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Project details:
Our building projects in Costa Rica work with The Fundación para
la Vivienda Rural Costa Rica-Canadá. This foundation was
established in 1989, when the Costa Rican - Canadian Rural
Housing Programme, was founded thanks to a contribution from the
Canadian Government. The people from Fundación have become
specialised in rural housing and they operate with a network of
rural organisations, which are responsible for proposing
families for a house, to help them fulfill the established
requirements, to advise them during the construction process,
and to collect the monthly loan payments. Therefore, it is not a
charity giving away homes but a foundation. Each project is a
cooperative effort incorporating the home recipient, volunteers
from inside and outside the immediate community, and the
foundation. The labour contributed by homeowners and volunteers,
which we call "sweat equity", keeps house costs affordable.
Why the project
needs volunteers:
25% of the world lives in inhuman conditions and more than 100
million do not have a house. Sign up for building homes in Costa
Rica alongside fellow i-to-i volunteers and the Fundación para
la Vivienda Rural Costa Rica-Canadá in order to carry on this
work and help to provide homes to the communities where it is
most needed.
What kind of
skills you need to go on this type of project:
You will need to be willing to get involved in hard work and be
very hands on and willing to get involved in anything that is
asked of you. You have a love of the outdoors and not mind
working in any weather. You will need to be easy going and be
able to work alongside the local community as much of your time
will be spent with the families. Building experience is not
necessary but if you have a specific skill it will be welcomed.
Your role as a
volunteer:
You will get involved in all aspects of the building but this
will depend on the stage you get involved in the building. You
could help build septic tanks, lay floors, dig trenches and help
put on roofs amongst other tasks.
Where the
project is based:
Please arrange your flight to arrive into San Jose on the
specified arrival date. The majority of volunteers will be
placed in San Ramon, they also work within all of the provinces
of Costa Rica and so could be based anywhere around the country
as the need of the organisation dictates. You will be staying in
a local home stay where you can immerse yourself in the culture
and it will help with Spanish learning.
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