lot of dirty cars.) Pretty soon I got my first SLR camera w/ interchangeable lenses and haven’t stopped taking photos since.

What kind of training did you go through?

I was the high school yearbook photographer of course. When it came time for college, I decided to go to a 4 year fine arts school to study photography. After that I went to NYC for 5 years to learn the trade and apprentice, so I was traveling all over the world with these photographers, schlepping gear, setting up lighting and cameras in all these different countries, and I was like yes, this is it, this is what I want to do. So I spent my time learning my craft that way, and then started my own business.

What’s your favorite type of photography to do?

If I’m given a choice it would be portraits. I love working for magazines, and if someone is being featured in a magazine, they’ve probably done something interesting and they’re fun to photograph. I get to shoot people like artists, musicians, and business people at the top of their game.

Any advice you’d give to someone just starting out?

I was told from the beginning to be very specific in your photography direction because you can get really scattered. But if you want to be good at one thing and be sought after, you have to specialize in a certain area.

Who’s your most memorable subject?

It’s a little unfortunate, but for years it was Lance Armstrong. At the time, photographing him was the greatest day of my life, I was heavy into cycling and working for Bicycle Magazine. I was so happy to have the shot in my portfolio, and it’s still a great story for me…it’s just disappointing. I’m like dude, you ruined it for me! (laughs) But I’ve been able to shoot a lot of notables in different arenas.

Who are some of your influences?

Annie Leibovitz of course. Mark Seliger who shot for Rolling Stone and Vanity Fair. But there’s a bunch of people I keep an eye on, especially thanks to Instagram.  

Ah, what do you think about Instagram as a pro photographer?

I have a love hate relationship with Instagram. I find it inspiring.  I see some of these people, and I say, hey I can do that, and I get inspired.  And sometimes, maybe it’s just the mood I’m in, but it’s like, I’m just never going to be that good. And it kinda kicks you in the ass.  So I guess it kicks you in the ass both ways.

Instagram isn’t like Facebook for me, it’s for inspiration and to follow creative people, also outside of photography, who are thinking outside of the box and coming up with new ideas.  I do approach it like a portfolio. Whatever I put up there, I keep it at a certain photographic level.

Where are you in your career now?

Good question. Right now I am transitioning, not sure how quickly. The type of photography I’ve been doing has been really physical – traveling with a lot of gear, lighting, or doing location work.  I still enjoy that part of it, but when I’m 60, am I still gonna enjoy schlepping all this stuff around? So I thought about what’s an option for me, and I came up with fine art. I’ve enjoyed doing it in the past, but never tried to sell it. So 3 years ago I decided to shoot a lot, find a really good printer and framer, and get my stuff into galleries. That’s the primary reason I’m in Costa Rica now.  

How did you end up in Nosara?

I came to Nosara for the first time 6 years ago with some friends. A buddy of mine was Costa Rican, so we met up with him, toured the country, and then he dumped us in Nosara and we spent a week here.

Last year I was traveling around the world documenting the travels of a family that I am good friends with. (I was the one person they could think of with all of the following attributes: not married, no kids, no full time gig, and can take good pictures). We covered 11 countries in 11 months, and ended up in Nosara.  

I spent time here, got to know the community, and saw a need for artwork. Specifically for me, I saw the need for fine art photography.  There are all these beautiful houses with empty white walls everywhere. And you can’t really have art that’s on something like watercolor paper – in a year it’d be a throwaway. That’s why I started printing on metal, for this climate. You can throw your green juice at it and wipe it right off.

Are you planning on being in Nosara full time?

The idea is to spend 8 months in Nantucket, and 4 months in Nosara. I’m not looking to rent space for my work right now, so I’ve focused on doing pop-up spaces like the show at Harmony and Olo Alaia. So far things are working out well.

Do you surf?

Not yet (laughs) I wish I had a better answer. I’d like to learn. But at 5 or 6 in the morning when I have to be on a surfboard I’m taking photos. I’m trying to put a big portfolio together and that’s the time to shoot.

What do you like about Nosara, what do you connect to here?

Well, the initial attraction was how beautiful it is, I love a warm climate and I love the ocean.  But in addition to seeing the need for fine photography here, I sense this growing interest in developing a strong artist community, which has always intrigued me, and I’d love to be part of that.  So my number one answer for being down here is art.

Join us at the Harmony Juice Bar for an exhibition of Kit Noble’s photographs of Nosara on Thursday, December 13, 6-10pm.

 

An Important Community Initiative

The Esperanza CEN Committee with staff from the CR Ministry of Health

Guanacaste has become a region well-known for its tourist destinations, with upscale hotels and restaurants catering to visitors from around the world. Even though our province is associated with beautiful beaches and vacation getaways, it also struggles with some of the highest rates of poverty and unemployment in Costa Rica. It’s a harsh reality that the most vulnerable members of the population often struggle to meet their basic needs.

Our local area is no exception to this problem, so almost four years ago, we met with the Director of the CEN program in San Jose to explore bringing a CEN-CINAI center to our neighboring community of Esperanza. The CEN program provides free daily or monthly food to supplement the nutrition of children and pregnant or nursing women, and offers daycare and early education. Together with Steve Mack of Guanacaste Community Fund, we presented the Esperanza community as a case where CEN was needed to provide valuable assistance and support.

Once a survey of the area was completed and it was established that the community’s need justified a center, our community engagement manager Kuki Araya began working with the regional CEN office of Nicoya to navigate the development process. We promoted the creation of a CEN committee of community members, and worked with them to find a suitable building that could house the program. Last month we reached an agreement in which the government will fund the program, the Harmony Hotel will provide 2 years of rent on the building, the Guanacaste Community Fund will help with necessary equipment, and the local CEN committee will raise funds to make important improvements to the facility.

The effects of this program are important and far reaching. When the program gets underway at the new center, it will provide:

  • Free nutritious meals to 36 kids every day, 14 of which are under 2 years old
  • Healthy meals and healthy lifestyle education to 10 pregnant and nursing women
  • Free daycare service for 35 children

For the kids, this will be a place to play and learn healthy life long habits, like properly brushing their teeth and washing their hands. For the parents, it offers more time and opportunities to work and study, knowing their children are safe and well cared for while they go about other duties in their day.

We’re very proud that our partnership with the CR Ministry of Health, the Esperanza Development Association and The Guanacaste Community Fund is bringing the CEN-CINAI Daycare program to the Esperanza Community. Find out more about the national program in this video (with english subtitles).

Update: As of September this year, the local CEN committee is in the process of raising almost $9500 for building repairs and improvements for the Esperanza facility. If you would like to support this effort, please get in touch with Kuki at sustainability@harmonyprojects.com.