Social Costa Rica

The Centro Integral Infantil Manos Amigas is an institution that serves 30 children and their families in the poorest areas of San José. This center aims to cover the three fundamental areas of education, health, nutrition and psychological health, and which are essential for the integral development of any human being. They give the children care and food as well; The ages of children range from 0 to 6 years.

Posible tasks for the volunteer: 

• Help babysitters in charge of children
• Help teachers to create different teaching materials
• Support the center’s special activities
• Help children with the cleaning

If the volunteer has initiative and skills, can also ask permission to set up your

own activities at the center, such as: Games, songs, etc. Foreign language classes (for example, English classes). Workshops (music, art, etc.)

Required skills and interests of the volunteer:

• Patience, sensitivity and tolerance
• Have an initiative to teach his/her language to children
• Have initiative and be independent
• Be ready and able to play with children
• Responsible
• Punctual
• Have a good attitude
• Cell phone use is prohibited during business hours
• Getting along with children

Things you need to Bring to Cento Integral Infantil Manos Amigas:

• Hair bands
• Sunblock
• Rain coat
• Long pants, jeans or leggings
• Extra shoes (tennis)
• Work clothes (that you don´t mind getting dirty)
• Games or activities to use with children
• You can bring backpack or suitcase

Schedule for the volunteer: From Monday to Friday, 5-7 hours per day.

Accommodation: The volunteers will stay in a host family. The host family is in San José.

Location: Paseo Colon, San José

Arrival to the project: Please arrive to Costa Rica 3 days before you start the project. The third day you will start in the Project. Centro Integral Infantil receives volunteers all the week.

• € 555,- Grenzenlos-Programmgebühr (einmalig) plus
• die Programmgebühr der Partnerorganisation: 4 Wochen $ 615,- (US-Dollar); $ 1015,- (8 Wochen); $ 1415,- (12 Wochen); $ 1815,- (16 Wochen)

The “Centro de Atención y Desarrollo Infantil de San Pablo is an organization that provides a quality service to children between the ages of 3 and 7 years who come from families in extreme poverty, poverty and the middle class of the San Pablo de Heredia area. It is based on constructivist methodology and promotes equality between men and women as well as core values for personal development.

Possible tasks for the volunteer:

• To assist staff with everyday tasks
• To play games with the children
• To help with mealtimes
• To assist with cooking, cleaning, laundry etc.

Required skills and interests of the volunteer:

• To enjoy working with children
• To be patient and tolerant
• To be sociable
• To have a lot of initiative
• To be respectful towards the rules of the institution
• To have a basic Spanish level
• To be a good example for the children: appropriately dressed

Schedule for the volunteer: From Monday to Friday 5-8 hours a day. Starting at 7:00am

Things you need to Bring to Cecudi:

• Hair bands
• Sun block
• Rain coat
• Extra shoes (tennis shoes)
• Work clothes (that you don´t mind getting dirty)
• You can bring backpack or suitcase

Accommodation: The volunteers stay in a host family which will be near the project weeks.

Location: San Pablo de Heredia, Heredia Province

Arrival to the Project: Please arrive to Costa Rica 3 days before you start the project. The third day you will start in the Project. Cecudi receives volunteers all the week.

• € 555,- Grenzenlos-Programmgebühr (einmalig) plus
• die Programmgebühr der Partnerorganisation: 4 Wochen $ 665,- (US-Dollar); $ 1115,- (8 Wochen); $ 1515,- (12 Wochen); $ 1915,- (16 Wochen)

This is a public primary school that takes cares of children with disabilities in three different areas: physical, visual, auditory or mental. The school is financed by the government, and the school year begins in mid-February and lasts until December. There are two months of holidays at the end of the year as well as 15 days during July. For this reason, it is recommended that volunteers do not apply for work in January- February-July and December. There about 200 children in the school, aged from 7 to 12 years old, as well as some teenagers who also study here. There are 25 teachers and administrative staff who work in the different areas of the school.

