Sidebar #75 - Desamparados (Desamparaiso)

Peace Corps has a rule that we aren’t supposed to publicly reveal the exact name of our community until after our service ends. Although lots of volunteers break this rule, I’ve tried to follow it as much as possible. When describing where I serve, I describe my location as “Desamparados”. Desamparados is the canton (which is one step below the province) my community is located in. Desamparados is also a city and serves as the namesake of the canton.


I served, alongside 2 other volunteers in my cohort, as one of the first Peace Corps volunteers in this part of the country. Although Desamparados (affectionately known as “Desampa”) is much more urban than other Peace Corps sites, there is undoubtedly a need for development here. For right or for wrong, Desamparados has long had a reputation as one of Costa Rica’s most high-risk and violent zones. In fact, when I mention I live in Desamparados to other Ticos, oftentimes they will make a retort that I live in “DesamPakistan”. (They intend for this to be derogatory, although I imagine that Pakistan is a lovely country.) However, I see lots of potential in Desampa. In a way, it reminds me a little bit of spending my college years in Memphis: another city that I truly love but that has an unjustified reputation from people on the outside who have not spent time there. Desampa truly feels authentically Costa Rican, and there’s quite a lot of history. The canton extends from the historic town of Desamparados all the way to coffee highlands in Frailes. Desampa has all the amenities and infrastructure to be one of Costa Rica’s emerging areas. I’ve had a great time here. As I like to tell Ticos, I live in Desamparaiso.

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