M’CHIGEENG—A group of students from Kenjgewin Teg travelled to Costa Rica recently to offer their construction skills and learn about a sustainable coffee farms while engaging in a cultural exchange.
The Costa Rica Outbound Mobility Experience (Trades) was conducted in partnership with Canadore College and Canadore College’s First Peoples’ Centre. The group departed Toronto on February 22 and landed back in Toronto March 4.
The 10-day, once-in-a-lifetime experience for Kenjgewin Teg Trade students to participate in a cultural exchange and adventure in Costa Rica included a main component of sharing of cultures between the Canadian students and the indigenous peoples of Costa Rica, but this trip had a work component as well, as students were tasked with constructing some much-needed infrastructure items.
“It was an amazing trip,” said Daryll Enosse, a second semester carpentry student. “We helped build shelters, outhouses, I guess you could call them,” he said. “We also built showerhouses on an Island.”
Mr. Enosse explained how the students were initially shocked when they saw photographs of what the community had been using prior to the students’ efforts. “They were really dishevelled, mostly made out of cardboard, I guess. So, we built one for the tribe and another for an Island—that one was a washroom and shower at their beach area.”
Students had the opportunity to visit a sustainable coffee farm in the Dota region, where they learned about permaculture, organic growing techniques and agricultural land management. Students also got to work on the coffee/avocado farm that was purchased by Canadore College.
The group going on the trip consisted of four students and an instructor/chaperone. Students were Mr. Enosse, Morgan Kozeyah, Leah King and Damion Debassige. The instructor/chaperone was Anthony Pennings.
“Our first days on the trip were based around sustainable coffee farming and forestry management in the Dota region,” explained Mr. Pennings. “Here we all learned about Perma-
culture, organic growing techniques and good agricultural land management in the context of the ‘Cloud Forest.’ We also got to do some work on the coffee/avocado farm that Canadore College recently purchased in the valley.”
From there the group traveled to La Fortuna in the shadow of the
Arenal volcano. “Here in the Rain Forest we learned about carbon offset forestry,” said Mr. Pennings. “We worked two days with the Maleku peoples of the region building a washroom in the middle of the jungle at a community gathering point as well as spreading gravel on jungle trails and placing concrete benches and tables around the gathering areas. All in 30-plus degrees and 70 percent humidity!”
After another drive across another mountain range, the group visited their host, University Castro Carazo in Puntarenas, and from there took a boat across the gulf to Ilsa Venado where they spent two days in 35-plus degree heat in the ‘Tropical Savanah’ building a washroom/shower structure to help the island promote a tourism industry there.
“After 14 straight days of travel across the country along with working through interpersonal issues that are bound to arise with 19 students and five chaperones, including scorpions in bedrooms and the dreaded cancelled flights. “However, along with amazing sights and traditional meals and innumerable amazing conversations and growth seen in the lives of the students, I’d say all in all it was a great experience and wonderful trip of a lifetime for all who had the opportunity to go,” concluded Mr. Pennings.
Mr. Enosse is now on the hunt for a construction industry gig—he currently works as a personal support worker. Employers seeking workers for their operations would do well to contact Kenjgewin Teg at 705-370-4342 or seek out Mr. Enosse directly at 705-282-7029.
