At a visit in Costa Rica, desk officer Katharina Hager met with many highly motivated Kolping members who presented their small businesses to her. They are part of an association that is continuously growing. In the past two years alone, the number of members doubled to 345. There are currently eight Kolping Families with an upward trend.
In Costa Rica, 20 % of the population are considered to be poor. Unemployment is high, especially in rural areas. That is why it is crucial to help people there with a micro-credit that they can earn a living. This has been made possible thanks to donations from the diocesan association of Paderborn. Katharina Hager also had a chance to visit a member of the San Juan Bosco Kolping Family who started his own business by selling sweet and salty pastries in his bakery. “One woman is growing her own cocoa to process it into cocoa butter, chocolate and cocoa powder”, our desk officer reports. “Both businesses have a sound foundation and make an excellent impression.“
In Lomas di Cocorí Katharina Hager visited the Medalla Millagrosa Kolping Family. Its twenty members produce decorative arts and crafts to sell them on the local market. New members are easily integrated. “It looks like the newcomers have always been there. It is also nice to see how Kolping Families reach out and interact with other Kolping Families.“
