Having an Impact in Costa Rica: Saving Hearts Together

Saving Hearts Together is a program serving children ages 8-18 removed from the sex trade in Costa Rica. They provide safe lodging, specially trained staff and caregivers, innovative therapy, and life skill developments on site in Costa Rica.

It was founded by Maria Feverjary in 2017. They have completed a two-year pilot program, serving thirty-one girls. In the program they developed their methods, and achieved significant progress.

Typically, 70% of victims end up back in the sex trade, the Saving Hearts' graduates rate was only 23%. The key differences were the alternative therapies offered plus they build a community environment for the girls' recovery.

The next step for Saving Hearts is to expand so they can serve 100 girls at a time. "All of the LEAD classes are so informative, especially for a non-business person like me. It's really been an eye opener. The people who teach the classes are so willing to connect with you afterwards and answer questions... they mean it when they say call if you need me. They truly want me to be successful," explained Maria.

"Having a mentor makes the program unique and wonderful. Having a person like Liz to help you through it is so critical... I may not have been able to keep up without her," added Maria.

For more information on Saving Hearts Together, please click here.