Daily News  

Indigenous recovered their life after leaving drugs and streets

This group of people doesn’t sleep in the dirty streets of San Jose any more. They don’t beg for currencies to buy drug; they do not search between the sweepings bags to find something to eat.

This change has been for 28 lives. The process for obtaining these results is after putting them under a program of chemical decontamination of one year and four months.
They were rescued because of the faith and the hope of many Institutions. The Municipality of San Jose, Believe Homes, Salvation Army and other organizations, they are working on this project since February 2005.

The majorities already recovered their family and attend to weekly therapies to prevent the returning to the streets and to drugs.
More people are still boarding schools in chemical decontamination centers and trying to finish the treatment, expressed Mariella Echeverria, municipal civil employee uncharge of this process.

While, more than 400 poverties returned to the streets but still they receive invitations to come back and remake themselves.

Lilly Vallecillo is one of the recovered people.
She arrived to the streets when he was 14 years old and she lived between drugs and prostitution during almost 20 years. Now she tries to remake her life.

Between tears, she told that she couldn’t see her child's because the National Children’s Board (PANI), locate these kids with other families, in those years she couldn’t take care of them.

Vallecillo assured that several times she tried to leave drugs and the indigence, but she could. After two years she finally took the first steps towards its rehabilitation.

Johnny Araya Monge, Mayor of San Jose, announced that with more money they can help more people and save their lives, this are future plans.
He also is looking for a work to this people.

Araya Monge remembered that the Costa Rican Social Security Administration (CCSS) assured that about 600 indigents that live in San Jose will receive medical attention when they require, always free.

Daniela Unfried