Realize Your Dream to Volunteer in Costa Rica

Necesitaba saber que es eso tan mágico y esa sinceridad incondicional que los niños te ofrecen, y por supuesto trabajar con los más necesitados

Ahí es donde entra la labor del equipo de Nat, Director de una organización sin ánimo de lucro donde su pasión es ayudar allí donde se necesite, es muy satisfactorio formar parte de sus proyectos tan bonitos.

Cambie de año como de país y por la tarde estaba en el pueblo caribeño que ha puesto en gran parte de moda a Costa Rica, de descendientes jamaicanos y ticos y en unas mejores localizaciones de todo el caribe se encuentra Puerto viejo! Gente feliz con mucha paz, no excesivo turismo, allí tuve la suerte de conocer a un español que volvía en el bus y tenía un hotel! Y allí que me quede algunos días, alquilando bicis, running, y viviendo ese ambiente reagee y rollo tranqui que se respiraba fue muy divertido y gracias al el pude conocer a mas españoles viviendo en el paraíso de tranquilidad con su mini negocio bar o tienda de artículos hipiees y como no cervecita esta vez seria "la imperial".

Satisfecho con lo vivido me voy directo a mi cometido del viaje, en las montañas y en centro de costaríca hay un pueblo llamado san Ramón, pueblo de poetas, mucha cultura, música en directo en las calles, el que inició la retirada del ejército, escribir poesía y mil cosas más que notas en la gente de aquí que resulta tan agradable, un acento muuuuy peculiar porque dentro de lo latino tienen el acento como las películas traducidas en castellano de la los vaqueros del viejo oeste...es fantástico escucharlos!! Tb hay que destacar del pueblo que las calles no tienen nombre de calles ni número, lo que lo hace más auténtico si cabe.

El hogar de los voluntarios se respira un ambiente muy agradable, Erik y Gabi, organizadores muestran y te orientan para lo que necesites,
La gente genial, y en la casa muy bien equipada que ofrece muchas posibilidades, como internet, televisión digital, nevera, agua caliente, y muchas cosas más que te invitan a sentirte como en casa
Mi destino para ejercer de voluntario será el cecude un kínder (guardería pública para niños marginales) donde cuidándolos y jugando con ellos te ensenan más a ti, que tú a ellos le puedas ofrecer, y eso que ningún niño supera los 6 años

De todo lo vivido hasta ahora puedo decir que lo gratificante es que 22 niños te canten junto a la cocinera la conserje, directora y la dos educadoras el cumpleaños feliz a lo guardería Costa Riquense, sin querer me salieron dos lagrimas porque ese recibimiento no tiene palabras, otro día más con ellos y ya me estaban llamando profe Sergi!! Son para comérselos,

Recomiendo a todo el mundo que realice algo parecido, es muy gratificante, está claro para ayudar no hace falta recorrerse medio mundo, pero sí que creo que si recorres medio mundo es mejor (desde mi punto actual de vista) que antes de viajar tipo turista , hacer algo que compartas y ayudes a los demás.

No sé el tiempo que me he pasado aquí porque 15 dias es como haber vivido toda una vida, nunca olvidare a San Ramon, el kínder y por supuesto al maravilloso equipo de Avic ,
Puedo decir que me voy con la batería cargada 100%...para reflexionar y valorar lo aquí vivido y no dudo de volver a realizar otro proyecto de la mano de Nat.

Un abrazo fuerte y espero poder haber compartido este viaje contigo a través de este relato.

