SIGN UP FOR OUR By Wendy Anders
Egidio Robles Gamboa, was awarded the Quality of Life Improvement Award for promoting community social action.
The Costa Rican Ombudsman’s Office recognized the success achieved by an initiative aimed at improving the economic, social and cultural conditions of indigenous Bribri and Cabécar women in Talamanca, Limón.
The Association of Indigenous Women of Talamanca (ACOMUITA) is the 2016 winner of the Quality of Life Improvement Award, in the category of Civil Society Organization, announced the ombuds office yesterday.
This association of more than 80 women, mostly heads of their households, are cacao, banana and plantain producers. Their agricultural activities involve recovering cacao cultivation, carbon sequestration projects, and small grant-funded projects.
The award was presented today by the Ombudsman’s Office, the University of Costa Rica (UCR), the State Distance University (UNED), the National University (UNA); The Technological Institute of Costa Rica; The National Technical University; And the National Council of Rectors.
It was also awarded, in the private entity category, to Coopesuperación R.L, which promotes employment opportunities for people with disabilities.
For promoting recreational activities for the elderly, the award to a public entity was given to the UCR-PIAM project.
In the individual category, the Camila Shumacher was recognized for promoting education among the transgender population; and Egidio Robles Gamboa, for promoting community social action.
This year a “Mother Earth” Prize was also given in the categories of civil society organization, public entity and private entity. The winners respectively were: Río Urbano; Advisory Commission on Land Degradation (CADETI); and FLOREX Cleaning Products S.A.
The Ombudsman’s Office also gave special recognition to other candidates including the Santa Ana Municipal School of Integrated Arts (EMAI), for promoting art and culture in their community; the Brain Memory and Aging Clinic at the San Juan de Dios Hospital, for providing an interdisciplinary diagnosis to elderly patients with memory and neurological problems.
Finally, the TO Foundation was commended for promoting the social reintegration of prisoners; and the Emmanuel Home for People with Disabilities was recognized for providing a surrogate homes to people with disabilities who are neglected or abused.
