When learning about the opportunity to stay abroad in Costa Rica for a few months, it sounded like the perfect experience to take after a lot of studying for my high school degree. And what should I say: it was fully worth it. I got in touch with so many nice people, not only from Costa Rica but from a lot of nations worldwide. When not working in my projects, I travelled around the country and the neighbouring countries (Panama and Nicaragua). Of course you have to be a bit more careful while travelling compared to Europe, but nevertheless I never felt insecure. There are so many beautiful places in Costa Rica which are waiting to be explored, so the time went really fast. I came back with a lot of new friends and unforgettable experiences and memories.

I had a wonderful time and I learned so much. It was a great experience and I recommend this to any student that considers the option to volunteer through Intern HQ. I loved my host family. I learned a lot at the clinic I worked at and learned so much. This experience was essential in my education and I will use all the knowledge gained in my future career as a doctor. I recommend this program to any student looking to learn or gain clinical experience. Is also a great opportunity and a great way to explore Costa Rican culture.

As part of my final year of my medical education, I wanted to explore a foreign country to experience different approaches to help people in need, gain new experiences and learn a new language. On my search for fitting options, I stumbled upon Inlex and immediately was convinced by this organization. I finally chose to travel to Costa Rica to work at a small clinic in San Ramón. Shortly after I submitted my application they reached out to me and assisted me on every step during the application process and answered all my questions. As I didn't speak any Spanish at this point, the option to book online classes directly through them was very convenient. When I arrived in Costa Rica, I immediately had support from a representative of Inlex, who was extremely nice and accommodating. Even during my stay they always checked up on me and made sure I had a comfortable stay. In Costa Rica I had the most amazing host family and was able to work with amazing people at the clinic as well as learning some Spanish. I didn't know what to expect when I applied to this organization, but in any case I was overwhelmed with their services and can truly recommend this organization to anyone who wants to explore a foreign country!

Thank you so much for everything!

I worked at a company that specialises in constructing social housing. It's a family-owned business where the father is a lawyer, one son is an architect responsible for designing houses and overseeing construction sites, and the other son and daughter handle administrative tasks and interact with clients at the office. As an intern, my primary responsibility was to assist with administrative tasks. The company faced challenges with inefficient processes, where some tasks were performed without others being aware of it. This led to duplicated efforts and occasional tasks being overlooked. Therefore, I worked on implementing a solution in consultation with the team.

Key tasks:
- Maintaining up-to-date information
- Scanning and uploading signed documents to the platform.
- Compiling and preparing documents for submission to the foundation for approval.
- Automate the process of generating contracts with client-specific details, saving time and effort.
- Creating a user-friendly program to replace manual calculations done by the architect

I had a great experience, visiting an extraordinary country, with the best people.
I was placed in an excellent program. Working with native women has been fantastic. I came back to my country with new experiences, knowing a wonderful country with beautiful places to visit, and the kindest and warmest people. I surely recommend this project. I wish I could have stayed longer. I definitely think is a once in a lifetime experience. I received much more than I expected. My staying in Costa Rica has enriched my life.

i feel it could have been more environmental conservation, some times it just felt like i was helping with the tourism instead of the environment. the host family was wonderful and i made friends that i know will last a life time but for the actual position itself i struggled to find meaning and purpose in it. the organization did a good job of making me feel at home and were so lovely it was only at my project that i struggled and the people there did what they could do give me tasks related to environmentalism it was just a little misleading.

I’m really glad I chose this program because I had a lot of freedom when it came to deciding in what way I want to support the program. Mariam, the Development and Communications Coordinator, supported me with anything I needed.
But since I “made up” my functions and duties in the project it made me feel like I wasn’t needed at all - which of course is good, because the project is important and should never depend on the help of the volunteer, but I was surprised by that.
If you are enthusiastic and have your own ideas this is a great opportunity to learn a lot about the culture though: since I worked in a program that helped women I learnt a lot about the problems and controversies in the country.
Apart from that, even making a very small impact makes me feel good, because it’s a non-profit organization which makes the lives of a lot of women so much better by helping them become more independent and self confident.

It was an amazing experience to be able to discover a new country and a new culture, at the same time as having a positive impact on the community.
The family I was staying with were the sweetest person, always here to help and give some insight on their culture and history. Ticos are really welcoming.
The program I was working for gave me real missions to do, with objectives and directives. It was great because it allowed me to see the real impact I could have and not only doing basic helping out but really using my knowledge and capabilities to help out.