Volunteer Abroad in Costa Rica

I first heard about Raleigh International through school and as soon as I decided to take a gap year following school, I knew I wanted to embark on a Raleigh expedition. It was the best decision I have ever made!
Spending 10 weeks in Costa Rica and Nicaragua with Raleigh allowed me to experience new cultures, learn valuable communication, problem solving and organisational skills and meet a whole host of people I would never otherwise have met. To say that I was taken out of my comfort zone during my expedition would be an understatement- a Raleigh expedition will completely propel you from your comfort zone!!! From reinforcing paths and fixing bridges in the heart of a national park to making dream comes true for the local people with the addition of a gravity water system to hiking across breathtaking landscapes, every day on Raleigh is different. Some days will be harder than others and everyone will likely be affected by illness and feeling home sick at some point but the support and safety in place mean that sooner rather than later you will be feeling elated and in awe of the experience you are living! The projects take venturers and volunteer managers off the beaten track and allow you to experience parts of the country you would never be able to experience if you were travelling on your own or with a tour company. In addition the projects present the unique opportunity to live and work alongside local people to contribute towards the UN sustainable development goals.
I had always been very shy and reserved at school and I lacked a significant amount of self confidence but following my Raleigh expedition I arrived home a completely changed person (for the better!). Although vastly different it equipped me with so many of the skills I needed to completely my pharmacy degree and go on to begin my career as a pharmacist and I’m sure the same would be true regardless of the sector that you go on to work in. I guarantee you will absolutely not regret choosing Raleigh International.

This experience for me came when I needed it the most. The experience in leadership and team work that I gained on expedition I could take with me back into my day to day life.
The friendships I built through out this trip were life changing everyone had a different impact teaching me something new and helping me develop as a person. I felt safe though out and all of the instructors where amazing. The amount of effort put in to make sure we were safe and enjoying are experiene was above and beyond what I expected. I pushed my self mentally and physically at times especially during trek. However your group was always there to support you though the tough days and where there to celebrate the wins. Would definitely recommend Raleigh international (I want to do it all again)

Undertaking a 7 week expedition with Raleigh to Costa Rica and Nicaragua was the best thing I could have done with my year out. It not only gave me the chance to give back in some way and create lasting positive change, but also took me on a journey of personal development.

I lived and worked alongside the community of Los Llanitos in Nicaragua, to help them create a 7 km gravity-fed water system. Being fully immersed in the life of a rural Nicaraguan community was one of the best parts of my expedition, allowing me to build friendships and learn about a completed new culture, diversifying my knowledge and improving my Spanish to no end!
Although one of the most challenging experiences of my life to-date - expedition helped me develop a new confidence and willingness to challenge myself and others everywhere I go. I would recommend Raleigh expedition to anyone.

I'm not sure I really knew what I was letting myself into when I signed up for a Raleigh Expedition. However, what I can say is that I definitely didn't expect the most memorable experience of my life so far. I contributed to something genuinely meaningful - whilst part of an incredible, internationally diverse team of other young people. Not only that, it felt adventurous, fun and it created a change within me - it made me who I am today. Costa Rica and Nicaragua were incredible countries to visit. Seeing the issues they face with my own eyes, and working collaboratively alongside volunteers from those countries really opened my mind to what you can achieve together. Nothing is impossible. I can't recommend this programme highly enough. If you do it, I think it's likely it will be a turning point in your life, just as it was in mine.

Beyond just giving me the chance to experience an absolutely amazing part of the world, and work on projects I knew were bringing about real positive change, my Raleigh Expedition completely transformed me in so many ways.

It developed huge new confidence and willingness in me to try new things and confront challenges, at a time when I had never done anything remotely like it before. Through it, I've made such a wealth of friends around the world who I'm still in touch with, and it's led to opportunities in my career that I never could have anticipated, for which I'm still so grateful for.

No matter where you're at, if you want to make a really fantastic change not just to others but to yourself, or if you want to start exploring the world or get actively involved in charitable work but you just don't know where to start, I can't recommend Raleigh enough. It is an awesome experience.

I had an amazing time with Raleigh in Costa Rica and Nicaragua. The in-country team were fantastic - really motivated to make sure that everybody on the programme was well supported and inspired to challenge themselves and make a difference. The whole experience was unique - we got to live and work with real local people to address real challenges.

Working with the indigenous people of Costa Rica was inspiring - the communities were really remote, walking several hours through the rainforest to get to the village where we lived. We got to support the Cabecar people to get a basis education - previously they got their classes in falling down builiding or sometimes under a tree. Now we helped the community to build a new school, set up a parents group and inspire the children to go to school. Its an experience I'll never forget.

It was a great experience!

Getting to visit a country that is completely new to me. Immersing myself with the culture and lifestyle.

Pushes you to the limit with each phase of the expedition. Each phase there is something to take away.

Community Phase: this is where I practised my language skills it was fun learning Spanish to use for my daily conversation.

Trek Phase: Personal Favourite one of the most amazing and breathtaking sceneries I have come across. Always

Environment: This project was relaying and creating a new pathway so that tourist are able to visit the park and encourage ecotourism in the future so that it becomes more sustainable for the future.

People: This is the best of all, you meet different people from all over the world and you make new friends then continue it on to be a long-lasting friendship.

Before I signed up with Raleigh International, I wasn't really sure where Nicaragua is and the only thing I knew about Costa Rica was #PuraVida. The last time I had slept in a tent was before puberty and my Spanish skills were pretty much non-existent. So it's safe to say that I had absolutely no idea what to expect!
During our 2-week induction training someone said that during the phases we will experience our "highest highs and lowest lows" and boy, were they right!
I did the 260-km Trek in Nicaragua and it was one of the best experiences in my life. Yes, mentally and physically challenging, but walking through the breathtaking landscape of Nicaragua and getting to know locals on the way was truly humbling. In the evenings we'd ask in the community if there was a nearby plain in which we could camp and most of the nights we then ended up sleeping in someone's garden or even house, just because they loved to share!
My second and third phase were Natural Resource Management in the Rincon de la Vieja National park and it was there where I learned what it means to be connected to Nature.
We helped the Park Rangers with their day-to-day work and also improved the infrastructure in the park and my favourite project was turning some forgotten Hot Springs into a nice-looking Tourist Destination.
One of my favourite aspects was spending time and getting to know the In-Country Volunteers, who were more than willing to share about their lives, their countries and their language.
13 weeks later I feel like I am a new person! I am more self-aware, more confident, can put on a 20-kg backpack in less than 10 seconds and can comfortably have a whole conversation in Spanish!
To anyone who wants to challenge themselves, have an impact on the lives of young people and experience new cultures - Sign up!