Austrian Development Aid for La Gamba

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The town of La Gamba
La Gamba was founded in the 1950‘s as a social housing settlement of the Instituto Desarollo Agrario (IDA). Today it has a population of 400 habitants (around 70 families), of which 56% have not completed elementary school and only 4% have completed high school. Politically, La Gamba belongs to the town of Golfito. The main problems are mass unemployment resulting in crime and drug problems; lack of education and public transportation; sub-standard housing;bad sewage; frequent flooding. Chief employers in La Gamba are Esquinas Lodge and La Gamba Field Station (offering up to 20 permanent jobs).

Farm in La Gamba

Austrian government projects 1995-2005
A Ten-Year Development Aid Plan by the Austrian government, that lasted from 1995 to 2005, aimed to transform La Gamba into a self-sustainable community by focusing on organization, production, and community outreach in order to improve social, economic and environmental conditions. The main components were self-management, sustainable production, and the generation of small businesses, all developed consecutively. The objective was the development of the community beginning with the participation of the inhabitants, the improvement of production, and service of small businesses. The Asociación Probienestar de La Gamba (ASOPROBI), founded by the Fundación Neotrópica, is La Gamba's first democratically elected village council. It is divided into subcommittees for agriculture, health, women, security, roads, youth, education and water.

Founding meeting of the La Gamba Fund 2005 with Michael Schnitzler and members of ASOPROBI

The La Gamba Fund
When the Austrian government withdrew from La Gamba in 2005, Esquinas Rainforest Lodge created the "La Gamba Fund" with the goal of bettering the living standard of the people of La Gamba by supporting community projects. The initial deposit of $ 200,000 stemmed from the sale of Esquinas Lodge. Since 2005, Rainforest of the Austrians has also contributed $22,000. Project drafts submitted by ASOPROBI and its sub-committees are evaluated by representatives of Esquinas Lodge, Rainforest of the Austrians, and La Gamba Field Station. Emphasis is placed on projects which will benefit the whole community. Applications are approved on a project-by-project basis. Individual projects or private loans are not financed by the fund. Implementation is carried out by the community committees, which are responsible for accounting.

New water tanks and pipes were installed in 70 houses in La Gamba

Projects in La Gamba 2005-2010
Until 2005, only 50% of potable water reached the center of La Gamba, and water pressure was very low due to holes in the tubes and cracks in water tanks. The first major project of the La Gamba fund was the restoration of the water system for 62 houses in the center of La Gamba. New sources were tapped, reservoirs and bridges were repaired or rebuilt, old tubes were replaced with tubes of wider diameter. By the time of the inauguration in February 2006, water pressure had increased by 30%. A biological wastewater treatment plant is in the planning stage. Other projects implemented since 2005 have been the renovation of the school , the town hall and  the health station, construction of a covered playground, and construction of a police station.  By end-2010, the La Gamba Fund had invested a total of $180,000 in community projects.