At Blue Water Properties, we may come from around the world but here, we are one community. And we love this community. We are proud and thankful to call Guanacaste home. And that’s why we are so honored to partner with CEPIA Costa Rica on our community responsibility efforts every year.
As a company and as individuals, we are dedicated to giving back. Together and alone, we work to contribute to, to nurture, and to better this place we all call home. And we know – we truly believe – that money doesn’t have a whole lot of meaning if we can’t use it to do good things in this world.
So, every year, we put our time and our money behind our hearts and our mouths. We volunteer, we donate, and we support. And we wanted to share our latest efforts with you, our Blue Water family and global community.
What is CEPIA Costa Rica?
If CEPIA were a book, its back cover would say that it is a Costa Rican-accredited, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of Guanacaste’s underprivileged.
Of course, a book is more than its summary and CEPIA Costa Rica more complex than a single sentence. Indeed, since 2005, the organization has worked to provide educational and labor opportunities, improve physical and mental health, and promote cultural and social cohesion for our province’s children, teenagers, and families.
CEPIA: A History of Helping Our Community
It all began over 15 years ago, when founder Laetitia Deweer moved to Costa Rica and volunteered with PANI, the Costa Rican child protection agency. Deweer later went on to study Clinical Psychology at the Universidad Latina in Costa Rica and work as a family counselor.
Deweer stated that, after having volunteered at an orphanage, she thought to herself, “We should prevent this, we should try to help people when they are in need, at the moment they need the help. Some people were deeply suffering… Children were hanging out in the street all day, not knowing what to do, and really vulnerable to anyone who could take advantage of them or abuse them.”
And so, in 2005, she and her lifelong friend, Lotje De Ridder, raised $6,000 and co-founded CEPIA. Fifty children showed up during the first week. They came to do art and to play on the new computers, and many stayed to discuss abuse and a tough home life. CEPIA helped them feel safe, finally.
The organization later expanded to offer before- and after-school programs, as well as all the other services they offer today. And today, everyone in Guanacaste knows CEPIA. They count on the organization to protect the children, to help youth, and to support women and families.
CEPIA’s founding members include Laetitia Deweer, Lotje de Ridder, Caroline Lemaire, Van Salcedo, Gerardo Brenes Alfaro, Isabelle Vandevelde, Juliana Zuñiga Spano, Victor Ruiz Genoves.
CEPIA’s Current Programs
CEPIA proudly serves Guanacaste’s families through a variety of programs. Their primary goals are to support our region’s children, youth, women, and families, through:
- Daycare: For Guanacaste’s low-income families, CEPIA provides daycare and preschool education for children aged 2-6.
- After-School Program: In 17 towns and villages, CEPIA Costa Rica provides 500 Guanacaste children with after-school activities, including English and computer classes, arts and crafts, swimming, martial arts, surfing, soccer, dance, yoga, kids’ club, girls’ club, and more.
- Early Intervention Center: For Guanacaste’s at-risk children (ages 6-13), CEPIA offers daily academic, physical-nutritional, and emotional support outside of school hours.
- Youth Group: For Guanacaste’s at-risk youth (teenagers), the organization provides educational opportunities and everything from counseling and teamwork activities to instruction in English and other professional skills.
- Care for Families in Need: Every year, CEPIA selects families and children in extreme poverty to participate in various programs, including their Women’s Empowerment Program, professional training, help in securing employment and governmental aid, and even annual gifts of Christmas gifts, school uniforms and school supplies, and more.
- Psychological and Holistic Health: The organization provides more than 800 counseling sessions per year to children who have suffered abuse.
- Professional Training: For over 600 participants aged 15+, CEPIA works to provide professional and technical training – everything from English and beauty to food prep and surf instruction.
- … And More!: CEPIA also offers our community a music school, library and play center, reforestation and environmental education, scholarships for school supplies and uniforms, and more.
Blue Water Properties: An Ally to CEPIA and Our Community
Blue Water Properties has always been a hyper-local business: Across the board, we live in and love Guanacaste. We contribute to, nurture, and give back to our community. This year, that means partnering with CEPIA Costa Rica on several efforts that make our hearts happy.
To begin, Blue Water Properties is now a proud sponsor of CEPIA’s Daycare Center, which serves several dozen children (aged 2-6) from low-income families. Our donations help these children to receive care and a preschool education, while their mothers pursue either work or study opportunities.
Additionally, we now support several women small business owners. Our donations help provide them with business capital to fund improvements and support their businesses.
In all our efforts, we are delighted to work directly with Laetitia Deweer, CEPIA’s founder and development director.
How Else Does Blue Water Give Back?
At Blue Water Properties, we are so proud and grateful to call Costa Rica and our province of Guanacaste home. And we take the concept of community seriously.
And that means taking care of our neighbors. In addition to our efforts with CEPIA, the Blue Water Properties team takes time to volunteer, donate, and make a difference to our community.
We are regular donors to a number of charitable organizations and have provided both financial and hands-on help to over 20 community projects. Because we believe that bilingual and bicultural education is the key to a meaningful and successful life, we are proud to support the La Paz School’s scholarship program. We are also supporters of many other organizations, including local fútbol/soccer associations, EBAIS (local clinics), Abriendo Mentes, and ADI Tamarindo.
Additionally, every year, we build a home for a family in need. The program was once known as #aHomeForSilvia, our first home recipient, but has grown to benefit several families in our community. In 2021, we built a home for Maria and her four children. We look forward to sharing our 2022 project later this year!
Ready to Call Guanacaste Home? Want to Help Your Community?
Calling Tamarindo, Guanacaste, and Costa Rica home opens up a whole new world of possibilities to see, experience, and explore.
Helping you get from today to tomorrow – from dreams to setting down roots in paradise – just happens to be one of our fortes. At Blue Water Properties, we really are happy to help you in any way we can. Whether you’re looking into the cost of living, lifestyle, or area schools or already live here and want to branch out to volunteering or community support, we can share our experiences and help you plot your own.
As a company and as people, we thrive on relationships and promise the fastest communication and best services in the industry. And that begins with lots of information. We are happy to answer your questions and point you in the right direction, even if you’re only in the beginning phases of planning your future move.
We’re proud to offer some of the best Costa Rica real estate, from condos and homes to land and businesses for sale. So, go ahead – try us. Give us a chance to show off our expertise – and wow you with the possibilities! We look forward to it.
