Work In Public Health
| Project at A Glance |
Location: Atenas
Start Point: San Jose
End Point: San Jose
Duration: 2-12 weeks
Hours: 20-30 per week
Food: Provided by host family
Room: Host family
Date: First and Third Monday of each month |
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Project Summary
There are many public health projects in Costa Rica, which need volunteers. These projects vary from fighting Dengue fever to working in a retirement home. Please specify your project choice on your application.
Ministry of Health Dengue Project
The local Ministry of Health fights diseases in their tropical environment and assists with general health of the population. The Atenas Ministry conducts many health and social projects including projects fighting Dengue and other contagious diseases. The public health Dengue project educates about the ways to prevent Dengue and tries to eliminate the spread of the disease.
It’s a house-to-house project: inspecting areas that could breed mosquitoes and educating the public. Currently, informational brochures and support materials are being designed to communicate information about this disease. Volunteers may also spend some time teaching English to the Ministry of Health officials. At least basic Spanish is required, preferably intermediate.
 Association for Women
Make and distribute brochures to fight violence against women and children, teach English and support other projects as needed.
Public Daycare
Teach English in the public daycare program sponsored by the Ministry of Health. This is a volunteer project, which can be completed in conjunction with other volunteer projects, as it only requires 1-2 hours each day. Children are from lower income families who don’t have access to the English instructors that private daycares have.
Red Cross
Public ambulance service provides transportation to the local clinic in emergency cases. Volunteers will work and train with employees teaching them English to use when they are working in the field. At least basic Spanish fluency is required, medical or first aid experience is preferred.
Private Ambulance Service
Work with the highest quality ambulance service in Atenas. Assist them at the office and with transport. Applicants must have some medical training and basic Spanish fluency.
Dentist Assistants
Assist dentists and observe dental practices in Costa Rica. Volunteers should have at least basic Spanish and be dental students, hygienists or dentists.
Retirement home
Work with the elderly in the retirement home, leading activity time with the residents. Previous experience with the elderly is helpful, at least basic Spanish required.
Association for the Mentally Disabled
Work with the mentally disabled helping and assisting them with projects. Previous experience with the mentally disabled is helpful and at least basic Spanish fluency is required.
Laboratory
Work in a private laboratory, which processes general and specific blood, urine and feces tests for the detection of diseases and infections. Assist in the lab with the doctor analyzing the samples. An intermediate level of Spanish fluency is required. Experience in a lab setting is mandatory.
Recycling project with the Ministry of Health
Develop and implement more recycling programs for Atenas.
Park & Plaza Cleaning
Help maintain and clean the central park and plaza, landscaping, maintenance, etc.
Skills/Qualifications NeededS 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. In addition to the projects’ noted requirements, previous experience in the public health industry is useful, but not necessary. Volunteers are expected to be reliable, flexible, use initiative and be patient.
Volunteer Responsibilities
As a volunteer in the health projects of Atenas, your activities will vary based on the project you are assigned to.
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.
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