#GivingTuesdayNow

COVID-19 has impacted the daily lives of many rural Costa Rican families; jobs have been lost, tourism has been devastated, and many micro enterprises are struggling with social distancing, mandated travel restrictions and a loss of their vital income resources. Bricks to Bread is redefining its priorities in 2020 to focus on supporting the communities we serve, offering capacity building and business development support both virtually and in-person (when deemed safe).

We feel it is our duty to support all of the communities we serve during these very difficult times. Our COVID-19 Response Project includes direct involvement with eight communities; 72 women entrepreneurs and their communities. Three of our local volunteers, including myself and two ambassadors (original oven recipients) will spend the next eight months (May-December 2020) communicating directly with the community representatives. With the help and direction of the evacuated Peace Corps Volunteers, we will continue their training curriculum, organize two project training retreats and visit the 2020 oven recipient sites at least two times each to assist in the business development and project progress reports. We will travel with a retired baker to two sites to offer a bread baking course in their new ovens. The success of the COVID-19 project will not only be measured based on our ability to reach each of the objectives defined above, but also by the impact this added support will have on the ability for us to achieve our 2020 organizational goal of supporting four new ovens projects and touching at least 2,300 individuals.