Women’s Cooperative in the Atenas Area

Project at A Glance Location: San Isidro (20 minutes by bus up in the mountains)  Duration: 1-12 weeks Hours: 20-30 per week Food: Provided by host  family  Room: Host family Date: First and Third Monday of each month

Project Summary

AMASIA is a women's cooperative that facilitates greenhouse operations in the hills of San Isidro, about 20 minutes by bus from central Atenas. They offer orchids, organic fertilizer, cactus and ornamental plants for sale to the community.

Skills/Qualifications Needed

Beginner to intermediate knowledge of Spanish is preferred (but not mandatory). . If you cannot speak Spanish, we suggest you enroll in our Spanish language course to make your stay more rewarding – both for you and for the children you are helping. A green thumb and a love for nature are important. If you have experience with websites, you can also help develop their website. Grant writing or advertising skills can also be useful to the project to increase support and to promote the project. Volunteers are expected to be reliable and flexible.

Volunteer Responsibilities

AMASIA volunteers work to support and assist with the image and concept of a women's cooperative with promotion and public relation efforts. Physical work in greenhouse is also appreciated. Any ideas, suggestions or assistance that a volunteer can share with the cooperative is truly appreciated.

Room/Food/Supervision

In Costa Arica, all volunteers stay with well-screened host families. Our host families are socially respected and are well versed in the art of hosting international volunteers. Host families offer a safe home, private rooms (occasionally rooms will be shared with other same-gender volunteers) and shared bathroom facilities with running hot water and a “western” style toilet. Volunteers have the ability to do laundry at the house or the host family may offer to do it for you for a nominal extra fee. You receive three prepared meals per day. If you will be out of the house during lunch hour, you can request a lunch "to go" that you can take with you or eat out on your own. Host families provide typical meals that are traditional to Costa Rica.

Throughout the volunteer project, our local staff stays in contact with volunteers either with face-to-face visits or via email/telephone. With longer placements, we visit our volunteers every two weeks (when possible) and volunteers are always welcome at the local office. If project placement is local, we request that volunteers stop by the office once a week to keep us posted on how they are doing with their home stay and project. If project placement is very far, then our local staff members maintain communication by either email and/or phone.