-Published: Friday, November 22, 2019-




By the A.M. Costa Rica staff

Members of the U. S. Army, in joint work with border police, built a school in the indigenous community of Telire in Talamanca, Limón.

According to the Ministry of Security, the children did not have a school to receive lessons. The only teacher, Farlin Zúñiga, had to give lessons in an old barn on a dirt floor, with a roof of old zinc sheets, said the ministry, adding that the facility also was used to keep animals such as pigs and goats.

The new school was built Thursday and named Escuela Jäbëjüktö, which in the Cabécar language means swallows' nest.

Now the children of several villages of the Cabécar Telire Indigenous Reserve will be able to receive their lessons in a safer and better-conditioned place, with wooden floor and walls, with a new zinc roof, said the ministry in its statement.

According to Maj. Wilber Archuleta, representative of the U. S. Embassy, "it is very important that these people have access to education," which motivated members of the army to help in the construction of the school.


Tuesday the ministry announced another humanitarian operation of members of the U.S. Army, the Drug Control Police, the Air Surveillance Service and a volunteer doctor and a dentist, to bring 16 tons of food and medicine to the indigenous residents in  Alta Talamanca.
 
"The helicopters provided by the United States Government were vital for this mission," said the ministry in its statement.
 
According to the ministry, the full cargo was delivered in just four flights, each with a duration of 20 minutes, from Limón International Airport to the town of Telire in Talamanca.

If they had not been assisted by members of the U.S. Army, the cargo would have to be carried overland, "which is practically impossible to move, because just one person would have to walk through the mountains during eight days, just to reach the indigenous villages," said the ministry.
 
In addition to delivering the aid, a doctor and a dentist, father and daughter, decided to join this mission. Both for six years have been providing free services to indigenous communities.

Also, people in the Zarcero district donated clothes, food, shoes and even solar panels to help solve some of the needs of the residents, authorities said.



Monday members of the Army transported the materials required for the construction of the school with the help of U.S. Army helicopters.
 
The U.S. Army assistance is part of the Peace Borders program. With this program, the authorities of the ministry attend both security needs in the area of border and indigenous communities.
 
A large part of the jurisdiction in charge of the border police is located in various territories of natives communities as Ngöbes, Guaymíes, Cabécares, Bribri, Terrabas and Teribes, in which live indigenous peoples with some of the highest percentages basic needs unresolved, said the ministry.
 

 

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