Bebitos Childcare Program- LOVED it!

Hi everyone,
So awesome you are interested in volunteering and leaving an impact in a new and different place. I had very little expectations when I signed on and really just decided to jump in with the best of intentions explore and have fun. Certainly that mentality helped and wow did I ever learn a lot about Costa Rica and myself.

I was at a daycare and although I have very minimal Spanish language skills it worked out great! If you have no Spanish language try Duolingo for a few weeks before going for the basics. The kids did not care- high fives, hugs and a whole lot of play went a long way. The staff was so friendly, engaged and really helped us set up activities for the kids. Sometimes I would translate things in wifi areas and take a screen shot to them so they could explain.

My host family and accommodation was great too. They are so inviting and warm. You can tell they really do it for the love of their country and unifying people.

The staff of Maximo were amazing as well. Thank you to all of you for your support. My luggage was 4 days late arriving and they were on the phones, calming me down and then some. Their smiling faces really made my day.

My advice to all future volunteers is go for it! Jump in! Any and all things you do make a difference. For example, one day at the daycare it was overwhelming and the kids were fighting over the pencil crayons. I noticed that most were so dull too so they really couldn't use them effectively. Jump in time- sharpened ALL (I got a huge blister) the pencil crayons. Was it a huge deal- NO but the teachers didn`t have to do it, they could plan lessons and help the kids in Spanish, etc.