Message from our Director
When life repeatedly shows you the same scenario and you believe faithfully that things can be done differently, that you can make a difference, you make the decision to leave your comfort zone, regain confidence and believe in what you know best.
In October 2016, the Transparency Association “Opportunities for Social Welfare” was born with a concept that involves transparency, honesty and sustainability. Those are the main pillars that give origin to our Foundation.
In order to look for new opportunities, at the end of 2017, efforts were joined between the Association and ARA Tours to establish the ARA Foundation for Transparent Sustainable Development. It is a joint working alliance between organizations that believe in the concept of “help for self-help,” creating opportunities and inclusion.
What have we done differently?
- We made a difference with an organization called Posada de Belén Association, a home for girls and young single mothers who have been abandoned; we supported the management of donations of equipment, working jointly with the German Embassy, Amazon.com, and other donors. We achieved the building construction and equipment installation for a bakery called Las Delicias de la Posada, which has been in operation since July 2017.
- We made a difference with an organization called Asociación Hogar Siembra by managing the donation of sewing and knitting machines for free courses to their teenagers.
- We made a difference by advising the Neonatal Association of Hospital México, and managing the donation of equipment to the Social Protection Board for their Neonatal Unit.
- We made a difference with Voces Vitales by mentoring women entrepreneurs to improve their business strategies.
- We made a difference by making an alliance with ADAMAS Foundation. We improved the quality of life of 7-year-old Charlotte, who, due to an assault, remains in a condition of acquired disability. Today, Charlotte has a wheelchair that allows her and her mother to help her go to school.
- We also create opportunities: PriceSmart Costa Rica has supported three organizations that we recommended, which have received products for children for two years in a row.
With ARA TOURS, we have worked on the following projects:
- We worked with Hogar Santo Hermano Pedro, a temporary shelter that cares for children with chronic illnesses, providing them with five cots, a stainless steel table, and some materials to improve the laundry room roof. We helped improve the shelter’s condition for the optimal care of minors.
- We supported Lacitos de Amor Children's Center, a nursery and children's cafeteria, by improving the infrastructure of the children's care area for ages 0 to 4 years old. Improvements were made to the roof, dining room and recreation area; we managed the materials to ensure these improvements were effective.
- We worked with the rural tourism Hostel Las Orquideas, managed by Agrozapotal, which is a tourism hostel that had to adapt its facilities in order to comply with Law 7600 of the Costa Rican Health Ministry regulations. One of the cabins, along with the restaurant bathrooms and a ramp in the Reception area were adapted to provide access for people with special needs.
- We work with the Association Posada de Belén, Madre Teresa de Calcuta, whose main objective is to help, protect and care for teenage girls who are victims of risk situations. On this occasion, we donated a special therapeutic carpet for the early stimulation of the babies, children of the teenage mothers they host.
All of these projects have confirmed that, although obstacles sometimes may seem insurmountable, if you are convinced that you can make a change and you keep going until you reach your goal, it is possible to achieve a great difference!
This is our work. We continue to believe and we continue working with transparency because we want to be able to list many more “we made a difference” projects for our society.
María Teresa Gómez, Director.