Programme Details
The community of Pochote is in great need of help and volunteers are warmly welcomed on this worthwhile programme. Volunteers are needed to help these low income children develop skills for a better future. Depending on the skills of volunteers, there is work available teaching English, computer skills, Football and other sports, or if volunteers can play an instrument there are opportunities to get involved in music lessons.
Volunteer work is generally 6 days a week, Monday - Saturday between the hours of 9am - 12noon and then from 2pm - 4pm.
Volunteer Role
Volunteers may work in three different areas:
Public School
Beach and mangrove area
General community
Public school:
- Teach English as a second language
- Teach computer skills
- Paint and repair classrooms
- Clean-up outside areas
- Build playground structures
- Build a new toilet room in the preschool area
- Repair damaged desks
- Teach sports (mainly football/soccer)
- Teach art, painting, theatre or dance
“Bandera Azul” project:
- Cleaning the beach and mangrove areas
- Painting and decorating trash cans for the beach
- Building a watch out tower for lifeguards
- Protecting sea turtles by monitoring turtles and data collection during night patrols
- Designing and making murals and signs regarding ecology and tourist information
- Tracking and counting fauna species in the mangrove area
- Cleaning and setting up a parking area for cars to park outside the beach
- Helping with the Asoprolapa program for the protection and reproduction of the red macaw (ara macao)
General improvement of the community:
- Repairing the access road to the community, road-side clean-up, and putting up signs in the public road
- Preparing a lot in order to use it as a multipurpose sports field
- Building a scale model of Pochote town
- Helping to build a modular platform for public community events
- Teaching basic computer skills classes
- Teaching music classes (instrumental, singing, theory)
- Teaching dance (modern, ballet, jazz, etc.)
- Building sculptures made out of recycled materials
- Collecting data, working on computer database, power point presentations and otherwise helping to develop documents needed to establish a regulation plan for Pochote
- Helping with paint, repairs, maintenance, drinking water, drainage, electricity, etc. for houses
- Building ecological trash collector, constructing a model biodigestor
- Planting trees and plants near the beach and along the roadside
- Helping local fishermen with boats and equipment repairs, cleaning product, possible storing and distribution processes, labeling, etc.
What’s Included in the Programme
- Airport Transfer
- Volunteer placement
- Orientation
- All accommodation throughout programme
- All meals
- 24-hour emergency help
What’s Not Included in the Programme
- Flights
- Travel insurance
- Alcohol beverages
- Personal expenditure
Prices and Durations
Costa Rica Community Development - 2 weeks $799
Costa Rica Community Development - 4 weeks $1,279
Costa Rica Community Development - 8 weeks $2,249
Costa Rica Community Development - 12 weeks $3,179
