Casa Congo comes from the words “Casa” (home) + “Congo” (local howler monkey).

In 2017, a team of surfers, scientists, entrepreneurs and artists followed their Nicaraguan friend to El Astillero, a small fishing village near the Chacocente Wildlife Refuge. This region is rich in biodiversity and culture, however it faces serious challenges: poverty, plastic pollution, deforestation, seasonal flooding, and illegal poaching of turtle eggs.

To catalyze systemic change, we founded Casa Congo — a surf house and sustainability hub that supports the socio-economic development and environmental regeneration of the region.

Casa Congo has hosted hundreds of surfers / volunteers and positively impacted thousands of lives through our local projects. We've launched three social businesses, independently run by local leaders, and restored large segments of the natural ecosystem. Our multidisciplinary approach, founded on international knowledge exchange, has proven that underserved communities can become the protagonists of their own change, without relying on ongoing foreign aid.

Our Community Partners

Las Tejedoras

Las Tejedoras, "The Weavers", are a collective of 17 women in El Astillero who transform recycled plastic bags into artworks and fashion accessories. Their motto is "1 bolsa meno, 1 tortuga mas" (1 less plastic bag, 1 more turtle). Casa Congo is supporting the growth of their social enterprise by providing seed funding, operational training, product design and developing a global marketplace to showcase their talent.

Surf Club

El Astillero surf club is home to incredibly talented young shredders. Casa Congo partners with the surf club to provide weekly surf lessons to local children coupled with ocean advocacy activities such as beach cleanups or marine biology education. Twice a year, Casa Congo sponsors tournaments for local surfers to compete for national medals.

La Escuela

El Astillero has a standard public school for children age 6 to 16. Casa Congo provides alternative learning modules and after school activities for parents who would like their children to learn more about sustainability from a young age.

Finca Bonanza

Located in Tapalguas, Chontales, Finca Bonanza is a 100 hectare bamboo plantation managed by a collective of small holder farmers led by Dona Rita. This is where Casa Congo procures Guadua bamboo poles for social housing and other bioconstruction activities.

La Cancha

La Cancha is where the pueblo of El Astillero gathers for events, creative manifestations, baseball or soccer games and festivities. Our community development program is defined through an ongoing participatory design process, to ensure alignment with the core of local community priorities.

Los Pescadores

El Astillero is a fishing town where the main source of income and local food is fish. Casa Congo partners with local fishermen in ocean advocacy projects, including marine turtle protection and scientific research activities.

Las Flores

Las Flores is a collective of 12 women who manage manage a seed bank, create community gardens, rainwater collection and gray water filtration systems, as well as other green infrastructure projects that build healthy soil and create a diverse forest system.

Casa Madera

During the KuNa bamboo social housing project in 2021 - 2023, we trained several members of the community in bamboo construction and built a carpentry workshop. The facility is now run by Eddy and Catherine who have launched a local social business called Casa Madera, where they train local apprentices and create authentic furniture made of natural materials.

La Brigada Ecologica

The Brigada Ecologica is a team of young environmentalists who attended Casa Congo after-school activities from 2019 to 2023 to inspire their community and protect the environment. The group focused on research projects and preservation of natural resources of Chacocente. They support MARENA in the operation of a sea turtle nursery.