Costa Rica Rural Community Empowerment Project

- history - goals - who's involved -

Project Goals

The ‘Heart of Gold’ Project’s mission includes four major goals:

1. Strengthening Small-Scale Farming Livelihood Security in Los Santos: creating innovative entrepreneurial farm business options, and demonstrating to Costa Rican policy-makers the need to support small-scale farming through alternative income-generating farm activities.

2. Protecting the Los Santos Forest Watershed: the watershed is critical to small-scale farming livelihood security and related environmental values.

3. Nurturing Young Pioneer Leaders and Gender Equity: creating opportunities for young pioneer leaders and women leaders in the region.

4. Paying-it Forward and Creating Farm Cooperative Networks: Sharing knowledge and networking with sister communities in Costa Rica and Central America.

"I want to live, I want to give... I crossed the ocean for a Heart of Gold." (Neil Young)