The Bridge - Current Status Report

SCHOOL PROGRAM

Purpose: Assist families in placing and keeping children in school

Cost: Approximately $156 for startup and $9 per month per student

Currently: Started 81 children in 2011, with 6 coming through The Bridge, and

asking for the monthly support amount.

Next Steps: Work with the schools we impact and determine what we can do to help.

Make sure that schools get additional supplies as they are donated.

FOOD PROGRAM

Purpose: Provide hot meals three days a week in a "Community Kitchen" format;

Provide one bag of supplemental food each week for qualifying families on a

work-for-food program.

Cost: Hot meals: Approximately $1.88 per bowl of soup

One bag of supplemental food: $19.61 per bag

Currently: Providing hot meals for 150 people a week, more or less;

Providing bags of supplemental food for 5 families

Our screened-in porch and temporary outdoor space now

accommodates up to 80 people

Cooking facilities have been "tuned" and stretched to capacity.

Next Steps: Construct a wood platform and tarp roof for outside eating/teaching area.

Purchase additional land where a larger Bridge facility will be constructed.

MICROLOAN PROGRAM

Purpose: Make Microloans to help individuals become self-sufficient.

Cost: Technically, the cost has been zero. The interest rate on the loans is set to

cover expenses and to provide some growth in the program.

Currently: 29 loans have been made

21 have been repaid, with another written off due to death of borrower

Working with consultant to learn best practices in microloans worldwide.

Next Steps: Hire a manager for the microloan program.--in process

Implement new Grameen-based Guidelines as part of expansion.

Resume fund raising for program, and expand to 100 loans

CULTURAL PRESERVATION

Purpose: Assist where possible in preserving Bribri culture and language.

Duplicate and distribute language materials as appropriate.

Develop and present a workshop in which 3-4 Bribri Curanderos

work with 10-12 MDs to bring the Bribri knowledge of medicinal

plants to the medical community.

Cost: Duplication of language and culture materials for distribution

costs $5 per copy, and copies have been made for distribution to

interested people. Language materials are available from the University

of Costa Rica website, but reducing them to paper and distributable CDs is

needed.

Currently: 8 copies of language materials have been made and distributed.

Next Steps: Work with a partner interested in working with Curanderos and

MDs to set up a workshop on medicinal plants and natural healing.

OUTREACH

Purpose: Continue learning how we can be of service by connecting with additional

community leaders. Interviews now in process for the Microloan Program

expansion.