Support for the local population
From poacher to nature guide, from logger to gardener
The village of La Gamba, in the immediate vicinity of Piedras Blancas National Park (Regenwald der Österreicher), was founded around 1950 as a social resettlement project by the state-owned Instituto Desarollo Agrario (IDA) during the “banana boom” era. Today, approximately 400 people from about 70 families live in the village; many of them do not have a primary school diploma, and only a few attended secondary school. The main problems of the community are high unemployment due to lack of education, crime and drugs, poaching, lack of public transport, low living standards, hygiene (wastewater disposal), and flooding. Many residents have to commute long distances daily to their workplaces (e.g., Golfito – Deposito Libre). In La Gamba, the Esquinas Rainforest Lodge and the La Gamba Tropical Station (together providing up to 30 jobs) are the most important employers.
A ten-year project by Austrian Development Cooperation (ADC) from 1995 to 2005 aimed to develop La Gamba into an independent community and address its social, economic, and ecological distress. The most important components were self-governance, sustainable management, and the establishment of independent small businesses. A democratization process was intended to give all residents a say in community projects. The Asociación Probienestar de La Gamba (ASOPROBI) is the first democratically elected community committee with departments for agriculture, health, security, education, roads, youth, sports, and water. These institutions still exist today for the benefit of the residents.
When the development aid project of the Republic of Austria ended in 2005, the Esquinas Rainforest Lodge established the “La Gamba Fund” with the goal of improving the living standards of the population by supporting community projects. The initial deposit of USD 200,000 came from the sale of the Esquinas Rainforest Lodge. Since 2005, the Regenwald der Österreicher association has contributed an additional USD 22,000. Projects are submitted by the community committees and reviewed by representatives of the Esquinas Rainforest Lodge, Regenwald der Österreicher, and the La Gamba Tropical Station. Preference is given to projects that benefit the entire community; neither individual projects nor loans are financed from the fund. The projects are carried out by the individual committees, which are also responsible for financial management and accounting.
By 2005, only 50% of the drinking water reached the center of La Gamba, and water pressure was very low due to leaky pipes and tanks. The first major project of the La Gamba Fund was the renewal of the water supply for 62 houses in the village center. New sources were tapped, new cisterns were built, and defective pipes were replaced.
Further projects since 2005 included the renovation of the primary school, the community hall, and the health station, the construction of a covered children’s playground, the construction of a police station, and the planting of trees on Finca Amable. By the end of 2013, the funds of the La Gamba Fund were exhausted.
