In recent years, Costa Rica has witnessed an influx of Nicaraguan refugees who have left their home country in search of a better life. Many of these refugees have settled in a remote area of San Carlos Alajuela, about 60 miles north of San Jose. With no access to electricity or running water, these refugees lived in dire conditions. But the NRECA International Foundation saw an opportunity to help.

In 2005, NRECA International Foundation, in partnership with several cooperatives from Georgia, sent the first team of volunteers. With the help of a local cooperative, the Foundation’s volunteers set up necessary infrastructure in the impoverished region.

Today, refugees on the Costa Rica/Nicaragua border have access to electricity - an important component to building a sustainable economy. Additionally, the electric light discourages thieves who used to roam the border towns unchecked, bringing refugees a new sense of security and stability.

Thanks in part to the NRECA International Foundation’s continuing electrification project, refugees in this remote area of Costa Rica can look forward to a better and more economically vibrant life than the one they left behind.

Volunteers in Costa Rica

The NRECA International Foundation, in partnership with several Georgia cooperatives, has made a concrete difference in the lives of rural residents of Costa Rica by helping to bring electricity to impoverished regions of the country. All of the Foundation’s efforts, however, wouldn’t be possible without the dedication and hard work of our selfless volunteers.