A Day in the Life of a Tamarindo

A day in the life of a tamarindo –

Sundays consist of a community service project out in Guarjila and then mass is attended by the group. The evenings are reserved for a group meal, where the servers and those served switch off. Discussions and Reflections happen this evening, too.

Monday evening is IN HOUSE Service - work that needs done in the Tamarindo “Shop” (center) and the Tamarindo Garden, where necessary repairs and maintenance to make things last as long as possible are made.

Tuesday is spirituality night. The Gospel passage for the upcoming week is read and discussed or a talk about a particular Feast Day or saint is given.

Wednesday is a flex night to be used as needed.

Thursday is News Analysis (current events) and Sport night. The News Analysis program is where the smaller groups meet and choose an article from one of 3 newspapers and each group is required to lead a discussion with the entire Tamarindo Community. They all rotate through so each has its turn in presenting.

Friday Night is the long running Mandatory Organizational Meeting: This is where weekly goals are set and previous week’s goals are discussed. Often times there are critical topics that are relevant to the town that are discussed.

Saturday is a fun recreation night and might consist of games in the Tamarindo Garden or a group movie.

In addition, every day after school the “Shop” is flooded with kids looking to play and many others who need tutoring and help with homework.

Other times at the center include cultural event planning (each Easter the Tamarindo produces the Stations of the Cross for the Town and in it they highlight the social problems the town has faced in the past 12 months), workshops and seminars about problems the town is facing, individual leadership programs and health programs for women and the elderly. They also hold special events like karate classes, art classes and even gymnastics.

The Tamarindo Center is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. A member of the council (made up of 6 tamarindo leaders) spends the night there every night so that it is available to people in the community who need to seek shelter in a safe and secure place. It requires the daily participation of the youth that keep it running every day. This place is living, breathing, teaching and always adapting to the ever-changing needs of Guarjila and the Tamarindos.