Volunteers and children, Costa Rica

By Alex Mann, Projects Abroad teaching volunteer, Costa Rica

This title, I must say, is quite misleading as Liberia in itself would be quite hard to get lost in! It’s regular ‘blocks’ make it easy for any volunteer to adapt in a minimal amount of time and it’s size (or relative lack of it!) insures that you will always see people in the streets that you know, whether they are fellow volunteers or friendly ‘ticos’ that you have met along the way.

The average volunteer’s life in Liberia settles into a familiar cycle quite quickly. A school day will usually start at around 7 or 8am and last about 4 hours or so per day. Depending on the school, you may find yourself teaching a group of 30 4 year olds or attempting to teach a group of 5 deaf children anything you can in English while helping the school’s English teacher. I have found myself in a great school teaching children ranging in age from 6 to 12 but more as a classroom assistant to help the individual children who find learning another language harder than others. I have found this to be a really rewarding experience but have had to overcome many moments where I have felt like banging my head against a brick wall – quite literally! I have been here two months now and have established some really great relationships with many children who I will be very sad to leave behind when I go.

Once the school day is over (usually around 12 o’clock) most volunteers will head straight home for a bite to eat or to the local internet café to get all the latest news from home. There are many different host families in Liberia but each volunteer will inevitably create a connection with their family, no matter how long they are here for, quickly referring to them as their Costa Rican ‘mum’.

Afternoons are usually spent relaxing by the pool (after a not so stressful day at work) where volunteers will meet and discuss all the latest gossip and happenings in Liberia. It is here that most decisions about what to do that evening or during the weekend will take place and anyone who is not present at the time will either be called or notified by someone that lives with or near them.
Evenings are usually either spent at home having a quite night with your host family in front of the TV or hang out with the other volunteers in one of the variety of restaurants and bars in Liberia.

It may seem like life here sounds very sparse but the time flies, not only because we are always having fun but also, even though we do have a set daily routine, it seems to be changing all the time with the constant flow of volunteers who are coming and going. I have had an amazing time here so far and know that I have made quite a few friends that I will never forget and always be in touch with. When you share an experience as good as this one, how can you!