Tackling Child Poverty: A Mission of Hope in Costa Rica

In the heart of San José, Costa Rica is a small district called Pavas—one of the most densely packed and poverty-stricken areas in Central America. Nearly 60,000 people live in just one square mile.

For years, children here have grown up surrounded by drugs, violence, and fear.

But God had another plan.

Julio and Ashley González, didn’t come with big promises. They came with open hearts. What started as a few small Bible studies with kids on the front porch of their home grew into something far greater.

A full-fledged Hope Center.

And not just a building, but a place where children now feel safe, cared for, and known. Where they learn, grow, worship, and dream.

The Hope Center in Pavas has become a lifeline. And in 2023, it grew again, with new classrooms and a computer lab that now serve twice as many children as before.

Child poverty is more than just a lack of financial resources. It’s a complex issue that deprives children of their basic needs, education, and security, impacting their physical and emotional development. In extreme cases, poverty can lead to malnutrition and vulnerability to exploitation.

Invisible Poverty

We believe that most of the extreme poverty that’s in the world is invisible. You can’t see it from a road. You can’t drive into it. You have to walk into it. In this video, we will give you a little bit of a glimpse of how our families live in the Pavas district of San Jose, Costa Rica. We hope that our kids can see that they do have a better future with us. At Hope Partners, we walk with the mom, we walk with the kid, we walk with both of them.

Breaking the cycle of child poverty requires a multifaceted approach of “rescue and transformation through acts of compassion in Jesus’ name.” And despite the  bright smiles and clean appearances of these precious children, their lives are often marred by cycles of abuse and neglect, a common narrative in poverty-stricken communities. But how does Hope Partners International intervene in this cycle?

1. RESCUE: The first pillar is about addressing the immediate needs of a child.

• Safety: At all of our Hope Centers, we focus on ensuring each child receives a safe place to grow and learn.
  Food: A balanced meal every day to receive all the nutrients they need.

It’s about removing the day-to-day burdens from their shoulders and providing a consistent place of refuge and nourishment. So every time they come to our Hope Center, they get a belly filled with food and a safe environment where children can dream, grow, and realize their potential.

2. TRANSFORMATION: This represents our commitment to the “long-term journey” with each child. We emphasize two key areas for a child’s transformation:

• Spiritual Growth: Fostering a deepening relationship with Jesus, helping each child recognize their worth and purpose as divinely created beings.
• Education: Supporting children in identifying and pursuing the dreams God has placed in their hearts through mentorship and educational classes that will take them through college or vocational school.

Each Hope Center around the globe, while sharing these core pillars, adapts its approach to meet the unique needs of its community. It’s about creating a tailored path of rescue and transformation for every child we serve.

The consequences of child poverty go far beyond empty stomachs or missed school days. It creates a ripple effect, generation after generation, where children are robbed of safety, purpose, and dignity. But when HOPE step in, everything changes. Not just for one child, but for entire communities.

Hope Centers are proof that when children are seen, loved, and equipped, they don’t just survive, they begin to dream again. And those dreams reshape families, neighborhoods, and nations.

Child poverty isn’t just about lack. It’s about injustice. A broken system. A story that’s been unfair from the start. But Jesus always moved toward the people the world overlooked. And so do we.

That’s what this mission is about. Showing up in the hardest places with the kind of love that restores. That lifts. That says, “You matter.”

Watch the video below to see why we go—and why we’ll keep going.

INTERIOR PHOTOS OF OUR HOPE CENTER IN PAVAS

Your support can make a real difference in the lives of children in Costa Rica and beyond. Whether through donations, volunteering, or simply spreading the word, every action counts. Together, we can provide children with the opportunities they need to break the cycle of poverty.

As we celebrate the opening of our new Hope Center in Pavas, it’s evident that the story of our Hope Center in Pavas is one of unity and divine collaboration. It’s a tale of how God’s kingdom works together, uniting local and international forces—churches, financial partners, volunteers, and even government bodies—to rescue and transform lives.

Thank you to everyone who has joined us on this journey. Your prayers, support, and belief in the power of love and community have been instrumental in bringing this vision to life. Together, we’ve witnessed God’s work unfold expanding His kingdom, one child, one family, at a time.