Health Project

• Work alongside healthcare professionals
• Gain real world experience
• Immerse yourself in the beauty and culture of Costa Rica
• Volunteer abroad safely & affordably

Project Summary

There are many public health projects in Costa Rica, which need volunteers. These projects vary from working with the private ambulance clinic or working in a retirement home. Please specify your project choice on your application.

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.

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 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.

Accommodation/Food/Supervision

In Costa Rica, 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 and 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.