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Volunteering in Latin America
Alfred J. Kwak
is it because you were insultedwhen I insulted your hair?Registered User regular
is it because you were insultedwhen I insulted your hair?Registered User regular
Hey there,
since I have a downtime of 6 months I was thinking about spending some time in South America and doing basic-level ecologic volunteer work (of the kind where they expect you to pay for everything ;-) ). I'd like to travel to Costa Rica and Ecuador (and maybe other places) to participate in 1-2 local projects (for instance, I read that September-October is hatching season for turtles in Costa Rica) and want to ask you if you by any chance know some good websites and organizations that can help me further (the price is also a factor).
One important thing to note is that I don't speak Spanish, which somewhat restricts my options.
since I have a downtime of 6 months I was thinking about spending some time in South America and doing basic-level ecologic volunteer work (of the kind where they expect you to pay for everything ;-) ). I'd like to travel to Costa Rica and Ecuador (and maybe other places) to participate in 1-2 local projects (for instance, I read that September-October is hatching season for turtles in Costa Rica) and want to ask you if you by any chance know some good websites and organizations that can help me further (the price is also a factor).
One important thing to note is that I don't speak Spanish, which somewhat restricts my options.
Alfred J. Kwak on
0
Posts
If possible, don't do this alone, try contacting an organization within the United States and offer your services to them. I am sorry, but I cannot recommend any. You should at least take some basic Spanish instruction, including some cultural immersion.
Most people travelling the Latin America are given tips in order to avoid catching some illness, receiving vaccination is also a good idea ( I am not trying to scare you). Good quality medical service is expensive, and if you have no medical insurance of agreement with local providers, that could make a huge difference if you are injured or something goes wrong. I don't know the situation in Costa Rica and Equador, but I have seen people go to a 2-3 weeks hospitalization due to Malaria, Cholera, etc.
This could be a great experience for you to learn, make friends and do something nice to poor people, but keep in mind that you are not immortal and that you must take care of yourself in order to give something to others.
Good luck,