Sergi

This summer, my friends and I wanted to do something different and at the same time, something that would give back. We researched many websites and found a few good ones, including uVolunteer. Through uVolunteer, we decided on the Turtle Conservation project in Costa Rica.
Upon arriving in San Jose, we were all a little bit nervous. The three of us has flown in together from Atlanta and it was our first time travelling alone, without school or family. Once we had landed and got our bags, we tried to exchange some money into colones. A couple of people from uVolunteer picked us up and we finally got to San Ramon after a few hours, where we stayed one night.
Early the next morning (around 5), we woke up and got ready to go to Samara, where our project was taking place. We had to take a bus, which got us to Samara in 5 hours. The drive was surprisingly pleasant as we saw a lot of Costa Rica's beautiful mountains on the way. When we got there, we were picked up by a taxi that drove us up a dirt path and to a river. At the river, we were told we had to cross, taking our suitcases with us. We waited at the river for a while, where we were met by Roy, the project manager. When we got to the camp, the people were awesome; very friendly and welcoming. The beach in front of the camp was beautiful; the ocean was so blue and the scenery was just amazing. We were introduced to our room downstairs (as the upstairs dorm was full) and we settled in. The room itself was small and dark, but within a few days it felt homely. We were shown around the camp; the hatchery, the kitchen, the eating area, the bathroom, the shower, the compost pit, the campfire area, the clothes line, the bookshelf and the other dorm.
It was very well laid out and it seemed like the camp had been running very efficiently all this time. There was really no need for electricity and it was actually quite nice not having it. Washing clothes by hand was fine, and the toilet felt just like a normal toilet. We also met Veronica, the cook, who made us rice, beans and usually vegetables or eggs for our meals. Sometimes, we would have days with pancakes or pasta.
Being our first time working with turtles, we didn't really know what to do. Adrian, who had been working there for four years, told us about the turtles and the different jobs we would have to do. He explained everything that we had to right down. We had to work usually four hours a day, unless we had other work to do. We had two hatchery shifts, each two hours long, one in the day and one at night, with one other person. My partner was Meredith, who had been there for five weeks already. I felt better with Meredith with me because she knew what she was doing and she also told me about her experience there and her life at home too. On days like Wednesday, we had to clean the camp and were assigned different jobs like cleaning the kitchen or raking.
On other days, we would have to collect fruit and vegetables from the river, either on the left or right side, which could be difficult when the things were heavy. On hatchery shifts, we would check if the turtles in the nests would hatch and if they did, we had to weigh and measure 10 and then release them into the ocean. On nights that we had to patrol, we would walk either with Jimmy, Roy, Aeneis, Adrian or Anni, and we would look for turtles that were going to lay eggs. Twice, I got to collect the eggs from under the turtles, which was such a cool experience. We then had to take down all the measurements, tag the turtle, and then make a nest for the eggs in the hatchery. By the end of the trip, I was able to make a nest by myself.
Also, Thursdays and Sundays were off and on those days, we got to go to town and use the internet, get ice cream and roam the streets of Samara. On one of the Thursdays, we got to go horse riding in the mountains and also down Playa Samara. On our way back, we went through the streets of Samara, and we even crossed the river to the camp on our horses, which was also very cool. Before we crossed, we met our friend Becky, who climbed onto the back of my horse and got a free ride! It was a little scary, but a lot of fun riding with two people. We then trotted to the camp, down Playa Buena Vista. It was a really fun and new experience. On our days off, it was also nice to contact our families and let them now how we were doing.
Usually, we would walk back to camp, instead of taking a taxi. It was a really long walk, but the view on the way is beautiful. While at camp, we would sit around on the beach, swim, play cards and read. It was so cool meeting all the volunteers from different places, all with different stories. After every meal, we would play a card game called Dishes, in which the loser would wash all the dishes. I lost once and it was horrible cleaning all those dishes! Anyway, in our free time, we also asked Roy to teach us how to make bracelets. He taught us a very easy kind and it was a lot of fun. Spending time with Roy was nice because we would eat cookies and joke about other people. Once, his little son (Joey) came to camp and taught us how to make bracelets as well!
Working with the turtles was amazing as we learnt so many new things about the different types and what to do in different situations. I hope our working there helped the organization with their goal in the conservation of turtles. Overall, it was a great experience working with the turtles and meeting all the different people. I wish we stayed there longer, but who knows - we might go back one day!

Before arriving in costa rica I was very nervous and even though I was given a great amount of helpful information I couldn't help but be a little bit apprehensive.

Once I arrived it became clear that I was definitely not alone and help would be there for me all along whenever I needed it. The first weekend I became very familiar with the town and costa ricans themselves and their 'pura vida' lifestyle.

I was lucky enough to go zip lining the second day I arrived and it was an experience I know I will never forget! I was very excited to start working and going to bajo tijares the first day was a bit of a culture shock for me and it really impacted me because I was never familiar with people living like that.

The children were so loving and kind I could tell that they really enjoyed me being there. Over the course of the first week it was tough to connect with a few of the kids.
Some never even connected with me at all, but the ones that did really opened up and were so happy and bright despite their situations.

Some of them reminded me of my own younger cousins and I know I will never forget about them. I'm so thankful that uVolunteer gave me the opportunity to immerse myself in the costa rican culture and be able to meet some amazing kids.
I hope that I made a positive impact on them because they definitely had a positive impact on me.

Anita

I first of all just want to start by saying my volunteering experience has been exactly what I wanted and more, and that if you are undecided about what volunteer company to go with, CHOOSE uVolunteer, I couldn't have chosen a better program and organization! They have been so helpful and willing from the first email I sent. The whole application process is so quick and easy too.

