Program Details
2 Weeks From
£ 945
Code: CRQU0482P
Women's Empowerment Program in Costa Rica
Contribute to long-term social enterprise initiatives for women in Quepos, Costa Rica
Program Information
Contribute to vital, long-term women’s empowerment initiatives when you travel to the beautiful coastal town of Quepos. Join a team of international volunteers and assist with social enterprise and entrepreneurship efforts. Your contribution can help ensure that the women in rural communities have access to equal education and income opportunities.
United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
Overview
Join a team of like-minded volunteers on this women’s empowerment project, living and working in the beautiful coastal area of Quepos in Costa Rica, helping to start this project and empowering local women.By supporting women in society, teaching them basic entrepreneurial and social enterprise skills, you enable them to have access to equal opportunities and a brighter future. Your efforts can help women get better income sources and ownership of their development. We also aim to facilitate and encourage dialogues between empowered women, helping them to share positive stories of change and increasing the opportunity for them to become more involved in key community issues.
Highlights
Contribute to impactful and sustainable women’s empowerment initiatives; explore Quepos and all its natural beauty; immerse yourself into a fascinating culture; experience Costa Rica alongside the friendly locals; enjoy life in one of the world’s most tropical countries and make a serious difference in the lives of girls and women in the local community.
Testimonial
Many GVI programs are great working vacations. They will provide you with skills you can use the rest of your life. You will have an amazing experience and meet people you will remember for the rest of your life. You will be working alongside people as young as college ages, to people between jobs and from all walks of life. The settings are often rustic, but turn out more comfortable than you expect.
Program Details
Program Type:
Volunteering
Location:
Latin America
- Costa Rica
- Manuel Antonio
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Project Life
Upon your arrival, you will receive an introductory orientation by the staff covering health and safety and some initial training to prepare you as much as possible for life on the project.From Monday to Friday you will be working at your volunteer placement in the local community. Volunteers can expect to be involved in numerous facets of our women’s empowerment programme depending on the needs of the projects at that given time and as such, should be prepared to be flexible and adapt to changes in the field. From providing one-on- one educational lessons to hosting alternative income or social enterprise workshops around the community or working in local educational centres, all your time and effort will be geared towards uplifting the women of Costa Rica and providing long-term support. The weekend is your time to explore the beautiful country you find yourself in!
Field Conditions
Your accommodation will be shared with other GVI volunteers, like-minded individuals who will share the same desire to help and make a difference. The task of cooking and cleaning is shared among all volunteers and as meals are prepared and taken as a group you will develop strong friendships with your fellow volunteers. The volunteer house is small but comfortable in the centre of the typically Costa Rican town of Quepos.
Project Details
Volunteers on this project will have the opportunity to help empower disadvantaged local women in the following ways:- Providing access to education on literacy, rights and life skills
- Hosting alternative income generation skills and social enterprise workshops
Quepos' short, mid, and long-term objectives:
All of our programs have short, mid and long-term objectives that fit with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. This enables us to report on our collaborative impact across the world in a streamlined manner, measuring which UN SDGs we are making a substantial contribution to.
Furthermore, this will help our local partners and communities measure and visualize their contribution to the UN SDGs. Upon arrival to base, you will be educated about the history of the UN SDGs. You will learn about the specific goals of your location, the long-, mid- and short-term objectives, and also clarification of how your personal, shorter-term involvement contributes to these goals on a global level.
Our aim is to educate you on local and global issues, so that you continue to act as active global citizens after your program, helping to fulfil our mission of building a global network of people united by their passion to make a difference.
Learn about the long-term objectives you will be contributing to in Quepos:
1. Improve access to education and wellness to El Cocal community
2. Increase environmental awareness in the local community
3. Improve English literacy levels in Quepos community and surrounded areas
4. Ensure that GVI Quepos base provides volunteers and interns unique, safe, responsible travel experiences, exceptional training and career development opportunities, and
facilitate the ability to make a real difference
What's Included
What's Not Included
Exploration
Our long-term field staff are a great source of advice and are here to help you make the most of your time abroad. Our Quepos field teams have helped us put together the following information on trips and travel options in Costa Rica!The volunteer house is located in the centre of the town of Quepos. You are given free time in the evenings after project and during the weekends to enjoy the local area. Quepos is also a fifteen- minute bus ride from the beautiful beach town of Manuel Antonio. During the weekends, you’re free to explore the beautiful surrounding areas.
Some volunteers have even visited the famous areas of La Fortuna or Monte Verde. Our experienced field staff on base are great at giving recommendations on good places to go when you have down time.
The Team
Hannah Watson
Education Officer
Meet Hannah, our happy education officer. Hannah joined the GVI staff after she decided to work abroad in the field, in a more face to face role. She has a degree in Spanish and English Literature, evidently making her a perfect fit for this role!