Possible tasks for the volunteer:

• Assisting the teachers in the classrooms
• Assisting in activities for the children
• Assisting the therapists
• Some paper work and maybe translations for the office
• Preparing material
• Assisting in music and sports lessons
• Supporting the children in self-development

Required skills and interests of the volunteer:

• Basic Spanish Level (if the volunteer does not speak Spanish, it´s recommended that he/she takes at least 4 weeks of Spanish classes by ACI-CR)
• To love children and be ready to work with disabled children
• To be dynamic, have initiative and creativity
• To be available to support the teachers
• Knowledge of first aid (not 100% necessary but recommended)
• Knowledge of Sign Language LESCO (Recommended). They will teach you how to use it
• Ability to deal with emergency situations
• Patience and tolerance

Schedule for the volunteer: Monday to Friday from around 8:30 am to 3:30 pm (it depends on the time, schedule will be given by the project).

Rules of the project:

• Respect the authority of the people in charge and the rules of the institution
• Should not wear sandals, jewelry or shorts
• If the volunteer has dreadlocks or long hair, he/she should tie it up
• Piercings should be removed or covered up as the children could hurt the Volunteer

Important notes:

The volunteer might need to learn to teach Braille, Abacus, LESCO and orientation as

well as mobility to the students.

Things you need to Bring to Centeno Guell:

• Sun protector
• Dress appropriately
• Jeans or Leggings
• Extra shoes (tennis shoes)
• Work clothes (that you don´t mind getting dirty)
• Materials to use with the children
• You can bring backpack or suitcase

Accommodation: The volunteers stay in a host family. The host family will be in the area of the project.

Location: Guadalupe, San José Province

Arrival to the Project: Please arrive to Costa Rica 3 days before you start the project. The third day you will start in the Project. Centeno Guell receives volunteers just Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

• € 555,- Grenzenlos-Programmgebühr (einmalig) plus
• die Programmgebühr der Partnerorganisation: 4 Wochen $ 615,- (US-Dollar); $ 1015,- (8 Wochen); $ 1415,- (12 Wochen); $ 1815,- (16 Wochen)

The schools are located in different locations around Costa Rica. The public schools which the Socio Camps program works with are located in several middle and low-middle class areas of Costa Rica. The children’s ages vary from 5 to 13 years, which go from kindergarten, preschool and the first six grades of elementary school. The schools’ curriculum and activities usually includes all the basic subjects (Spanish, Science, Social Studies and Mathematics). Additionally, most schools offer English as a foreign language, Music, Arts, Physical Education, Civics and (Roman Catholic) Religion classes.

English classes are one of the areas where the support given by volunteers is most valued (even if they are not native speakers as these classes would be at a basic level) as well as physical education. Sometimes, if a volunteer has some special knowledge or skills – for example in music, arts or sports – and if the school agrees, he/she can organize additional activities independently.

Possible tasks for the volunteer:

• To assist the teachers in the classroom
• To help create didactic material
• To support in the special activities of the school
• To assist at the school’s library or with other administrative tasks
• To organize additional activities with the approval of those in charge of the kids
• To help children with their homework

Required skills and interests of the volunteer:

• To enjoy working with children
• To be patient and tolerant
• To be sociable
• To have a lot of initiative
• To be respectful towards the rules of the institution
• To have an intermediate to advance Spanish level (WE RECOMMEND AT LEAST

2 WEEKS OF SPANISH CLASSES)

Schedule for the volunteer: Monday to Friday from 7:00 am to 1:00-2:00pm

Things you need to Bring to the Schools:

• Mosquito repellent
• Sun block
• Rain coat
• Umbrella
• Closed shoes
• Extra shoes (tennis shoes, flip flops)
• Work clothes (that you don´t mind getting dirty)
• You can bring Backpack or suitcase

3 Schools to Choice:

• Escuela Jose Joaquín Salas, San Ramón de Alajuela.
• Escuela Morazán (Quebradas Arriba), de Perez Zeledón
• Escuela San Francisco de Peñas Blancas, La Fortuna de San Carlos

Locations and Accommodation:

• San Ramón of Alajuela (urban place, accepted are two volunteers at a time. You will live in a host family close to the school.)
• Morazán / Quebradas Arriba de Perez Zeledón (rural area, up to two volunteers at a time. You will live in a host family in Quebradas)
• San Francisco de Peñas Blancas (near La Fortuna, extremely rural, up to two volunteers at a time. You will live in a host family close to the project.)

