Overview of the Project
Poverty, abuse and alcoholism have left many children in Costa Rica without families, depriving them of the parental love and care they need and deserve. Global Crossroad's volunteer in orphanage in Costa Rica project aspires to improve these children's life circumstances by providing caring and nurturing volunteers to work and play with them. The orphanages support and protect these children, volunteer assistance helps keep these children off the street, and helps provide them with a happy and productive childhood. The projects focus on getting these children off the street, and providing them with shelter, food and education. Various ongoing educational, recreational and health projects support these unfortunate children and reinforce positive choices to improve their lives.
Role of Volunteer
Orphanage volunteers teach English (3-4 hours a day) in the orphanage. Volunteers provide care for the children, helping them with their homework, offer workshops, participate in playtime activities, etc. You may work with other volunteers and/or assistants. Most orphanages house separate genders, though there are a few that support both girls and boys. The children – ages 5 to 16-years-old – crave and deserve your love, care, attention and companionship; and thrive because of volunteer interactions.
- Program: Volunteer in Costa Rica
- Project: Children at-risk
- Start dates: 1st and 3rd Mondays of each month
- Locations: Atenas
- Departure and End Point: San Jose International Airport (Juan Santamaria)
- Language Need: Basic/intermediate Spanish fluency
- Accommodation and meals: Host Family and Costa Rican meals three times daily
- Activities: Provide love and care to orphans & support orphanage operations
- Working hours: 25-35 hours per week
Extra-curricular activities may include organizing sports training and inter-school football (soccer) matches. Volunteers also playing music and teach subjects such as mathematics, world affairs, personal hygiene and nutrition. The possibilities are endless.
Skills/Qualification Needed
There are no specific qualifications needed to join volunteer in orphanage in Costa Rica project beyond a preferred basic/intermediate fluency in Spanish. If you cannot speak Spanish, we recommend enrolling in our Spanish Language Studies program. Volunteers need to have passion and love for children and be flexible and patient.
Major FAQs- Working with Children Project
What does the usual daily program look like for this project?
Working week for the ones volunteering for working with children project in Costa Rica is Mo-Fr, 3-4 daily hours. Depending on specific project and on-site needs the hours may vary and volunteers will work either in the mornings or the afternoon. The volunteers will partake in Spanish classes in the off project hours.
Where are volunteers going to live while volunteering for this project in Costa Rica?
Volunteers will stay with host families and will share a room with fellow volunteers
What's the distance between project location and accommodation? How about the commuting options?
The project locations are in and around the city of San Jose. The commute can vary between 20'-90'. It has proven to be easiest to use the local bus in order to get around in San Jose ($0.70/trip). Taking a cab is also an alternative, but surely more costly than the public transportation alternative. The commute may mean taking up to 3 buses in order to get to your home or your project location so we kindly ask our working with children volunteers in Costa Rica to be flexible and open-minded about this. For your first trip, a local representative will accompany you, in order to show you how to get round and about. Please bear in mind that a placement cannot be changed based on the distance to/from project location and to budget $5/day for your commute.
Can I have contacts for the project location and the family I'll stay with?
All details will be handed to you on your arrival in Costa Rica.
What's the age and the number of orphans in a regular orphanage in Costa Rica?
It depends greatly on the specific placement you'll be assigned to. Number of children may vary between 15-200. The orphans age ranges from 0-18. However if there is a certain age group you'd rather work with please specify this during your registration.
What are the chores volunteers are going to partake in this project?
Volunteering for working with children in Costa Rica projects, might have you placed in an orphanage or a community centre with a childcare facility. All volunteers will work with underprivileged children. All the children are in need of attention, company and care. The volunteers will be involved in different activities as well as helping them with school work. Volunteers may develop different activities that can be beneficial for the children: arts & crafts, dance, jewelry making, sports, aerobics etc. The coordinators will support your efforts even if they won't be permanently by your side. Volunteers are highly appreciated by the children and by the local staff, seeing how most placement will seem, to the eyes of a westerner underfunded, understaffed and rather not organized. Please try to be open-minded and pro-active while working with the children.
What's the number of daily working hours I'll work?
3-4h/daily are custom. Volunteers will work mornings or afternoons from Mo-Fr and will participate in Spanish classes when possible.
Can I apply for this project all year long?
Yes you can.
Are there any details volunteers should know about before applying?
Personal Appearance
Please bear in mind that volunteers for working with children in Costa Rica must have a clean and responsible appearance all the time: you'll have to cover your shoulders and knees, and wear no extravagant clothes. Piercings should be removed and tattoos covered.
Criminal Background Check
All volunteers must show a criminal background check provided by their local police department. Background check older than one year of program start will not be accepted.
Maximize Your Experience
We recommend our volunteers to be open-minded and pro-active, ready to pitch in whenever its needed, since a continuous presence and appreciation of the schedule and situation will allow the involvement you'd expect. The language and culture barrier must be taken into consideration as well as the lack of funding that the structure you'll volunteer have. The placements will be busy, Spanish speaking environments where any help is highly appreciated.
Volunteer in Costa Rica: Project Locations and Free Time Options
Global Crossroad's volunteer in Costa Rica projects are located in and around San Jose and nearby areas. Each location offers a different vibe with San Jose full of urban experiences and other areas offering more of a village feel. Both cities in our Costa Rica program place volunteers adjacent to the activities for which Costa Rica is famous: zip lining in the rainforest, exploring the lush jungle and its biodiversity, lounging on a beach or sipping most excellent coffee.
San José is Costa Rica's lively and animated capital city and is considered a gateway to the coasts of the Pacific and Caribbean, as well as the rainforests. San José is not a coastal town, but located in the Central Valley and has a population of 1.2 million people. The city is positioned between three volcanoes at 1,150 meters (3,773 feet). It has a very modern and urban feel. Visitors can enjoy diverse architecture including modern and colonial. San José is a cosmopolitan city and serves up an entertaining nightlife scene, theater, tourism and shopping. The city vibe maintains a remarkable balance between fast-paced and laid-back.