Hannah also has other impressive experience working abroad. "I worked in Spain for a year as a language assistant in a primary school. I then went to Colombia and I ran a conversation club in a University. When I returned from Colombia I got a job with World Challeng. In between all this I have nnterrailed around Europe, spent a summer volunteering in a hostel in Barcelona, helped to lead an expedition to Morocco, cycled around Cuba, hiked in Peru, rocked around the Galapagos and Ecuador, spied on Orangutans in Borneo and chased Penguins in the Falkland Islands!"
Hannah also has other impressive experience working abroad. "I worked in Spain for a year as a language assistant in a primary school. I then went to Colombia and I ran a conversation club in a University. When I returned from Colombia I got a job with World Challeng. In between all this I have nnterrailed around Europe, spent a summer volunteering in a hostel in Barcelona, helped to lead an expedition to Morocco, cycled around Cuba, hiked in Peru, rocked around the Galapagos and Ecuador, spied on Orangutans in Borneo and chased Penguins in the Falkland Islands!"
Luis Jimenez
Logistics Manager
Meet Luis, our well-travelled logistics manager! Luis studied Arts History and also has degree in Human Resources. His first contact with volunteer work was when he was studying at the University of Costa Rica and worked on a project to protect the sea turtles at Ostional beach in Guanacaste, Costa Rica. Luis has a culturally diverse background as his stepfather was German and he had the opportunity to get to travel to some European, American and Latin American countries.
The chance to contribute to community development and help shape the children’s futures is what first attracted Luis to GVI. He loves getting to know and work with all the volunteers from around the world!
The chance to contribute to community development and help shape the children’s futures is what first attracted Luis to GVI. He loves getting to know and work with all the volunteers from around the world!
Eunice Jimenez
Base Manager
Meet Eunice, our experience base manager here in Quepos. Eunice is a Biologist with a Masters in high school education and has volunteer experience doing construction work in the middle of a forest in Germany, rebuilding some public areas in a small village in the north of Spain, and working with marine turtles in Costa Rica. She has also been lucky enough to have travelled around Europe, China, Canada and the USA.
Her internship as a Environmental Educator was what set her career into motion and now, years later, she is still pursuing her passion for the environment and teaching. She loves working for GVI as it gives her the opportunity to make a difference and to work with people from all around the world!
Her internship as a Environmental Educator was what set her career into motion and now, years later, she is still pursuing her passion for the environment and teaching. She loves working for GVI as it gives her the opportunity to make a difference and to work with people from all around the world!
Shayle Havemann
Director of Programs
Meet Shayle, our innovative and driven director for all our projects around the world. She has two honours degrees, one in Industrial and Organisational Psycology, and another in Developmental and Education Psycology. Shayle also has over 10 years experience in setting up, managing and evaluating environmental and community programs across Africa, Asia, Europe and Latin America.
She is well-practiced in facilitating meaningful and effective intercultural engagement and this makes her the perfect person for overseeing our operations in the multicultural country of South Africa.
When not attending meetings or planning her next endeavour, Shayle can be found spending time with her family or taking part in some or other exciting outdoors activity!
She is well-practiced in facilitating meaningful and effective intercultural engagement and this makes her the perfect person for overseeing our operations in the multicultural country of South Africa.
When not attending meetings or planning her next endeavour, Shayle can be found spending time with her family or taking part in some or other exciting outdoors activity!
Cynthia Arochi Zendejas
Costa Rica Country Director
Meet Cynthia, our Country Director in Costa Rica. She started out with GVI as one of our National Scholarship Program participants in 2006 and later became our Programme Coordinator in Mexico. Her skills and enthusiasm just made it too hard to let her get away!
Cynthia is a certified Veterinarian, an EFR Instructor and holds a Master’s degree in International environmental Science. She is also a member of the Mesoamerican Society for Biology and Conservation, chapter Costa Rica.
The most interesting things she’s experienced during life in the field? “Watching the turtles hatching! Also finding jaguar tracks and being able to participate in community tours.” Apart from those, Cynthia also loves arranging and participating in the fun Charity Challenges with volunteers.
What does Cynthia think volunteers bring to the projects? Since our goal is to provide support to local organisations which don’t have the human or economic resources to achieve their conservation or sustainable development objectives, our volunteers play a key role by being the hands needed, or helping to fund raise for those projects.”
Cynthia is a certified Veterinarian, an EFR Instructor and holds a Master’s degree in International environmental Science. She is also a member of the Mesoamerican Society for Biology and Conservation, chapter Costa Rica.
The most interesting things she’s experienced during life in the field? “Watching the turtles hatching! Also finding jaguar tracks and being able to participate in community tours.” Apart from those, Cynthia also loves arranging and participating in the fun Charity Challenges with volunteers.
What does Cynthia think volunteers bring to the projects? Since our goal is to provide support to local organisations which don’t have the human or economic resources to achieve their conservation or sustainable development objectives, our volunteers play a key role by being the hands needed, or helping to fund raise for those projects.”