La Violeta, Costa Rica

La Violeta is a small, rural community in the central valley of Costa Rica. The members of this town depend on the yearly coffee harvest for the majority of their annual income. Thirteen families have formed an association and run their own mill, Beneficio El Cedro, to process the beans from their farms. Café La Violeta, our signature coffee, comes from the El Cedro mill.

English teaching is required in all Costa Rican primary schools and, like all other teachers, English teaching positions are handled by the government. Because of its small size (only around forty students) and because it is very difficult to access the school without a private car, La Violeta has not been able to get a permanent English teacher from the government. WorldTeach, an international non-profit based at Harvard University that sends volunteer teachers all over the world, has been sending an English teacher annually to La Violeta since 2001.

In La Violeta, initial contributions from Buena Beans are helping to build new classrooms, including a library and computer room, as well as new sanitary facilities.

In 2008, the school received a donation of ten computers from the University of Costa Rica and when construction of the computer room is finished, the students will finally have access this incredible resource.

The generation of children currently growing up in La Violeta will work in the production of coffee in much smaller percentages than their parents and ancestors. Buena Beans is dedicated to fostering educational opportunities that open up possibilities beyond small-scale farming.