Unicef Costa Rica Statistics

UNICEF is an international organization established by the UN in 1946. It was created to protect children and teenagers in 190 countries around the world. UNICEF is invested in children, teenager’s development and fair living, no discrimination, respect for their rights and in general, their best interest.

UNICEF reached Costa Rica in 1950 and started sending vaccines and basic sanitation products and fast forward to 1986 they setted up a permanent office. In 1998 Costa Rica released a law related to childhood, adolescence and rights for this population in the country. 

UNICEF in Costa Rica is giving assistance to vulnerable communities (including disabled, afro descendants, indigenous and immigrant people, among others) commonly excluded from social and economic development and making sure they can use their skills and can claim their rights to have better opportunities in life. They are working with the government in the strengthening of laws to give more resources to teenagers and children. In their 2020-2021 report, it is estimated that they helped 1.7 million people in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. This number corresponds to $6.3 million

These efforts are not in vain and Costa Rica, in paper and laws, is a great country for kids but some roadblocks are still presented when putting the rules into practice. Understanding the obstacles of the children and their conditions is key to being able to really help them.

In Costa Rica, 8 out of 10 children have access to public and free education but to really help as UNICEF do, the question is: why are there 2 kids not able to reach education if they’re entitled to it? 

UNICEF is proposing more specific statistics so they can embrace all the children that are being left behind. More specialized studies can lead to the solutions for the children’s issues and stop excluding the people that need help the most. At the same time, by having more precise answers, the chain of generational poverty can be fought. So, by being more meticulous now instead of being general, politicians can be inclusive and fix a problem in the country that no one has known how to fix. 

Another great proposal made by UNICEF in Costa Rica is to give teenagers the opportunity to keep studying with vocational programs, competency for employability and more benefits for companies that hire people without laboral experience so young people can have fair jobs when they graduate from high school.

Organizations like this are very important in Costa Rica because government institutions have a limited capacity and also have poor communication between entities. Government still needs to evaluate the budget to help families that don’t have more ways to live a good quality life, even more if there are children involved and to remove them from conflictive environments that can lead them to bad choices, violence, drugs, gangs and everything surrounding those marginal areas. Meanwhile, ticos are grateful for UNICEF and organizations that are involved with the communities.