Community Service Travel in Costa Rica - Pura Vida!

Getting a pre-briefing of local history and cultural sensitivity before heading into the field.

Early this year I interviewed for a summer position as a trip director with a teen tour company.  I have been itching for a change for my summer holiday.  Although, I love backpacking solo, I wanted to try something different, but still related to travel.  So, when I found out there was a position for me as a trip director for Costa Rica on a service project, I was thrilled.  The company offers three kinds of summer holiday for teens. 1) Straight up adventure 2) Language immersion 3) Community Service.  

With my social science and activist background, it was clear that a community service focus was the best option for me.  After all, each option offers a mix of adventure regardless the focus.  

We were a group of twenty nine: 24 teens, three staff, a local guide, and the driver.  For twenty one days we'd spend about half that time doing a variety of community service projects, along with a slew of adventure and recreational activities.  

Repelling, ziplining, snorkling, surfing, white-water rafting, hiking, golfing, soccer, swimming, cooking class, excursions to coffee plantations, movie night, bon fires on the beach, and of watching the World Cup!

After 10 years of backpacking solo throughout different regions of the world, I am happy to say I’m stepping out of my bubble and into another kind of travel. This year I have joined a North American community service and adventure company that focuses on providing privileged teens a chance to use their summer giving service in the developing world, while learning directly from the community members they serve. As a social science teacher, this kind of summer work travel is in harmony with what I’m passionate about. Building empathy by removing the veil and Amer-centric attitude that so many American teens are conditioned from. For three weeks, I’m leading a team of 28 teens and staff through Costa Rica 🇨🇷. Our first community service project is here in a slum called La Carpio on the outskirts of San Jose. Began in the 1990s by Nicaraguan 🇳🇮 refugees escaping poverty and civil war, many ended up squatting on this tiny strip of land surrounded by two rivers. What started as cardboard boxes and discarded scraps of wood and metal has turned into a community of 25,000 people. 

Where privilege and the under-privilege intersect, there is an opportunity to build walls or bridges. Colonialism, imperialism, slavery, classism, and racism divide us; fueled by fear, greed, and hatred... children inherit more than our DNA... teach them well.

Many of the abuelas who first settled the La Carpio community, here on the outskirts of San Jose were the ones who first made the arduous track fleeing the violence of civil war from Nicaragua, through dangerous jungled mountainous forests. The foundation we partnered with, empowers these women to present their stories through a community theater project. These two women reenact a wedding scene of a young teenage girl to a man nearly twice her age. Teenage marriage, no access to contraceptives, poverty, alcoholism, drug abuse, domestic violence, corruption, gang violence, combined with the lack of education, adequate shelter, health care, and the list goes on and on.... helps us North American to better understand and FEEL the powerful forces that traumatize and continue to shape lives of many of the HUMANS from south of our border. Theater empowers the actor to invoke a particular emotional response from the audience. EMPATHY! There wasn’t a dry eye or dropped jaw throughout the 

Arenal volcano is an iconic and a popular climb for hikers who visit Costa Rica measures at least 1,633 metres (5,358 ft) high. It is conically shaped with a crater 140 metres (460 ft) in diameter. Geologically, Arenal is considered a young volcano and it is estimated to be less than 7,500 years old. I’ve been told it is a rarity to see it unimpeded with cloud cover, so felt pretty lucky to snap this photo. In less than fifteen minutes the top was obstructed by clouds once more. 

A gorgeous way to experience Lake Arenal in Costa Rica 🇨🇷 is along the winding two lane road that carefully straddles the lakeside. During the year the depth fluctuates between 30 to 60 meters depending on whether it’s rainy season. In 1979, the lake tripled in sails with a construction of the damn of the same name. 120 species of mammals, +300 species of birds, and 2 species of fish call this lake home.

A second view of Lake Arenal. Pura Vida! 

Today, was an especially hard day out in the field. We were tasked with building a small home for a seven month pregnant woman with six children. With two more adults, that is a total of nine people in a structure of about 400 square feet. We mixed cement and turned the clay floor into a concrete one. The aluminum walls were painted a bright blue and tomorrow we will continue putting them in place. The home will be a huge upgrade, as we began digging a hole next to the home for a septic tank. Prior, they had to go outside in the field. I am happy to say the students put in work! Didn’t complain at all. Were enthusiastic an continue to learn while bonding with each other. With the family watching, the work they were tasked with had real meaning. We will be back tomorrow to continue working on the home. What amazed us was that the family was already sleeping in the partially finished side while we continue to work on the other side.

