Breaking poverty cycle through education

At Fundación Lifting Hands, we believe that education is one of the most powerful tools to break cycles of poverty and transform communities for generations to come.

In many of the communities we serve in Costa Rica, children grow up in environments where educational opportunities are limited and families struggle with economic instability. Through this project, we provide children and adolescents with academic tutoring, emotional support, mentorship, nutritional assistance, technology education, English classes, and safe spaces where they can grow, learn, and dream about a different future.

One of the most impactful parts of this initiative is our volunteer mentorship program. Through volunteers who donate just one hour a week, children receive not only academic support, but also encouragement, guidance, and positive role models. We have discovered that simply having someone consistently sit with a child, listen to them, believe in them, and encourage them can completely change the way they see themselves and their future.

Many children who once believed university was impossible now dream about becoming teachers, engineers, psychologists, and leaders in their communities.

Testimonies

“Before coming to Lifting Hands, I thought school was not for me because I always struggled with homework and nobody at home could help me. Now I feel more confident, and I want to become the first person in my family to go to university.”
— Program participant, age 14

“The volunteers do much more than teach subjects. They make the children feel loved and important. My son now wants to study every day because he believes he can have a better future.”
— Mother of participant

“Sometimes what changes a child’s life is not a huge program or a big speech. Sometimes it is simply one person showing up every week and reminding them that they matter.”
— Volunteer mentor

Beyond academic support, we also work with parents and caregivers by providing tools, workshops, and guidance to help strengthen the home environment and support children’s educational journeys.

We firmly believe that investing in education creates long-term transformation for entire communities. If every student completed high school in Costa Rica, poverty could decrease by up to 50%. This would mean less violence, less crime, less inequality, and more opportunities for future generations.

Thanks to your support through GlobalGiving, more children are staying in school, believing in themselves, and building pathways toward brighter futures.

Thank you for helping us create hope, opportunity, and lasting change.