Trinidad is a smiling, 102-year-old woman living on the Nicoya Peninsula in Costa Rica. “Visitors from all over the world come to discuss longevity with me, and I hope they keep coming because I love meeting new people! I’m grateful to have such good health and I hope to live for many more years. Trinidad is always smiling and friendly, and her joie de vivre and thoughtfulness brighten up her village.

Her smiling face is all the more striking and comforting against the backdrop of a country that provides very little support to seniors. “We live in extreme poverty. The cost of living is very high, and our pension is ridiculous. My daughter can no longer work outside the home to earn a living because she has to take care of me full time. This means we both live on my small pension, which is barely enough to pay the electricity.”

While Arianne was in Nicoya, she met with Trinidad, who explained the importance of family. Many Costa Rican families get by on very little; they are tightly knit and take care of each other.

Trinidad relies on her daughter to look after her and provide for her needs. She is also very close to her great-granddaughter, who visits her several times a day. In this photo, Trinidad and her great-granddaughter share a moment of tenderness as the young woman brushes her great grandmother’s hair and helps her apply moisturizer.