The Andrea Jiménez Institute seeks the collaboration of citizens to build a new service center, after the Municipality of San José mistakenly donated the property where it was located.
For 48 years, the function of the Institute has been to provide a comprehensive educational offer to children, young people and older adults with disabilities, such as therapies, musical education, plastic arts, equine therapy, aquatic skills and support in the psychosocial area. With the eviction of the Institute, more than 80 users, between 0 and 65 years of age, along with their families, are affected.
“Our staff has a true vocation and our goal and struggle is that the population we receive and therefore their families have an opportunity to be better off, to have a better quality of life,” said Kenia Chacón Espinoza, academic director of the institution.
A new center
For this reason, Chacón commented that they have already begun a process of searching for another piece of land to build a new center; however, they need the collaboration of the authorities to achieve it in a reasonable time without affecting users.
They are also looking for new facilities, so companies or individuals who wish to collaborate can do so through Banco Nacional bank accounts: client account 1500010011653951, IBAN account CR50015100010011653951. They also have the Sinpe Móvil option: 8936-2888, in the name of the Andrea Jiménez Foundation, legal ID 3006018998.
Parents distressed by situation
Mariana Castro, 32 years old, receives encouragement and support at the Institute. She has down syndrome, and participates in sports, crafts, and everyday tasks, such as cooking her own food.
“Moving to another place means incurring a budget that we do not have, because we do not have a car, but without a doubt we will go wherever it is as long as Mariana continues in the Andrea Jiménez. They have definitely become her second family; Due to age and time here, 6 years old, it is not easy for her to be able to join another educational center,” commented the father, Manuel Castro.
Sofía Rosales is another person who receives care at the institution. In this case, the user was born with Phelan McDermid Syndrome, a rare disease that produces profound mental retardation, epilepsy, microcephaly, lack of language, autism, and hypotonia.
According to Sofía’s father, Kenneth Rosales, “if we had to pay for all the therapies separately, our budget would not be enough; In addition, the love, the vocation and the attention with which they treat her are priceless”.
Currently the institution cares for people with Down Syndrome, Ataxia telangiectasia, Microcephaly, Cerebral Palsy, Phelan McDermid Syndrome, Partial Trisomy Syndrome of chromosome 11, Autism Spectrum, among others.
