Change Your Life and the Life's of Others

I have always wanted to volunteer abroad and when I heard about International Student Volunteers I signed up to volunteer in Costa Rica straight away. I have always been fortunate enough to live a very comfortable lifestyle and this seemed the perfect opportunity to give back. However, I could never have predicted how incredible Costa Rica and ISV would be!
A group of 9 volunteers arrived in a small fishing village called San Juanillo and it was our job to build a deck and bathrooms as well as paint the walls and prepare all the finishing touches such as roof boards and doors for the new building where the local fishermen would soon be preparing and selling their fish. The old building where they prepared the fish was on the beach and was severely damaged from waves and weather and was being robbed as no one lives on the beach to supervise. Past ISV volunteers had left their impact on this beautiful town such as implementing a recycling system and starting the building that we were to finish. Work was hot and we had never sweated so much in our lives! We started at 7am and completed tasks such as digging eight 1x1m deep holes, mixing cement manually, painting, sanding, digging through concrete to level the driveway and all the odd jobs typical of any building site. By 3pm we were tired and dirty and ready for bed. Instead we spent our afternoons playing with the local kids doing activities such as soccer, traditional games and taking them to the beach with us.
We stayed with the most generous host families. Whilst these people didn't have much, they welcomed us into their homes and their families and the generosity and care that they showed us is something that I will never forget!
The group of volunteers came from three different countries (Australia, New Zealand and the USA) but we came together for a common cause: wanting to impact our world. Not only did we work together and support each other to achieve more than we could have ever expected but the friendships that have been created will be lifelong. Together we shared laughs, tears and an experience that could never be forgotten.
Of course there were times that were hard. The language barrier was at times stressful and the different lifestyle, food and culture pushed our comfort zones. But the support we received from our ISV leader made all these times that much more manageable. Our project leader changed the way we saw the world as well as our attitudes and beliefs about living in a sustainable manner, but most of all he was a friend and support to everyone and the changed the experience in such a positive way for everyone involved.
When the village chief thanked us on the last night for our efforts, he told us that due to the money we had into the project and our labour we achieve more in two weeks than they could have in 20 years. I think this highlighted how much we contributed and how appreciative the small fishing village was.
I knew that Costa Rica was going to be an amazing experience, but I could never have predicted that it was going to change my life the way it did. I am now going to South Africa with ISV at the end of 2012 because I cannot imagine a better way to spend the summer holidays than by giving back and having the time of my life! PURA VIDA!