The repression of paramilitary groups in her native Nicaragua forced Maria and her family to flee to Costa Rica at the end of 2018. Since then, she, her husband, and their 4 children became part of the group of more than 80,000 Nicaraguan asylum seekers in the country.
Since the outbreak of Nicaragua’s social and political crisis in April 2018, the EU has funded the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) projects in Costa Rica. We helped assist vulnerable Nicaraguan refugees and asylum seekers, with a special focus on protection and cash assistance.
María and her family were among the beneficiaries of this aid. Thanks to the 3-month outlay, they could afford a place to live. Maria was able to buy a gas stove that she uses to make empanadas, which she sells to earn a living and support her 4 children.
“The aid came in handy,” said Maria. “I was happy with the financial help; you get excited. We are refugees, and we have someone to help us, thank God.”
Story and photos by UNHCR Costa Rica.
“We had just come from collecting coffee, thanks to that and the financial help we receive, we got a place to live.” said 29-year-old Maria. She started working in coffee plantations to earn a living. 
Maria received cash assistance for 3 months. She was able to purchase a stove and the ingredients to prepare “empanadas”. She started selling them on the street, making it her family's main source of income. 
According to Maria, the secret for a good “empanada” is in the technique of patting the dough and the seasoning, but due to the cost of meat, she must add a bit of rice to the chicken to thicken the filling. 
Maria sells each empanada for 500 Costa Rican colones, about €0.70 cents. Every day she prepares 10 pastries, making enough income to buy rice and basic groceries. After school, her daughter steps in to sell them door-to-door to her neighbors. 
Maria also used the economic assistance provided by the EU to buy shoes, raincoats and school supplies for her children. She bought crayons for her eldest daughter, who loves to draw and to adorn the walls of the house with her creativity. 
Through partners like UNHCR, EU provides humanitarian assistance to asylum-seekers and refugees in Costa Rica, helping them overcome the most difficult obstacles and make ends meet. “I dream that my children continue with their studies,” says Maria.
