Asociación Mar a Mar: Costa Rica

Empowering Vulnerable Women from Rural Communities and Fostering Economic Development
through Entrepreneurship Initiatives Focused on Eco-Tourism
Aug 2021 – July 2022

Purpose of the project: To improve living conditions and provide opportunities for social and economic
development of 53 indigenous and non-indigenous women through capacity building and strategic support
to their micro enterprises. The women are from small rural communities linked together by an eco-tourism
initiative called El Camino de Costa Rica. This route runs from Limon province to Puntarenas province
through low-income rural zones in the interior of the country.
The project’s goal is to develop entrepreneurial capacities for the establishment of small local businesses
and some basic English language to communicate with local and international eco-tourists in 13 rural
towns located in the interior of the country: Barra de Pacuare, Río Hondo, Cimarrones, Siquirres,
Tsinikisha and Tsiobata of Nairi Awari indigenous territory, Pacayitas, Pejibaye, Humo de Pejibaye,
Navarro de Muñeco, San Pablo de León Cortés, Naranjillo de Tarrazú and Villa Nueva de Puntarenas.

English Language Component (to begin 2022): A Call for Volunteers

Trainers: Bilingual volunteers, preferably with Native Speaker expertise. Each volunteer will ideally be
in charge of 6-7 participants.

Materials for training: A guide and materials will be provided. Trainers will be adapting these materials
to the specific product/service needs of the women being trained. The syllabus will include working on
engaging verbal and nonverbal communication strategies and language.

Prep work for trainers and ongoing contact: A series of 2-3 virtual meetings will be set up prior to
training to go over syllabus, materials etc. Once training has begun, virtual meetings will also be held to
support volunteers, solve problems etc. as needed.

Contact hours and logistics: 24 in-person one-on-one contact hours as a minimum. The place for
training/practice will be agreed on by volunteer and participant. Volunteers will be provided with a basic
profile of their trainees (the majority are at pre-A1 level), a form for each participant to record the date of
the meeting, the # of hours and a brief description of what was accomplished.

Products of training:
• A guide for basic language for customer service for all participants that will also serve as a job aid
and a review of the training/practice received. All volunteers will contribute to this.
• Job aids translated from Spanish which should include a story about the participant’s
entrepreneurial project, a description of the service or product and useful language for their specific
projects. Final versions will be reviewed by professional translators.

Contacts: Fabian Jiménez – Coordinator of Volunteers 8817-5330 fincavialigpacayitas@gmail.com

Heidi Smith – English Program Designer 8828-8222 espheidi@gmail.com

For more information about Asociacion Mar a Mar and El Camino de Costa Rica:
https://www.caminodecostarica.org/ https://www.facebook.com/MaramarAsociacion/
https://www.facebook.com/ElCaminoDeCostaRica/