It may not look like much but to this household of nine this new home is a huge improvement. The top photo is new home when we arrived three days ago. The wood frame was in place with a few aluminum panels. Our group of 28 worked like ants, making concrete from scratch with no machines. Just shovels, sweat, and hard work. Transforming a dirt floor into a concrete one. We dug a five foot hole for a septic tank system that will allow them to have a toilet. Digging a five foot hole in Costa Rica soil is not an easy task. It’s the richest and thickest clay you can imagine; thus heavy and hard to move. We painted the wood panels that became brightly colored walls. Put in glass windows to allow light in but keep the bugs out. Nothing like an brand new aluminum roof for summer showers. Even though it was only three days of their lives, it was probably the most rewarding three days until now. The seeds of philanthropy have been planted. The fact that their acts of service were led by locals means that they can see the community served as capable of taking control of their own destiny. I’ve had a lot of messages from people about how to get involved with such projects. Most local organizations prefer large groups because more work can be achieved versus one person or two who just show up. Most require a cash donation to pay for material like concrete, tools, electrical, etc. And of course a few days to actually see some progress. The groups we’ve worked with mainly work with high school and university students but I am noticing that as professionals from North America and Europe take more non traditional holiday, their is a greater demand to combine holiday with some form of community service. As a solo backpacker for many years, I will tell you this seems to be a market that really needs some developing. 

la Playa de Tamarindo at sunset

What’s wrong with this photo? Look closely... guess where these kids come from? They are two groups from the Americas. North and Central. The North Americans have the power of privilege. They can cross foreign borders with ease. They can afford to take a vacation from their reality and partake in summer filled adventures doing zip lining, surfing, white-water rafting, and salsa lessons. They can leave their community and be welcomed into others, getting the opportunity to experience the gift of volunteering. The experience humbles them, teaching them a different kind of compassion. One that goes beyond a friend, pet, or family member. It makes them a better human being. It is the opposite of what they experience in their own communities where they are constantly compared with standardized tests, salaries, number of followers. Where reality tv and social media makes them feel inadequate despite have so much. The other group of kids come from one of the poorest neighborhoods in Costa Rica. These kids can’t afford to leave their reality... ever. They don’t do summer camps or have the luxury to get on a plane for a holiday to an exotic country. I took this photo after they played a friendly futbol match together from behind a fence to symbolize the physical borders, as well as the psychological barrier that distinguish their two worlds. How one group can just move with ease when and where they want, while the other gets labeled illegal or alien when attempting to create better opportunities for themselves and their loved ones. What’s right with this photo? The fact that both these kids have not been been hardened by bigotry or racism. That for three days, both groups of kids, one from North America were welcomed into the neighborhood of the other group of kids here in Central America. They beautified a concrete soccer field by painting a huge colorful mural and then played on it.

These are three arial shots of the concrete soccer field our service group worked on. Each photo is the different stages of beautification. The first was taken from google maps before the beautification began. The second was taken with a drone after we completed our three days at the site. The third is a digitized image of how it will look when it’s complete. Parks and green spaces are immensely important for any community, especially to the well being and development of children. After we completed our three days, we were thanked by the community for our efforts. I was particularly touched by one community leader and mother as she broke down in tears with gratitude, saying how our efforts and willingness to come from a land far far away to help improve their community will inspire the young people in her community to recognize the benefits and expand the beautification around the community. For the record, we worked with a local non-profit by the name of Urbarium who raised the funds and partnered with the community to meet the community’s needs. It is very important that you know these projects we have partaken with have been with local organizations who determine the needs of the community and we try to meet those needs. The control and decision making of community service needs to come from the communities themselves. 

The three weeks in Costa Rica has been a harmonious balance of service and relaxation.

lots of gorgeous open roads to soak in between places

Our last service project was a day playing with a group of kids from the La Carpio neighborhood of San Jose, here in Costa Rica. They are children of Nicaraguan refugees. We met at this park on the outskirts, where both groups spent time swimming in a pool, did arts and crafts, and played a friendly game of futbol. Here in the photo, our bus driver Roman is showing how Costa Ricans choose teams before a match. Fitting, considering the Finals for the World Cup are today. We were supposed to return to La Carpio this morning to watch the game with the the same kids at their community center, but we found out after 10pm last night that they do not have a television at the center. Not watching the Finals was not an option. Imagine that, the privilege our kids have to watch the World Cup Finals from our hotel rooms, rather than having to miss it because of no access to a tv 📺

Not gonna lie, this moment was hella funny. After spending half the day playing with a group of kids from the La Carpio barrio in San Jose, it was time to say goodbye. Here, the American teens I’m with are saying goodbye and apparently the only English learned by the Nicaraguan children was, “Give me money!” So long for long goodbyes 😂

Final destination on our hike through Rincon de la Vieja. 

After 21 days in Costa Rica with 24 American teenagers it is time to say adios. Memorable time. Till next time... Pura Vida!