All of this talk about food makes me hungry! And you know when pizza is both delicious and well-earned? After a day as a construction volunteer in Costa Rica. Warm temperatures make for a challenging environment to work in construction. But just like that homemade pizza, part of the reason this specific volunteer project is so rewarding is that you can walk away from the day seeing the tangible impact you made. You’re working to build a home for a family or a community center for children, and you’re doing it for free.
Organizations like The Foundation for Rural Housing Costa Rica - Canada have created partnerships with volunteers in Costa Rica to accelerate community development and building projects. And as a construction volunteer at this project, there are many awesome reasons you’ll love your job. Here are the top 7:
1) You get to make a real, tangible thing.
Your work will result in a house or a community building that you can actually see. There’s a feeling of satisfaction and accomplishment that you’ll really feel.
2) You’ll meet the people who directly benefit from your service.
While the point of volunteering is to donate your time and talents––not to receive recognition––you’ll get to meet those who you’re working for. This will motivate and encourage you to do a quality, sustainable job because you’ll develop a relationship with the families who have been waiting for this real home.
3) You’re working to change the history and landscape of Costa Rica.
The country’s culture is centered around family bonds and lineage, but it’s very rare for families to pass more than land down to future generations. By building houses, you’re leaving a literal imprint on the history of each family you work for. You’re making their legacy. Not just a piece of land, but a home in which to make memories.
4) You’ll earn each night’s sleep with challenging, satisfying manual work.
Building and construction takes time. You can’t simply wish the concrete to mix and pour itself or hope the walls stay steady on their own––you’ll work for it. And each night, when you take a cool shower, have a hot meal, and exchange stories with other volunteers in the dorms, you can feel so proud of all of the things you accomplished in just one day.
5) You’ll be a part of an amazing, sustainable volunteer abroad organization.
With scrutiny around some volunteer abroad organizations and their abilities to provide long-term help to communities around the world, you deserve to work with one that you can trust. In this project, you’ll truly be able to leave knowing that your time was well-spent––and that this organization is dedicated to honest, sustainable community development. You can always return or recommend your experience with trust.
6) You can build skills that will be useful every day in the future.
A construction volunteer placement might seem like an odd one to choose if you’re not already particularly handy or skilled in building. But in reality, this placement is a great place to start learning from the ground-up (pun intended). You’ll learn basic tool and construction skills so that the next time you have a leaky faucet or a cracked floor tile at home, you can tackle it independently with the skills you learned in Costa Rica.
7) Your team will be a mix of friendly local staff and international friends.
The construction and community development staff who you’ll meet in Costa Rica will be great assets to assimilating in the culture and learning about the country’s industry. They want to share their knowledge with people of all skill levels––just like you.
Takeaway
So are you ready to volunteer in Costa Rica? You’ve read 7 reasons why this project placement is so important to the community around, including what you can learn from working here. And that’s just a slice of the pura vida life! See what foods, nightlife, beaches, and adventures await you in this gorgeous country.