Support our small non-profit offering community in the rural Southern Nicoya Peninsula of Costa Rica

Details

• 

  Description

  We are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization pioneering innovative, off-grid building techniques in under-served communities, such as underground homes and earthships. Our approach integrates sustainable agriculture and food production to create self-sufficient living systems.
  we also offer hands-on learning in different areas related to sustainability for under-served communities.
  
  Our Focus Areas:
  Permaculture
  Alternative Building
  Sustainable practices
  Community Outreach
  Environmental Education
  Workshop Leader (various topics)
  Language Teacher
  STEAM / STEM activities for children
  Well-being
  Recreational Activities

• 

  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Charity Work

  Art Projects

  Language practice

  Help with Eco Projects

  Teaching

  Gardening

  DIY and building projects

  Farmstay help

  Creating/ Cooking family meals

  Help around the house

  Hospitality/Tourism

  General Maintenance

  Help with Computers/ Internet
• 

  UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve

  ...

  ...

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  What's this?
• 

  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  High­lights
  -Discover the beautiful nature of the peninsula including beaches, rivers, natural pools, and waterfalls
  -Improve Spanish by working with children, youth and adults who’s native language is Spanish.
  -Become more passionate about leading a sustainable and balanced life (practical and easily applicable methods) while gaining international experience in a diverse cultural setting.
  -Relax by the natural pool in the cool countryside or play futbol, basketball, or pickle ball onsite in your leisure time.
  -Increase your knowledge about permaculture, specifically local food forests, including culinary and medicinal uses, and how to propagate plants
  -Live as the people here do, rise and sleep by the sun, work and relax in the countryside, understand what it is like to live in a rural and undeveloped area where sustainable practices are a must.

• 

  Help

  Right now we're looking for people with building skills, handyman or woman skills for our project of alternative building techniques that have started already.
  We are learning together with The apprentice project program on building a house from ferro-cement recycle bottles and organic cluster design building, including but not only geodesic domes structures.
  
  I'm looking forward for anyone who interesting to give a hand in realizing this project and learning alternative building techniques and Spanish in the process
  
  We are working 5 hours a day everyday not including the weekends you will be assigned to an apprentice on site and will become his assistant. The work consists of metal rebar bending attaching welding cement working mixing plastering digging and mainly using your 3D imagination
  The work will also include learning how to weld work with wood and furniture Adobe and texturing techniques all depends on the necessity at a given moment.
  
  During the holidays (December, January, April, June, July) and once a month on Saturdays, we offer children's camps focused on Eco-STEAM (Science, technology, engineering, art, and math) so we are looking for people to collaborate in the planning and leading of these camps.
  
  ***We are looking for responsible people. If your plans have changed and you want to cancel please inform us at least a week before since you're taking a space of someone else. No smoking in all the property whatsoever. No drunk or lazy personalities, will be kicked out of the property at the same day.
  
  We live in a rural yet popular tourist destination due to the beautiful nature in the area. The cost of living is generally very high in Costa Rica but it is very safe and if you live like a local, it is much cheaper. This means eating rice and beans and preparing your own local food, taking the buses, hitchhiking, enjoying nature, going to the beach and rivers and waterfalls which are free. With only working 20 hours a week, this gives you plenty of time to discover the beautiful nature around the peninsula.

• 

  Languages

  Languages spoken
  English: Fluent
  Spanish: Fluent
  Hebrew: Fluent
  Portuguese: Fluent

  This host offers a language exchange
  Our project brings together volunteers and participants from diverse backgrounds, many of whom are keen to enhance their language abilities. Spanish and English are the most commonly sought languages, and our community fosters a supportive environment for language exchange
• 

  Accommodation

  We provide eco-friendly light construction, unique glamping domes. One is equipped with a double bed and 1 single beds, the other one has 3 singles, as well as a table and chairs. and shelving. We have just built a separate dome that hosts a spacious shared kitchen. Many items for use inside are provided like sheets, kitchen utensils, and a wall fan. Couples are welcome (but might not have a private room depending on amount of volunteers) or groups of up to 6 people.
  
  The bathroom is shared just with people who come to events in the dome or other renters in the three domes onsite. There are two showers, two toilets, three sinks, and a laundry machine and drying rack. We ask that the volunteers use one of the bathrooms and the bnb renters use the other usually, but for emergencies, they can be shared.
  
  Volunteers have access to the common areas on our 2 hectare site like the event dome, food forest, futbol field, green areas, and natural pool.
  
  Due to the high cost of rentals in the area, we provide the housing, water, electricity, internet, kitchen cooking gas, and allow guests to use the amenities onsite but do not provide food. This is why we ask 20 hours and not 25. Workawayers are allowed to harvest anything from the food forest for their enjoyment. This depends on the time of year but includes bananas, passion fruit, cassava, sweet potatoes, greens, herbs, and more. We have a pressure cooker and blender for use in the kitchen as well as a full oven and 4 gas burner, and fridge.

• 

  What else ...

  Free-time activities
  
  Our site is in the countryside very near two tourist beach towns, Montezuma and Santa Teresa. Participants can surf, paddle board, SUP, boogie, and hike at the beach. These two towns offer yoga, dance, and a plethora of mental and physical well-being type classes. We also have a car for rent on a weekly or monthly basis.
  
  We have a food forest onsite where you can get edible and medicinal plants and fruits.
  
  We have a large event dome where we have a basketball hoop, pickle ball, air track for gymnastics, and large space for yoga, dancing or roller skating.
  
  We have a natural pool and lounge areas to read and relax.
  
  We are situated 800 meters from the main road and can be easily walked in 8 to 10 minutes to catch a bus or hitchhike to town for groceries or the beach. If you think that walk is too much then this probably isn't the place for you. This area is not for the faint at heart to be honest. If you don't like waiting for a bus to come that might not be on an exact timetable, this is not the place for you.
  
  Locals use the bus systems with no problem and also hitchhiking is very common but we have had foreigners in the past who find this system not structured enough. There is a time table and the bus stops pretty much anywhere but it is a bit on Pura Vida time. If you are very rigid and like a lot of infrastructure, this is probably not the best choice of area for you.
  
  We have had workawayers who work their 4 daily hours and then take the bus to surf every day and then others who complain about walking the 8 minutes so we like to be honest about what you should expect and what you can handle. This is a beautiful and rustic area with many modern amenities in the neighbouring towns but also very under-developed. We would suggest having an adventurous spirit and experience living in similar types of places.
  
  Flexibility is key to living the Costa Rican lifestyle.

• 

  A little more information

  • 

    Internet access

  • 

    Limited internet access

  • 

    We have pets

  • 

    We are smokers

  • 

    Can host families

• 

  Can host digital nomads

  We have 100mbps speed internet with unlimited data shared among people on the property. There are spaces in the domes and outside tables in shaded nature areas for working. It is a rural area in a developing country so sometimes there are outages and ups and down in the internet depending on the weather or the local provider's issues.

• 

  Space for parking camper vans

  This host can provide space for campervans.

• 

  How many Workawayers can stay?

  More than two

• 

  Hours expected

  20 hours a week

Feedback (8)