This is an idea that we have been envisioning and planning for several years. With our community infra-structure established, our retreat staff organized, and our relations with the Tico community strengthened, we are now ready to offer cultural/environmental service projects to the greater local (Tico) community. There are two main villages in the Diamante Valley, called Las Tumbas and San Salvador. As our community lands span both villages, we would like to offer community service to both.

We envision these as being three to seven days long, during which the students would stay at the HOME Farm, and walk or be shuttled to the location of the project. Optionally the students could stay with Tico Families in the valley. The service projects could be connected to the Adventure Program or be offered separately.

The cost per participant per day for the projects will vary between $35 and $55 depending on the accommodations and the number of project managers that will be needed for each project. Some of the suggested service projects also require the purchase of materials and/or equipment. Those prices are listed in the descriptions below.

We have discussed four types of service projects that the students can participate in.

1. Agricultural
2. Environmental
3. Educational
4. Prayerformance Arts

Depending on each group’s length of stay and the inclination of each student, participants may choose from the above list of services. In addition to the cost of materials needed for each project, the HOME community

1. Agricultural Projects
Over the past five years, living and working in the gardens and in the fields with the local people, we have learned tremendous amounts of practical wisdom about the land and the plants that grow here from them. In exchange, we have been able to share permaculture and organic gardening wisdom with them. As a result many of our neighbors have remembered how to produce thriving gardens without the use of toxic chemicals and without harming the soil microbiology. This past year we started teaching a permaculture and organic gardening course in the Las Tumbas school, and it has been a wonderful experience for all.

Victor's Greywater Greywater project

River Clean-up - Without an appreciation of their own sacred land, the local people have unfortunately already polluted the rivers with bits of trash. A really fun and exciting project would be to hike up along the rivers and collect miscellaneous garbage. This project would cost only the price of transportation and plastic bags!

Implement Recycling Program in the Communities
After witnessing the enthusiasm that the local school students have maintained with the community composting service, we would like to expand this service to include glass, plastic, and metal recycling as well. The major cost of this project would be in purchasing containers for the households to hold the recyclable goods, the material to build a community collection area, and the cost of transport to deliver the recyclable goods to the regional recycling center.

3. Educational Services to Community Youth

Many students coming down to Costa Rica on the Rustic Pathway adventure programs have learned skills that the local youth would be grateful to receive.

Introduction of Computers in Local Schools – When we surveyed kids that had grown up in the valley and asked them what they would have liked to have learned, but didn’t, many of them told us, computer skills. With the cost of used computers being so low, one can be purchased for as little as $200- $400. Once purchased and presented to the schools, the Rustic Pathway computer savvy students can introduce basic computer skills to the local youth. We are in the process of connecting a high-speed Internet access in the valley, and with a computer the kids will have a chance to surf the World Wide Web as well.

Building playground equipment for the local schools - With minimal costs, less than $400, for materials we can build amazing playground equipment for the local schools.

4. Prayerformance Arts

Over the past years, as we have had more intimate relations with the local community and invited them to our festivals, many of the kids have expressed interest in learning the sacred forms of music and art that we enjoy. One of the most accessible forms of art is drumming that the kids really enjoy. For the cost of several small drums, $200 for four drums at $50 per drum, we can give the local youth an opportunity to make music.