Long thought to be one of the most beautiful countries in the world, Costa Rica has recently become home to a large number of American and European expatriates. Cost of living is very reasonable, climate is temperate, and opportunities abound.

However, under the surface Costa Rica is one of the most popular transit points for sex-trade trafficking. Girls from Ukraine and other former Soviet Block nations are smuggled through Costa Rica. Also, girls from the Philippines are smuggled into the US through Costa Rica. While the government has attempted to crack down on this practice, it is still a viable and wide spread problem.

Men, women and children are trafficked within the country to work as forced laborers in the fishing and construction industries. Local prostitution is also thriving.

While overall the economy is good, not every Costa Rican lives above the poverty level. Poverty is still a major problem here, along with orphaned and abandoned children.

Orphan’s Promise has helped provide a day care center for street children in a red light district, and a children’s care center at CBN’s Women’s Micro Enterprise Projects.

Major Issues

• Orphans
• Poverty
• HIV/AIDS
• Infectious diseases