📋 Tender Overview
Without understanding why they have to leave their school and country they travel alone or in the company not always with their mothers and fathers they avoid mountains rivers and borders they can face physical and sexual violence and even become victims of human trafficking. They arrive in a country where they are not always well received.Given this and in order to provide tools for the protection and comprehensive development of girls boys and adolescents and their families in a state of vulnerability Costa Rica opens the first two temporary safe spaces in the Greater Metropolitan Area thanks to the coordination between the PANI the General Directorate of Migration and Aliens and the Llovera Foundation with the technical and financial advice of the United Nations Childrens Fund UNICEF in alliance with the Office of Population Refugees and Migration PRM of the United States Department of State and the United States Embassy in Costa Rica.For the Minister for Children and Adolescents Gloriana Lpez Fuscaldo A safe space is a protective environment where each child and adolescent promotes the full enjoyment of their rights to health education recreation play participation and above all it is a place where risk and vulnerability situations are detected early and prevented. The first protective environment must be the family the school the community and in this case with the Safe Spaces the State responding in an articulated and inter-institutional manner so that they have another place where they feel protected.From 2021 to date 37 Safe Spaces have been created throughout the country including 5 temporary safe spaces for migrant minors in transit. The latter are one in Ciudad Nelly two in Los Chiles and now two in San Jos.Esteban Blanco from Fundacin Llover explains that in these spaces all minors will receive food social integration workshops artistic expression identification of emotions among others. While mothers fathers and adults in charge of minors will learn about rights and responsibilities with children limits and rules of coexistence .Among the services offered by these spaces are Psychological first aid. Basic water and sanitation services educational support and early stimulation emotional support monitoring and referral of cases advice and updated information to protect them from abuse deceit and different forms of violence during travel legal advice for those who require it Internet access services to restore family contacts delivery of protection early childhood dignity and humanitarian packages rest space and school for mothers and fathers on issues of positive upbringing.In 2021 UNICEF warned that the number of children and adolescents affected by migration in Latin America and the Caribbean could reach 3.5 million in 2022 in the launch of its largest humanitarian appeal for the region. By the year 2022 approximately 200000 people crossed the southern and northern borders of Costa Rica towards the United States in search of better living conditions. Of these around 40 thousand 20 are minors. In this process girls boys and adolescents experience risky conditions scarce economic resources their health is often affected by the difficult conditions in access to water sanitation and hygiene acute diarrhea and infections being frequent.According to Marlen Luna Alfaro Vice Minister of the Interior and Police and Director of Migration Costa Rica has a long tradition of receiving migrants and refugees. Our sociopolitical and geographical conditions make us a destination and transit country where migrants seek to improve their living situation many of them are fleeing violence or poverty in their country of origin. Within these migratory flows minors arrive who require safe spaces to fully develop in Costa Rican society .According to Jos Vicente Troya Rodrguez interim Resident Coordinator of the UN in Costa Rica the best interest of the child is an undeniable priority for the United Nations System. The 2030 Agenda is a promise for these boys and girls who travel through the country. The UN continues to work to transform the world ensuring that it is a place where they can enjoy sustainable development and where they can have a dignified life with equal opportunities. We want to offer them a world of peace in which their human rights are fully fulfilled and without excuses a world in which justice and inclusion are a reality for their enjoyment.For the UNICEF Representative in Costa Rica Patricia Portela De Souza these physical spaces arise out of necessity and are temporarily located at key transit points in the country. They are cared for by professionals. Among the activities promoted are those that promote protection and mental health to the extent that they encourage children and adolescents to meet learn socialize share play express study and develop skills in a space that provides a safe stimulating and inclusive environment. At UNICEF we believe that Safe Spaces are essential to create this protection belt for children and adolescents who live in Costa Rica and for those who are forced to migrate from their countries of origin.
