Zoom in

In Costa Rica, the word “tica” describes the ability to appreciate the simple and the natural. The country’s plentiful nature makes Costa Ricans ooze out glee and happiness In northeast Costa Rica, Monteverde is a peculiar location that still shares the scents and tastes of yesteryear. In the early 20th century, Costa Rican families settled down in that remote and nearly inaccessible place hemmed in by lush nature. They arrived with their minds made up to grow coffee and sugarcane. Then came the Quakers of the 1950s who started working on the protection of forests and springs, a move that piqued the curiosity of travelers –expert biologists of those times. In 1982, a group of female artisans from the Santa Elena and Monteverde area managed to build a handicraft cooperative –CASEM COOP. These women had so far been nothing but housewives. The early going was rough given the mindset of those times, yet they were able to come through with hard work and dedication. Tourists started trickling in and that turned out to be a great opportunity to sell handmade items from the region, thus keeping the money in the town. By 1986, an American art professor donated a lump sum of money to the cooperative, so that those women could make their dream come true. Thanks to this unselfish donation, the local femmes opened their first store. The grand opening was attended by the locals, even a few husbands who were ashamed of what their wives were doing. It was only then when those women decided to speak their minds and recreate through play characters the current lifestyle and situation they were going through at that time, what each and every one of them –and all of them together- thought of their way of life, thus making men realize about their dire straits. By the hand of this partnership, they have forged a wonderful culture of environmental protection among local youngsters. Recycling, the use of natural resources on a daily basis and, above all, the protection of nature and the chance to turn it into real livelihood by responsible exploitation are their top priorities. The store in Monteverde currently runs over a hundred affiliated shops that sell their items at price tags that each of them sees fit. In a nearby locale, these women have opened a bar called Cuchara de Abuela (Grandma’s Spoon), where visitors can buy typical products from that area, such as homemade jam cooked by the members. In the late 1980s, fundraising efforts headed by a Swedish teacher’s students began. The collected money is earmarked for the acquisition of endangered land lots. Today, children from over 44 countries have made this magical place a dream come true.