BRICKS TO BREAD COSTA RICA PROJECTS

NAITAMI WOMEN’S GROUP – BARRIO ESCALANTE, BRIBRI DE TALAMANCA

THE COMMUNITY

Bribri is located on the southeastern side of the country, nestled in the middle of the tropical moist forests of the Talamancan mountain range near Panama and the Caribbean. To travel to this remote location, one must embark on a motorized canoe up the Telire river. The Bribri tribe are known as Costa Rica’s “hidden people.” Their isolated society allows them to retain Bribri culture, ethnicity and religion. They live a permaculture life with a symbiotic relationship with nature, living in harmony with the land. Most residents live with running water in open air housing, growing cacao, bananas, and plantain to sell and to eat. With a matrilineal social structure, that is, a child’s clan is determined by the clan his or her mother belongs to, women have a very important place in Bribri society. They are the only ones that can inherit land and prepare the sacred cacao.

THE FAMILIES

The NAITAMI women’s group consists of eight women with 23 children. All eight women are single, sole providers for their households and active Bribri clan members. NAITAMI, meaning Mother Earth, consists of single women and housewives from the Barrio Escalante tribe.

LIVES CHANGED

The NAITAMI women have been baking in their brick oven since 2019, providing fresh breads and oven roasted meats while maintaining their indigenous culture. Since the completion of the oven, the women have started a baking schedule. They bake every other week, selling about 50-60 units of bread to support the women’s association. In addition, individuals in the women’s group use the oven to support their families. The women desired to expand their skills. So, they invested in baking classes with an instructor from outside of the community. They now bake a variety of breads including guayaba turnovers, French baguettes, pizzas, and much more!