It’s coffee picking season in the lush green valley of San
Marcos de Tarrazú. Although the rich smell of roasted coffee
beans coming from the local cooperative is the olfactory sign that
the coffee harvest has begun, the arrival of migrant workers is
another sure sign.



Every year the estimated 12,000 men, women, and children of the
indigenous Ngobe tribe who travel from Panama to Costa Rica start
working the coffee harvests in southern Costa Rica around the month
of August. They continue to Los Santos where the harvest takes
place later in the year.



The Ngobe live on the farms in cement rooms, but the living
conditions vary greatly – some have rows of sinks, showers
and latrines, others provide one faucet and one outhouse for all of
the workers.



Years ago the coffee was harvested by local residents, but in the
past few years it is only migrants who are willing to do this
difficult work. They know their hard work will allow them to take
home some US$ 500 at the end of the season.



On a sunny Saturday in January, IOM joined representatives of the
migrant population, the National University and two local coffee
cooperatives (CoopeTarrazú and Coopedota), to celebrate a
small effort to improve the lives of migrant workers through
literacy.



IOM is providing support to the Building Bridges project, part of
an ongoing program managed by the National University aimed at
improving the health of temporary migrant workers in Los Santos.




At the inauguration, one of the migrants gave a very moving speech
about how many of the Ngobe can’t even sign their name, and
that after these classes, they will be able to do so.



Ngobe representatives lauded the literacy effort but said much more
must be done. IOM recently signed a memorandum of understanding
with Costa Rica’s National University to support this project
and for future cooperation.



The classes include a handbook in Ngobe, created by a professor who
has been working with the population for years. The class also
includes information on health and human rights.



The classes will end in late February or early March, when the
Ngobe head back to Panama.



IOM is lending it support, with funding from the US Department of
State Bureau for Population, Refugees and Migration.



According to Panama’s 2000 census, 110,080 Ngobe live in
Panama, making up 63.6% of the national indigenous population



IOM has also met with potential partners in San Vito, in southern
Costa Rica to learn more about the situation of these migrant
workers and to build partnerships.