Help Disadvantaged Communities in Costa Rica and Nicaragua - Volunteer with Raleigh

  Costa Rica

• San Jose: 
San Jose

  Nicaragua

• Other Cities in Nicaragua: 
Managua

Durations of Program: 2-4 weeks, 5-8 weeks and 9-12 weeks
Dates: All year

Description: Raleigh is a youth charity that inspires people from all walks of life, nationalities and ages to get out there and rise to the challenges of life on expedition. We run programmes in Borneo, Costa Rica & Nicaragua and India. Our expeditions are a challenging, but extremely rewarding combination of sustainable community, environmental and adventure projects.

Living in the heart of some of the most remote and poorest areas in Costa Rica and Nicaragua, these community projects give volunteers a unique opportunity to work alongside members of the community to help provide basic facilities such as clean water and schools. As a volunteer you will be helping to improve quality of life and provide sustainable valuable resources.

Here are some examples of volunteer community projects you may be working on. Please be aware that these may change and are just a guide to the types of community projects we work on during a Raleigh expedition:

* La Calera, Achapa, Nicaragua
High in the hills above Achuapa, in one of the poorest most remote areas of Nicaragua, Raleigh will be working on a project to bring clean and safe drinking water to 14 families in La Calera. At present the local people get their water from the river which often dries up in summer or comes from polluted water sources. Raleigh volunteers will be working with the local population to dam small streams, build tanks to collect the water from where it can run through pipes to all the local houses. Volunteers will be living directly with families in the village and will help out with their day to day tasks.

* Miraflor Community centre project, Nicaragua
The Miraflor reserve is 206sqkm of beautiful mountainous terrain with various different ecosystems such as tropical savannah, dry tropical forest and mountain cloud forest. The local people have few resources and lack access to basic services such as health and education. On this project volunteers will be building a community centre / preschool in the community of El Zacaton where currently there are no facilities for very young children to learn. The community centre will also act as the hub of the community providing a space for meetings, training sessions and social events.

Highlights:
* Our permanent presence in Costa Rica means that we know what is needed to really make a positive difference out there. Because of this all of our volunteer projects are sustainable and genuinely needed by the communities we work in.

* Experience a unique cultural exchange by eating locally produced food, living and working alongside local families.

* Help improve education, health and the standard of living among local communities.

"We helped construct a community centre in the secluded village, which could only be reached via a 20km walk along a beach. The people were hugely welcoming, warm and friendly and everybody was truly sad when it came to leaving. Having the chance to live and work in an area and really integrate with the place and people was a wonderfully rare and unbelievable experience" Ayesha Khan, venturer, Costa Rica & Nicaragua

"A thoroughly rewarding phase. The best way to get to know a new culture and country by living with a family." Fabio Moraga, venturer, Costa Rica & Nicaragua

Qualifications:
* Venturers must be aged between 17 and 24 and up for a challenge!

* Our expeditions are tough, but enable you to develop key skills such as teamwork, problem-solving, adaptability, perseverance and leadership, all of which are sought by universities and employers and will help set you apart from the crowd.

* We advise venturers to sign up between 6 and 12 months before the expedition departs, the reason being the earlier you apply the better chance you have of getting your first expedition choice. This also gives you more time to raise funds and you'll benefit from our training workshops.

Cost in US$: 1500 - 2995 GBP

Experience Required: no

Age Range: 17-24

This Program is open to Worldwide Participants.

Participants Travel Independently

Typically Participants Work in Groups of 8-12

Application Process Involves:

• Online Application plus Application Assessment

Post-Program Services Include:

• Alumni Network

Raleigh 's Mission Statement: We are a youth and education charity. Since 1984 we have inspired over 30,000 people from all walks of life, nationalities and ages to get out there and rise to the challenges of life on expedition. We run programmes in Borneo, Costa Rica & Nicaragua and India. Our expeditions are a challenging, but extremely rewarding combination of sustainable community, environmental and adventure projects.

Year Founded: 1984