When I arrived in San Jose, the lovely staff was waiting for me. We drove to the dorm, which is in San Ramon, approximately 1 hour away from the capital. When I arrived at the dorm our house mum, Dona Isabel (who is the BEST) had dinner ready for everybody. I defiantly timed my arrival perfectly. Within two minutes I already felt at home.
On the first day all the new volunteers are given an orientation about the culture and shown around the small town. This was so much fun. That afternoon, despite my jet lack I went zip lining with a few volunteers. It was so easy to make friends with everyone. All the volunteers were very like minded.

On the Monday, it was my first day at the orphanage. Ligia takes all the volunteers to there projects on the first day, so you don't get lost. The journey was extremely easy. From the dorm I would walk ten minutes to the bus station and then take a 10 minutes bus ride. I was made very welcome by all the Aunties (Tia's) at the orphanage. I was so worried about not being able to speak Spanish but that really hasn't been a problem at all. I am now an expert and charades. The Tia's are so friendly and patient with me. And of course the children are so, so wonderful. There are 13 children at my orphanage, all under the age of 10. They just want to play and receive lots of cuddles. I try and help the tia's out as much as possible. I would clean the floors and windows for them, I would also help feed the children and clean the dishes afterwards. They are so appreciative of any help.
You have to work Monday to Thursday at your chosen project. You then have 3 days at the weekend to go visit all the amazing places in Costa Rica. There really is so much to do. I have had 3 weekends to travel and I have been zip lining, to the beach, seen a volcano and been white water rafting!! The volunteers all go away together, which is so much fun. Ligia and Alicia help recommend hostels and tour companies, as well as explain the easiest way to get there. You really are in good hands here!

I had an amazing time here is Costa Rica. The people are so friendly and welcoming. The way of life is so relaxed here, which suited me perfectly. The landscape is absolutely stunning. I have nothing negative to say about my experience.

Thank you so much the staff. I love you all. You really have made my experience here unforgettable.

Siobhan

When I arrived at the airport the Coordinator and some other volunteers that had come in the same day greeted me. After a long day of travelling it was nice to get in the car and not have to worry about finding the volunteer house on my own at night. The coordinator is an incredibly patient, organized and helpful coordinator. On the hour ride to San Ramon, she made me feel welcomed and at home in Costa Rica. Her help was priceless during the time that we were volunteering and even after we had finished with the organization.

Upon arriving at the house I met the other people I would be staying with for the duration of our time there. The dorm was at max capacity filled with people from around the world. They were all really nice and I made some great friends that I ended up travelling with on weekends and spare time. The way the dorm runs, you are very likely to begin your stay with people who have already been there for at least two weeks. This allows you to gain an immense knowledge about the country and the program in a very short period of time.

I had signed up to work as a physical education teacher, however the kids were on holiday during my first week there so I was assigned to the community center. Joining the program there, I felt immediately useful. Without any Spanish I was still able to connect with kids through sports and games. For an hour during the day I helped as a supplementary English teacher where I helped kids work on conversational English. The kids are highly motivated to learn and it is a blast talking to them. In addition to this you can volunteer to work with local adults at night, which I highly recommend. They are incredibly nice and their English is quite impressive. It is mostly just conversing with them, which allows you to really get into the culture and meet locals from the area.

It is worth noting that a Christian mission sponsors the community center. While the program is based on this idea, there is no pressure to conform and everyone working there is very nice. Overlooking everything there is a man named Henry, who is amazing to work with. He is great with the kids and makes you feel very appreciated for the work you are doing. After three weeks I was sad to leave both the kids and staff who I formed great relationships with.

Costa Rica is a great place to travel. Since you are only working four days a week, your weekends are wide open to see and experience the rest of the country. San Ramon is a wonderful and quaint little town. Using it as a base we were able to use our time off to go surfing, white water rafting, bungee jumping, scuba diving, zip lining and more.
My time with uVolunteer was invaluable. I plan to come back to Costa Rica soon to visit and volunteer. Until then I will be thinking about San Ramon often and practicing my Spanish.
Zev

Im very grateful that I was allowed to do this program on such short notice, as many other programs wouldn't have let two guys zip down to costa rica on 10 days notice.

Upon arrival, we were greeted with hugs and smiles at the airport and although it had been 24 hours without sleep, their energy was infectious!! Arriving at the dorms was shocking. I assumed in my head
that we would be living in cabins or tents, but the house is closer to a hotel. Hot water, comfortable beds, wifi, 2 meals a day and laundry have made the time spend here incredible!

On our first day we were given a tour of beautiful San Ramon, perfect weather, even better people, and a tight nit community made us all feel welcome. The fruit market is a must see, with produce I have
never heard of in my life including dragonfruit, and guanabana ( a watermelon looking fruit that it white instead of pink, slightly creamy, and ten times as sweet).

