Help with a Community Centre
Located at the western end of the Camino de Costa Rica trail, Quepos region is an important tourist destination and is the gateway to the Parque National Manuel Antonio. This community has 400 families whose main source of income is fishing with a small, but slowly growing tourism income. Most families in this village live in poverty. Rebuilding the community centre has been identified as a project which would have a significant impact on local community to help strengthen their social and economic future allowing them to have a space to tap into tourist activity in their town.
The existing community hall is in dire need of renovation and expansion of the kitchen and washroom facilities. This structure is frequently used for community events, meetings, youth programs and summer activities for the community. The hope is that this upgraded hall will also be able to support tourist with activities like cooking classes.
In Costa Rica
- The unfortunate truth is that 1.1 million people currently live in poverty in Costa Rica. Most of the poor population in the country is situated within rural areas.
- Around 20 percent of the population live below the national poverty line of earning less than $155 per month.
What to ExpectA Typical Workday in Costa Rica
DWC teams will work with our in-country partner Mar a Mar serving Quepos province, a remote, small settlement about three hours west of San Jose on the Pacific coast.
In general, expect to work on upgrading the community center 6-8 hours per day. After breakfast, the team is transported to the project site (usually by private bus) and the workday begins. There will be lunch in the middle of the day, which is either provided by your workplace or host family. Your workday will usually end around 4:00 pm.
Your group will be led by a trained DWC team leader and will be working with a local site supervisor, translator and laborers to complete this project. The worksite will have various types of task to support all skill and strength levels of your team. No building experience is necessary, but a desire to connect with the locals and pitch in as you can is one of the best parts of DWC projects.
This trip includes all accommodations, airport pickup/drop off, in-country transportation and 3 meals a day for the duration of the trip dates.
Explore in Costa Rica
A trip here is both unique and rewarding with many options for your free time. You can absorb the environment around your host community during the week before spending your days off relaxing or adventuring on the Pacific coast.
Costa Rica is synonymous with the bountiful unspoiled tropical paradise. Blessed with surf-ready beaches, misty volcanoes, roaring rivers, and lush jungles teeming with fauna, you can see why down here they call it pura vida, or “pure life.” Watch sea turtles lay their eggs, rappel down a waterfall, or relax in hot springs.
The climate is tropical, warm and humid, all year round. January is part of the dry season on the pacific coast characterized by essentially constant daily high temperatures of 30°C. While this equatorial region is characterized by low temperature variations, frequent showers and thunderstorms are common so packing a light raincoat is a good idea.
Trip Details
Each trip is coordinated by DWC with the help of a Team Leader, who has travelled with DWC previously, is First Aid Certified, and has completed a Criminal Record Check. Your Team Leader will liaise with DWC and ensure all your questions are answered. Your Team Leader will handle all team finances through the trip and travel with you to ensure the best possible travel and volunteer experience for their team! They also facilitate fun, cultural experiences where possible, ensuring group cohesion. See your Team Leader Biography here:
David Lyon
Since retiring, David has focused on creating and participating
in projects that have a positive and lasting impact on his local
community and internationally. “I want my actions to bring
positive change to individual lives.”
David has volunteered in Bolivia, Vietnam, India, Nepal, Costa Rica and Peru.
An important aspect of all of David’s travels is the opportunity
to meet and work with local people. His leadership style is
informal and inclusive. “It is really important to me that all
team members feel comfortable, valued, involved and are
provided with many opportunities to connect with the project
community.”
Travel Light Offset Your Carbon Footprint
Carbon offsets are used to compensate for the greenhouse gasses that we create through certain activities, such as flying. For every tonne of carbon released into the atmosphere, an ‘offset’ is a carefully designed project that absorbs or stores the equivalent CO2 emissions. You can choose to offset your own flight, your whole family’s, or do this as a gift for a friend.
Offset Your Carbon Footprint
Joy
Volunteer Program Manager