Costa Rica → Volunteering

Volunteer in Costa Rica

Volunteering is a way to turn your Costa Rican vacations into a more meaningful experience: working as a Volunteer you will have the opportunity to participate in a life changing program or mission to help those that are less fortunate than yourself. You can mix your volunteering experience with Spanish school, getting the basics of orientation and the rudiments of language and then adventuring into a far off destination: living in a community can help you understand the Costa Rican way of life and is excellent for practicing your budding Spanish skills. You can choose either a well organized and structured program with schedules, set dates and established work areas, or try and arrange your program once you arrive into the country by participating in the smaller variable assignments that change as needs arise. With some programs you’ll be working independently and possibly staying with a local family in a home stay experience, others you’ll be working with other persons as a group, sometime week-long periods to 18 month programs, depending on the area of interest. This represents a donation of time, knowledge and skills, which is why its value surpasses that of monetary donations. Small voluntary actions such as reading to the blind or to children, teaching someone to read, play a musical instrument, use new technology or a language can change the course of someone’s life. The participant becomes an inspiration to a community.

Coming to Costa Rica as a Volunteer is one of the ways to enrich your holiday or vacation time in unforeseen ways. Our country is a wonderful place to Volunteer with so many different locations and activities and ways to participate and help. Costa Rica’s peaceful environment and stable political condition have made it one of the most developed of the Central American countries. After constitutionally abolishing the army in 1949, the money has been dedicated to education and health care. However, many rural areas are in need of help and assistance, and that’s why the government and diverse NGO’s have established different ways for people to help. The fruits of the volunteers labor are schools built in remote locations where there were none, medical facilities, community houses, aqueducts, trails in national parks and reserves, a protected environment for nesting turtles and hatchlings and more.

How can you benefit by volunteering in Costa Rica? The meaningful and positive impact of gaining valuable life skills and experience are just the tip of the iceberg. This is a way to meet interesting people from outside your normal circle. Pleople come to Costa Rica from different countries and from many walks of life. Universities, colleges and employees are noticing Volunteer labor on resumes and application forms, and sometimes credits can be gained for college as “service learning”. This experience is a way of showing your commitment, dedication and interests. Volunteering has no restrictions: anyone and everyone has valuable skills and knowledge that can be shared. A child can work and bring happiness in a retirement home, chatting with lonely residents who don’t receive visits. You can assist at the children’s ward in a hospital by showing up at lunch or dinner time and helping feed an injured or weak child. For those who prefer working backstage, giving in hours at an NGO or organization by organizing files, typing or doing useful tasks is also a way to help a cause. There are as many ways to help as there are people, if you are interested, you’ll be sure to find a satisfying option.