After the tour of the city we were taken to Bajo (the village where most of the children from the community center live), which was easily the most eye opening experience of Costa Rica. There homes were little more that glorified shacks, with a single light bulb and no beds, however I have never met happier people in my life. They were all very welcoming and friendly and wanted to share what little they had with us.

At the community center over the next few weeks were the most enjoyable of my time here. Even though I had gone scuba diving, whitewater rafting, ziplining, snorkeling, and bungee jumping, nothing was as thrilling and rewarding as teaching these kids English and playing our daily Tico vs Gringo basketball games. Each child wanted to learn as much English as possible. Lesson plans were of no use because they told us exactly what they wanted to learn, and even after class kids continued to ask us questions during the activity time.

The children ranged form 2 to 19 and they all loved to play with whatever they had, whether it was making cakes out of mud, playing lamda (tag on the play structure), football, jump rope, or volley ball.
San Ramon and the rest of Costa Rica and Panama have given me memories I will never forget, and friends I will never lose. I plan on coming back to Costa Rica soon to give back even more. I cant believe my time here is over already but I can honestly say that these were the best three weeks of my life!

The organization seemed be a very ethical one, emphasizing working through organizations in the community. Programs offered were interesting and varied. I had a hard time picking out which one I wanted to do. I chose community center type projects each time because I felt like I was qualified for them and that I could make a difference. Each time that I volunteered I had a person who picked me up at the airport, gave me a detailed orientation, and also gave me a tour of the community. Throughout the program they offered continued support and checked in frequently to see what I was doing.

At the community center at Bajo Tejares I played several different roles. The community center was located in a community that one could see really needed such a place to exist. We were given a tour of the neighborhood which was a little shocking. The houses were really tiny and a few of them just had a lot of trash around them. Drug use and teen pregnancy were big problems in the neighborhood, and the community center gave the kids a viable alternative s to this as well as positive attention from adults. The educational component was a big part of what they did. We got to help out with English classes for adults and teenagers in the community. Two other volunteers and I worked with the adult women's class. It was a little challenging, because the women all had different levels and attendance seemed to be directly related to the weather. We had to go really slow, slower than I had thought because pronunciation was really difficult for them and a lot of times they were scared to even talk. One thing was certain though, the classes were always fun! The women made it seem more like a club than a class. The ones that did know more really helped each other out. I really wished we could have made the class a permanent thing, but because of the school schedule starting again, it wasn't possible.

At night I got to help teaching the English class at the college in San Ramon. I had so much fun with them. Getting to work with adults was cool because it made you feel more a part of the community. The learners were all really motivated and seemed to want to be there. Since one of the most important parts of a language is talking ,the classes were conversation based. This made it really fun and I felt like it was a good way for the students to learn.

I would recommend getting involved in this to anyone who does uVolunteer. It feels like you help them so much, and they get to help you as well.

Jennifer

Adjusting to San Ramon was easier than I expected. The accommodations were luxurious, in comparison to what I thought I would have to live with. The San Ramon volunteer house is a beautiful two-story home that feels like a higher-end hostel. There were about three student volunteers and two family volunteers, with seven of us living in the house. Though there were a lot of us in a lot of different volunteer projects, we all became a tight knit group within the first weekend.
As I mentioned before, my volunteer project was working at an orphanage. I remember the first day I went to the orphanage I was so shy and timid with the kids, but soon I was able to warm up to them and bond with them. Though there were about ten kids, I mainly played with four or five of them ranging from ages four to seven. From Monday to Thursday I would go to the orphanage for four hours and play with coloring books, Play-doh, puzzles, jump rope, and bicycles. The other volunteer and I had to constantly come up with games to keep the kids active. Sometimes the other volunteer would buy toys for the kids such as balloons and a tea set. Though I expected to be teaching the kids English, I realized that these kids just needed someone to play with.
After my volunteer work at the orphanage we had the option to teach English to university students and adults at the University of Costa Rica. Though this was optional volunteer work, it was my favorite part of the week. It was so interesting being on the other side of the language learning experience. Every time I went to teach the students I kept in mind the methods that worked for me when learning Spanish. On top of that, I really enjoyed just talking to the students and learning about their life. After one teaching night another volunteer and I made plans to visit one of the students at her bakery the next day, and when we did the student gave us one of her cakes!
Ultimately, the reason I wanted to do a volunteer program is because I enjoy immersing myself in the culture and befriending locals. Travelling as a tourist you get to see the beautiful and spectacular parts of Costa Rica, but it makes it difficult to really immerse yourself in the Costa Rican culture. With uVolunteer I was able to make lifelong friends with local ticos and other volunteering gringos, while stuffing up on Costa Rican food and creating a few touristy memories on the weekends. Basically I was able to have my cake and eat it too thanks to uVolunteer. uVolunteer is tuanis!