Further information:

• Depending on the time of the year, other schools might be available and suggested. Minimum stay of 2 weeks.
• Schools are on holiday at the end of the year from December to February, at Easter time (Easter week at the end of March) and at mid-year holidays for 2 weeks in July. Please do not arrive during these periods.
• If you want to work either in a school or in an ecological project, it´s easy to combine “Escuela Morazán” and “Fudebiol” without changing the host family. Since both projects are in the same community.

Arrival to the Schools: Please arrive to Costa Rica 3 days before you start the project. The third day you will travel to the Project. The Schools receive volunteers all week.

• ZUR ZEIT KEINE PLÄTZE VERFÜGBAR
• € 555,- Grenzenlos-Programmgebühr (einmalig) plus
• die Programmgebühr der Partnerorganisation: 4 Wochen $ 615,- (US-Dollar); $ 1015,- (8 Wochen); $ 1415,- (12 Wochen); $ 1815,- (16 Wochen)
• Escuela Morazán: 4 Wochen $ 600,- (US-Dollar); $ 1050,- (8 Wochen); $ 1500,- (12 Wochen); $ 1950,- (16 Wochen)

The Hospital de Niños is the most important institution in the whole country for children’s health care. Its staff is constituted by the most experienced pediatricians and surgeons specialized on children. As a consequence, the hospital receives babies, children and teenagers up to the age of 18 from all over the country and from all social backgrounds. The volunteering opportunities at the hospital are arranged by the “Asociación de Damas Voluntarias”, a group of women who give love, support and care to children in recovery process from surgeries or treatment and who collaborate with some other general activities in the hospital. Volunteers will work only with children and will not do activities related to medicine.

Possible tasks for the volunteer:

• To accompany bedridden children
• To play with the children (in the playground area)
• To accompany children and hospital staff to the examination places
• To help the teachers in the hospital (assist in classes, preparing material)
• To help in some other areas of the hospital such as the laundry
• To assist in specific activities assigned by the hospital staff in accordance with the volunteer’s specific skills

Required skills and interests of the volunteer: Only female volunteers are accepted

• To enjoy being with children
• To be really responsible
• To be aware to work with sick (or sometimes dying) children
• To have a basic to intermediate Spanish level
• To be sociable
• To have lots of initiative
• To be respectful towards the rules of the institution

Schedule for the volunteer: From Monday to Friday 5-7 hours a day. Starting at 9:00am

Things you need to Bring to Hospital de Niños:

• Hair bands (Mandatory)
• Jeans or Leggings
• Extra shoes (tennis shoes)
• No jewelry
• Piercings or visible tattoos are not allowed (earrings are okay).
• Shoes over ankle
• Long socks, not short (Mandatory)
• Work clothes (that you don´t mind getting dirty). You have to wear the T-shirts of the Hospital
• You can bring backpack or suitcase

Accommodation: The volunteers stay in a host family. The host family will not be in San José.

Location: Hospital de Niños, San José Downtown

Arrival to the Project: Please arrive to Costa Rica Sundays or Mondays. On Wednesday you will start in the Project. Hospital de Niños only receives volunteers on Wednesdays.

• ZUR ZEIT KEINE PLÄTZE VERFÜGBAR
• € 555,- Grenzenlos-Programmgebühr (einmalig) plus
• die Programmgebühr der Partnerorganisation: 4 Wochen $ 572,- (US-Dollar); $ 972,- (8 Wochen); $ 1372,- (12 Wochen); $ 1770,- (16 Wochen)

Hogar Sol is a non-profit organization (NGO) in charge of taking care and protecting children in social risk and vulnerability. They are working in cooperation with the Costa Rican government and it was founded in 1990. In the institution, they protect children in abandonment, which suffered physical, psychological or sexual abuse. They give to them everything they need, such as social and educative attention, love and care. This institution works with children from 0 until 12 years old and is located in Higuito, a poor area of Desamparados, San José.

