Your Role in the Program.
The work will be very varied and creative - involving teaching, playing with the children, running many types of craft activities, administration, sports, teaching EnglishYou may work with other volunteers and/or teachers, and assistants. Most orphanages receive either boys or girls, though there are a few that receive both girls and boys. The children – ages 5 to 16 years – very much need your care, attention, and companionship.
Skills and Educational Requirements.
There is no educational requirement for this project; anyone with a heart to help is welcome on this project! Having knowledge of Spanish is required (Volunteers will get FREE Spanish in San Jose). However proficiency in English is required. People should be patient,
committed and willing to learn.
Project Location.
The project is located in San Jose in Costa Rica.
What we provide
Airport Receive/ Transfer: Our representative will greet you at the airport and will transfer you to your hotel/placement/home stay.
Orientation: A half day orientation will be provided by our staff. We cover areas like, culture, greetings, locations, transportation etc.
Lodging: Volunteers will be staying with a local welcoming and educated host family.
Food: 3 Local meals will be provided in this project.
Insurance: All participants are covered for full comprehensive travel and medical insurance for their time of stay in our project.
In – Country travel assistance: If participants like to travel around, we provide with full support for bookings & arrangements to travel within Philippines.
In-country support: 24 hours support provided by our local staff.
Pre-departure information: After we receive full and final payment all participants are provided by a pre-departure information booklet by e-mail which will have all vital information about your program. |
Project &
Facts
Arrival/Start Point -
Juan Santamaria International Airport, Costa Rica
Airport Code- SJO
Arrival Date - Arrive 1 day prior to your start date and Volunteering Solutions would arrange pickup and accommodation. You must book your flight to arrive before - 8 AM or 2 PM in order to be picked upi and taken to project the same day.
Working Hours - 25-30 hours per week
Food Type - Mix of Meat and Vegetarian
Accommodation Type - Host Family or On-site accommodation. Volunteers share room with fellow volunteers.
Local Transport - Volunteering Solutions does not provide any local transport. All volunteers usual use
local bus or taxi which are safe and cheap mode of
transport in Costa Rica.
.
Start Dates.
Start on any date! Volunteering Solutions provides complete flexibility and you can start on any date on the year to join our programs.
Program Costs
Volunteering Solutions strives hard to keep costs low and offer you the lowest prices with professional services to volunteer abroad. Compare our prices and services to other organizations and you would be surprised to see the difference.
Application Deposit - $200 - An application deposit is required along with the application to process your application. This is not a
separate fee but is part of your total fee.
Program Fee Costa Rica Volunteer Program
1week |
2 weeks |
3 weeks |
4 weeks |
5 weeks |
6 weeks |
7 weeks |
8 weeks |
Extra Week |
$795 |
$1000 |
$1200 |
$1350 |
$1600 |
$1825 |
$2050 |
$2275 |
$225 |
--Every Extra week is charged at $225 extra.
--The cost includes 20 hours of FREE group Spanish Classes in Costa Rica
What's Included?
Pre Departure Information
Airport Pickup
Project Drop
Orientation
Food
Accommodation
Travel Insurance
Staff Assistance and visit
What's NOT Included?
Airfare
Visa and Visa extension fee
Airport drop, airport taxes
Any personal expenses
Gifts to project staffs and host family
Laundry
Telephone
Immunization
|
Q. |
When do I need to arrive in Costa Rica for my program? |
Ans. |
You can come one day in advance from your program starting date. |
|
|
|
Q. |
What will happen once I arrive in Costa Rica? |
Ans. |
Our staff will be there to meet and greet you at the airport and from there you will be taken to the project or hostel depending on the time of your arrival. |
|
|
|
Q. |
When will I know specific details of my placement? |
Ans. |
Once you have applied, we will send you details of your placement usually within 10 working days.
|
|
|
|
Q. |
How do I get to the program location? |
Ans. |
Your country coordinator will take you to your placement and introduce you to everyone after giving you a basic orientation about the program/city/culture etc. |
|
|
|
Q. |
I want to know more about accommodation arrangements? |
Ans. |
We provide you with accommodation from your start date to the end of the program. Accommodation will either be in a host family or arranged at your program location itself. You will have your own room, which you might share with another volunteer. You should bring along things like, mosquito net, mosquito repellent and your own soaps and shampoos. Accommodation will be neat, clean and basic. Please do not expect 5 star hotel like arrangements.
|
|
|
|
Q. |
What will be the food arrangement? |
Ans. |
You will get freshly cooked food 3 times a day depending on your program. Food is usually vegetarian and a mix of meat and salads. |
|
|
|
Q. |
Do you make provision for vegetarians? |
Ans. |
Yes and if you are vegan this will not be a problem.Filipinos eat a lot of meat and fish in their diet. It may be more challenging for vegetarians to live in the Costa Rica but it’s easy to find fruits, vegetables, rice, and eggs. |
|
|
|
Q. |
What is the age range to volunteer? |
Ans. |
You must be 18 years or older to volunteer. The maximum age limit is 55 yrs. We also allow people below 16 if they are accompanied by an adult. |
|
|
|
Q. |
What immunizations/vaccinations will I need? |
Ans. |
We recommend you speak to your doctor before coming. The following are recommended vaccinations:
- Tetanus and diphtheria
- Polio
- Hepatitis A and B
-
|
|
|
|
Q. |
Do I need to speak English to volunteer? |
Ans. |
English is the only language apart from local Costa Rican which is understood by many people in Costa Rica, you will need to be good at spoken English to come and volunteer in Costa Rica. |
|
|
|
Q. |
Can couples or families join the volunteer program? |
Ans. |
You can come in couples or groups as long as most people are above 16. We cannot accommodate anyone below the age of 16 even if they are accompanied by a family. |
|
|
|
Q. |
Are there more expenses once I arrive in Costa Rica? |
Ans. |
Your program fee covers you for food and accommodation. You will need to cover yourself for your personal expenses, such as travelling, telephone, internet, shopping, sightseeing etc. Travelling within Costa Rica is cheap; however, you should carry at least $150 per week for yourself. |
|
|
|
Q. |
Where can I change my money in Costa Rica? |
Ans. |
You can change money in any bank or at the airport by showing your passport. |
|
|
|
Q. |
Are there ATM’s in Costa Rica? |
Ans. |
There are ATM’s in Costa Rica. You may or may not find ATM’s, it will depend on your placement location. |
|
|
|
Q. |
Is there phone and internet available on projects? |
Ans. |
Yes there is usually a phone at every placement we provide. However you will have to use Internet café’s to use Internet. It is strongly recommended that you carry a mobile phone while travelling to Nepal. You can get international roaming or can simply buy a local sim card from the airport when you arrive.
|
|
|
|
Q. |
What hours will I volunteer every day? |
Ans. |
Volunteers usually work for 5‐6 hours a day depending on their program. You will have weekend off so you can go to travel on weekends. However some organizations will need you to work on some Saturdays as well. |
|
|
|
Q. |
Are we able to do any sightseeing or travelling in weekends? |
Ans. |
You will usually have 2 free days per week, you can utilize this time for anything you like. All costs are at the volunteer's expense.
|
|
|
|
Q. |
What visa do I need to get, will I get any help? |
Ans. |
You need to get a tourist visa for Costa Rica before you travel. to check for the nearest embassy please visit http://www.embassiesabroad.com |
|
|
|
Information Request Form:
Kindly provide us the following information and we shall revert to you soon:
