Spring 2014 InGear

Santiago

23-year old Santiago Romero lives in La Guacima in the Alajuela Province of Costa Rica with his wife and two daughters, who are 1 and 3 years old. Santiago’s wife spends her day at home with the children and additionally takes care of Santiago’s sister’s two kids in the mornings. There are many factories and corporations in La Guacima and its surrounding areas; Santiago works for a hardware company ordering construction materials and recording customer orders. It takes him about 25 minutes on his bike to travel the 5km distance to and from work.

Guillermo

Guillermo Mendoza is a resident of the multicultural Costa Rican city of Limón. As he spends most of his time on his bicycle, making his living selling fresh fish and other food items, he makes certain to keep safe by wearing a helmet and reflective vest. Guillermo always has the freshest catch. The fishermen of Limón approach him daily to buy his fish to resell at the nearby fish market.

Miranda Family

Due to its warm, sunny climate, Tacares de Grecia in the Alajuela Province is one of Costa Rica’s main areas for growing tomatoes, the dry season being the most suitable for planting crops. The Miranda Family owns a small plot for producing tomatoes. They distribute and sell their goods through roadside vendors as well as deliver tomatoes directly to customers using bicycles outfitted with baskets, charging 1000 colones (approximately $2.00) for every 2 kilos of tomatoes.

Juan

Juan Rodríguez is 72 years old. He and his wife own a small plot of land (about 200 square meters) in the outskirts of San Ramón, a city in the Alajuela Province of Costa Rica. Juan and his wife use their spare time to plant cilantro and celery. Juan’s bicycle allows him the time he needs to grow his crops. With it, he can get around his neighborhood and sell his produce easily and with no transportation costs.