Possible tasks for the volunteer:

• Taking care and playing with the children
• Helping the children with their homework.
• Assisting teachers giving classes
• Organizing workshops for the children: sports, art and culture.
• Helping the staff with cooking, cleaning and organizing
• Go with the staff and children to doctors’ offices etc.

Required skills and interests of the volunteer:

• Patience
• Tolerance
• Awareness that you will work with traumatized children
• Respecting the instructions and rules of the institution
• No drugs, no smoking
• Dress appropriately and comfortable (wear always long pants)

Schedule for the volunteer: From Monday to Friday from 09:00am to 4:00pm

Things you need to Bring to Hogar Sol:

• Sun protector
• Dress appropriately
• Jeans or Leggings
• Rain coat
• Extra shoes (tennis shoes)
• Work clothes (that you don´t mind getting dirty)
• Materials to use with the children
• You can bring backpack or suitcase

Accommodation: The volunteers stay in a host family. The host family could not be in the area of the project.

Location: Higuito, Desamparados, San José Province

Arrival to the Project: Please arrive to Costa Rica 3 days before you start the project. The third day you will start in the Project. Hogar Sol receives volunteers just Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

• € 555,- Grenzenlos-Programmgebühr (einmalig) plus
• die Programmgebühr der Partnerorganisation: 4 Wochen $ 615,- (US-Dollar); $ 1015,- (8 Wochen); $ 1415,- (12 Wochen); $ 1815,- (16 Wochen)

Anampe is a center for multiple attention for exceptional people and is classified by a great diversity of disabilities, such as Down Syndrome, West Syndrome, San Felipo Syndrome, Autistic Persons, People with Asperger, Moderate, severe, mild mental retardation, psychological or mental problems, among others. The community of Anampe consists out of youths, adults and adolescents who have gone through difficult events in their lives, such as abandonment, abuse, drug addiction, among others, from an age of 19 to 61 years.

Anampe has a group of professionals in four different areas. Those are: Occupational Therapy, Industrial Arts, Home Education and Special Education. There are many different activities occurring in Anampe such as days of recreation and sports, where all the teachers meet at a strategic point and work with the group through outdoor activities, recreational exercises, dance, movements or group work. Moreover, there are schedules of assistance with the teachers every day of the week, where the work together with the teacher carrying out projects, developing skills, performing playful activities of fine and gross motor growth, among others.

Possible tasks for the volunteer:

• Hand out lunches and coffee or bread at coffee time.
• Help with cleaning tables and floors after lunch or coffee.
• Help with the arrangement of chairs in special activities for the population to

accommodate.

• Help with the cleaning of the house.
• Help in the kitchen with the preparation of the meal, cleaning of dishes.

If the volunteer has the initiative and skills, he can also ask permission to set up own activities at the center, such as:

• Games, songs, etc.
• Playful activities
• Workshops (music, art, etc.)
• Foreign language classes (for example English classes)
• Classes of Lesco (sign language used in Costa Rica)

Required skills and interests of the volunteer:

• Initiative
• Desire to work
• Peacefulness with the population
• Vocation to help people and intercourse with people with disabilities
• Appropriate clothing to work with closed and low shoes, comfortable clothes.

Schedule for the volunteer:

From Monday to Friday from 09:00am to 4:00pm.

Location:

From the church La Basílica de Santo Domingo, 100 meters to the north and 200 meters to the east, house #14. Santo Domingo, Heredia, Costa Rica.

Arrival to the Project:

Please arrive to Costa Rica 3 days before you start the project. The third day you will start in the Project. Anampe receives volunteers all the week.

