Slums

In Part Three of our four-part series, meet the volunteers and students behind SIFAIS, the innovative program transforming La Carpio through cultural education.

In part two of our series on the SIFAIS organization in La Carpio, we sit down with the inspiration behind the movement: Alicia Avilés, who came to Costa Rica from Nicaragua 20 years ago.

Our four-part series explores how two women reached across borders and social divides to create a beloved organization in La Carpio. In Part 1, how SIFAIS got its start.

A survey released in August found that commuters in the Central Valley spent an average of 99 minutes daily fighting traffic between home and work or school.

Authorities say they may have captured the serial killer terrorizing drug-addicted prostitutes in San José's slums. A suspect has been tied to three of the bodies through DNA evidence.

Between caring for three children, running the family pulpería and selling car accessories at the flea market, this Supermom somehow finds time to study for a degree in criminology.

Between beaches and rainforests, visitors to Costa Rica can now tour one of San José's most well-known slums. Organizers hope the tours will offer perspective on the country’s persistent 20 percent poverty rate.