After reaffirming their commitment to the elderly population in their respective cantons, the re-elected mayors of Cartago, Mario Redondo Poveda, and of Oreamuno, Erick Jiménez Valverde, made a passionate call to support the project “Cartago con Vos, Compassionate Province”, led by the Partir con Dignidad Foundation (FPC) and Coopenae.
The elected trustee of the Municipal Council of the District of Tucurrique, LigiaTrejos Sánchez, joined the call and announced that one of her priorities during her administration will be to promote this initiative that seeks to accompany and provide comprehensive care to people in the final phase of their existence.
After the accreditation of the central canton of Cartago as a Compassionate City last October, the FPCD and Coopenae are working to expand the project to turn Cartago into the first compassionate province in the country,
With this objective, meetings have been held with the Federation of Municipalities of Cartago, the mayors of Oreamuno, Jiménez and Turrialba, as well as with the regional authorities of the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Health.
Compassionate cities
Under the leadership of the Partir con Dignidad Foundation and Coopenae, Cartago con Vos, ProvinciaCompassiva arises as a response to the urgent need for a dignified death and comprehensive support at the end of people’s lives.
“All With You”
With the advice and methodology “All With You” from the Spanish New Health Foundation, Compassionate Cities seeks to culturally transform the care of people in the terminal phase with comprehensive programs, strategic alliances and community involvement, generating solidarity and compassionate networks in the province of Cartago.
The first compassionate city in Costa Rica is the central canton of Cartago, since October of the previous year. Other Carthaginian cantons are advancing in the process of being part of this ambitious project, as are towns in other provinces.
Attention to the elderly population
A population group that increased by 59% from 2008 to 2019 – is identified as one of the great challenges facing Costa Rican society. Today, this segment represents 13% of the inhabitants of Costa Rica: some 710,417 people, of which 27% are in poverty.
Called to join Cartago with you, a compassionate province
Mario Redondo, mayor of Cartago. “For this mayor’s office it is of enormous interest to continue with the Compassionate Cities project. We are absolutely convinced of its social nature and human solidarity to generate quality of life for people in their last stages when it is so important to have a helping hand and the solidarity of other human beings. I call on the other mayors to make Cartago the first compassionate province of Costa Rica.”
Erick Jiménez, mayor of Oreamuno. “Thanks to this effort that the Partir con Dignidad Foundation and all its collaborating partners are making, I want to invite all people, all mayors, all municipalities to join this initiative of turning their cantons into one canton, compassionate community of Costa Rica and thus contribute to the social development of their communities. In our case, we are already beginning all the corresponding steps to make Oreamuno a compassionate canton of Costa Rica.”
LigiaTrejos, elected trustee of the Municipal District Council. “A priority for the mayor of Tucurrique will be to develop, maintain and promote active aging programs. The physical, emotional and spiritual care of this population leads us to gladly adopt programs such as compassionate cities and cities friendly to the elderly.”
Nazira Burgos, Manager of Institutional Relations and Sustainability at Coopenae. “We wish, together with the Partir con Dignidad Foundation, to turn Costa Rica into the first compassionate country in the world. We are moving towards that result successfully. Today we work hand in hand with the local authorities of the province of Cartago and civil society organizations, to cover all the cantons and transform the lives of all those elderly, highly dependent and in the final stage of life; as well as their caregivers and other family members, making visible and raising awareness about human dignity, respect and love.”
Ernesto Picado, FPCD creator. “We are very excited about the progress we are making to realize a dream as a Foundation: to achieve a better country, a compassionate country, that addresses and accompanies people who are in great need and living with terminal illnesses, with palliative management.”