• ZUR ZEIT KEINE PLÄTZE VERFÜGBAR
• € 498,- Grenzenlos-Programmgebühr (einmalig) plus
• die Programmgebühr der Partnerorganisation: 4 Wochen $ 550,- (US-Dollar); $ 950,- (8 Wochen); $ 1350,- (12 Wochen); $ 1750,- (16 Wochen)

The aim of this home is to provide the elderly with a place for recreation and special attention. The center organizes games, handicraft, and many other activities. It also provides the residents with a place to live during the whole year. This center tries to offer different activities to the elderly, such as: handicraft, exercises, cooking classes etc.

Possible tasks for the volunteer:

Volunteer tasks are mainly related to accompanying and sharing with the residents:

• Take part in activities with them such as exercises or workshops (sewing, cooking, handicraft, etc.)
• The volunteer could also organize new activities for them or Help with cleaning or cooking at the center
• Helping during the meals
• The volunteer could assist with medical cares or Playing with the elderly people
• Assisting the physiotherapist

Required skills and interests of the volunteer:

• Intermediate Spanish level
• Patience and tolerance
• Be creative
• Be willing to work with elderly people
• Be independent, have initiative and be prepared to do many different things
• Respect the rules of the Institution

Schedule for the volunteer: From Monday to Friday from 9:00am to 3:00pm

Things you need to Bring to Hogar Carlos Maria:

• Dress appropriately, no skirts or blouses with pronounced necklines
• Jeans or Leggings
• Extra shoes (tennis shoes)
• Work clothes (that you don´t mind getting dirty).
• You can bring backpack or suitcase

Accommodation: The volunteers stay in a host family. The host family will be in the area of the project.

Location: 25 meter south of the “Centro Comercial de Guadalupe”, Guadalupe, San Jose

Arrival to the Project: Please arrive to Costa Rica 3 days before you start the project. The third day you will start in the Project. Hogar Carlos Maria receives volunteers just Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

• € 555,- Grenzenlos-Programmgebühr (einmalig) plus
• die Programmgebühr der Partnerorganisation: 4 Wochen $ 615,- (US-Dollar); $ 1015,- (8 Wochen); $ 1415,- (12 Wochen); $ 1815,- (16 Wochen)

This organization aims to provide a quality service to elderly people who require it as a result of their situation either of poverty or disability, by means of comprehensive care in an appropriate setting according to current guidelines.

Possible tasks for the volunteer:

The tasks are mainly related to providing company and sharing experiences with the residents.

• Talk with the elderly people in order to get to know their likes, needs, health and to benefit from their advice and experience
• Participating in activities such as exercise or workshops (sewing, cooking, arts and crafts etc.)
• Coordinate some activities with the health professionals who are working in the institution
• Help during meals to serve the elderly people

Required skills and interests of the volunteer:

• Must be eighteen years or older. Gender, civil status, race and social/economic status do not matter.
• Must be presentable, have good personal hygiene, good conversational skills and treat the residents with respect.
• Basic level of Spanish
• Patience and tolerance
• Be prepared to work with elderly people and to participate enthusiastically effectively.
• Be independent, have initiative and be prepared to complete many different tasks
• Possess a mindset of solidarity and be prepared to give a generous commitment to fulfil your potential whilst respecting and actively defending the dignity of the resident and allowing the personal development of each resident with empathy and patience.

Schedule for the volunteer: From Monday to Friday from 10:00am to 4:00pm

Things you need to Bring to Fundación Maria:

• Sun protector
• Dress appropriately, no skirts or blouses with pronounced necklines
• Jeans or Leggings
• Extra shoes (tennis shoes)
• Work clothes (that you don´t mind getting dirty).
• You can bring backpack or suitcase
• Materials to use with the elderly people

Accommodation: The volunteers stay in a host family. The host family will be in the area of the project.

Location: Santo Domingo, Heredia Province

Arrival to the Project: Please arrive to Costa Rica 3 days before you start the project. The third day you will start in the Project. Fundación Maria receives volunteers just Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

• € 555,- Grenzenlos-Programmgebühr (einmalig) plus
• die Programmgebühr der Partnerorganisation: 4 Wochen $ 615,- (US-Dollar); $ 1015,- (8 Wochen); $ 1415,- (12 Wochen); $ 1815,- (16 Wochen)