Programdetaljer
| Program | Start | Slut | Pris | Ålder vid ankomst |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ca 6 mån, avresa vår/höst | 35 000 | 18-25 år |
COMMUNITY SERVICE IN COSTA RICA
Costa Rica is one of the most politically stable and prosperous of Latin American nations—-in part because it has no army. Instead, the government spends much of its tax income on health care and education. The country’s famously rich bio-diversity fills national parks and nature preserves that protect nearly one-third of the land and inspired the idea of eco-tourism. Today, travelers who head into the cloud forests, down jungle rivers and up active volcanoes account for the country’s No. 1 industry. Even so, half of Costa Rica’s citizens live not in the wild but in modern cities. Roughly 95% of them are of European descent, and nearly everyone is well-educated, hospitable and notably laid-back.
Typical Day
AFS’s Community Service program gives you the opportunity to share in and contribute to the life of a community in Costa Rica by living and working alongside its members in a community-based service organization. At the organization, you will be asked to pitch in and offer assistance in whatever capacity might be needed and to share the knowledge and experience you have gained from your home culture in the process.
LIVING IN COSTA RICA
Living Arrangements
Most participants in AFS Community Service programs live with local families, sharing their daily lives, their meals. Other participants live where their community service organization conducts its business. Still others live in rooms provided elsewhere by their local service organizations. Most placements are made in rural communities; few are in San José. Note that host families typically request non-smokers, and most families have pets.
Food
The basic Costa Rican diet is rice, beans, corn, vegetables, meat, chicken or fish and is usually served with corn tortillas. The diet also includes fresh fruit, milk, fruit juice, dairy products and eggs. Vegetarians are difficult to place.
Especially during weekends, it is customary for families to eat the same foods at meals together. On working days, this is often more difficult, especially for families where both parents work. It is considered inappropriate for individuals to request special foods, to prepare separate food for themselves or to raid the refrigerator. At the table, Costa Ricans enjoy active conversation on a variety of subjects. It is a time to be enjoyed together and spent as a family.
