Wow – just three weeks left at SCLC. How quickly time passes here!
My experience as a volunteer at the Learning Center has exceeded all of my expectations. Meeting new friends from Central America, Asia, Africa, and Europe, becoming bilingual, traveling throughout Costa Rica and Nicaragua – all of these experiences have caused my worldview to expand dramatically. Even the hardships of living here (and being without income for six months) were worth it. I feel tougher and more resilient than I have ever been in my life. I will certainly never again take for granted the opportunities, luxuries, and daily conveniences that characterize life in America. At the same time, I’m confident that I could live quite happily without these comforts. That’s saying a lot for a girl born and bred in Los Angeles, CA!
My tenure at SCLC was unusual in that I did many jobs: Tourism Coordinator, English Teacher, and finally After-School Program Coordinator (the post where I spent the last 4 months.) Without a doubt, my experience as the ASP Coordinator was the most demanding and the most rewarding. Not only did it require me to call upon all of my training as a teacher, it also forced me to quickly develop my Spanish language skills, and to remain positive, focused, and patient, even in the face of stress (the kind of stress that only rambunctious little kids can cause!) Luckily, I had tremendous support from the Director, Volunteer Coordinator, the other volunteers, and especially from local community members.
For example, in teaching children about plant biodiversity, I teamed up with a community member (and a part-time nature guide) to take the kids out on a botany excursion on his family’s nature reserve. Another community member, a senior citizen with extensive knowledge of medicinal plants, came to the Center to give a wonderful charla (informal workshop) for the kids in the Eco-club. And a local business owner helped me organize a reforestation project on his property. With his help, we planted hundreds of baby trees on the banks of the Sarapiqui river, an area which had formerly been brutally deforested.
Another way in which I connected with community members was by visiting some of my students in their homes a few evenings each week. Over time, this allowed me to develop close relationships with specific students and their families. Although “home visits” were not specifically required of me as part of my job, I feel that the hours I spent working one-on-one with kids and their families were vital to my success as the ASP Coordinator. My reason for doing these visits was twofold: first, to get some extra support from parents in disciplining the more unruly kids in my program, and secondly, to serve as an English tutor for my students, their siblings, and anyone else in their families who was interested in learning my native language.
The relationships I developed during these home visits will stay with me for the rest of my life. Many of the kids I visited started out as my “worst” students – the most unruly, and the least motivated to learn. After a few months of spending time with them and their families, I witnessed completely different personalities emerge. One of them, as a result of our time together, developed an interest in learning about rocks and minerals; another is now completely obsessed with reading fairy tales. Yet another is on his way to becoming an artist.
To my surprise, several parents and grandparents were regular attendees for these English tutoring sessions as well. Many of the adults had been working all day (intensive labor in the pineapple and banana fincas), but they always turned off the TV and made room on the kitchen table for us to sit down and work. My efforts at teaching were generously rewarded with gifts of fresh pineapples, plates of fried bananas with butter, and hot cups of coffee. I always left their homes feeling upbeat and positive.
Don’t get me wrong – I did plenty of relaxing, too. Whether hanging out at Chilamate Jungle (a local rainforest lodge with plenty of hammocks) or taking off for trips with the other volunteers, I always managed to have plenty of down time. One of my most relaxing experiences was hanging out at the beach in Montezuma on the Pacific Coast, watching surfers, drinking cold water, and getting tan. That was a fantastic trip. We started out as a group of six, but met so many cool travelers along the way, we ended up with 13!
I hope people reading this blog are able to get a taste of the volunteer experience at the Learning Center. Life down here is by no means easy, but it is rich and rewarding. The key to living happily down here, I think, is to try to experience Costa Rica without judging it. This is not always the easiest thing to do, especially when you come from a place that has vastly different attitudes toward education, treatment of animals, the roles of women, etc. And it is even harder, in some ways, for Costa Ricans not to judge us. But since arriving here in June, I have witnessed firsthand many instances of people with different values working together towards common goals. It’s more than possible – it’s happening!
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Bienvenidos a Sarapiquí
Wow, my life has pretty much been turned upside down since September 7th when I arrived from Boston, Massachusetts. I am the new volunteer coordinator here...Jenn has left very big shoes for me to fill but I think I will get there soon! So what can I say, I am living in a rainforest- much different than the city life that is for sure. Here you can look out the windows and see monkeys jumping from limb to limb and Jesus Chris lizards at the door step. I have never in my life seen so much green nor wildlife all in one place. It is the nature lovers paradise. There is so much to learn here about medicinal plants, birds, mother natures ways, sustainable living...the list goes on and on.
Life is simple in Sarapiquí. People have their families and a place to sleep, and that is really all that matters here. Most families do not have cars, computers, or hot water but that is the way it is and noone complains. Travelling to the USA and witnessing all of the unecessary materials we have would turn their lives upside down. Ticans (slang for Costa Ricans) are veryyy laid back people who do not worry about any thing. Pura Vida (Pure Life)they say to just about everything that happens, good or bad.
The beautiful Sarapiquí River runs behind the center which we take advantage of on hot days. Our friends who are guides at Adventuras de Sarapiqui take us kayaking, canopying, and hiking throughout the forest. Chilamate Jungle is right down the street from us which is a wonderful place to visit. It is run by a Tican/Canadian family who we have all become very close with. They are eager to help the center and with community development in anyway they can. There are endless trails to hike and things to see on any given day here so you can make yourself as busy as you want to be.
But helping the communities is really what we are here for. There is so much this community needs and we are here to help. Most of the schools here are poorer than you can imagine. We raise money and collect donations for simple materials which they simply can not afford to buy. Although public education is free here, high school puts a strain on their pockets because they need to pay for their books, uniforms, and their bus to get there. Going to work after 6th grade is the easier alternative here. Our Becados program is an amazing thing we have here-generous donors support students all the way from 7th - 12th grades so that they graduate. We have volunteers teach Environmental Education in the schools because it is a very important part of their lives here. Right now we are planting vegetable gardens behind all of the schools to teach more sustainable ways of living as well as saving some money down the road. Due to a lack of income, children only go to school for about 3 hours a day. Our After School Program is another great program we have which gives the students an extra place to learn after their short school days. The children are amazing and very intelligent. They WANT to learn which is a great thing to see. We also do many reforestation projects with them. A big form of income for Sarapiquí is tourism so it is a huge assett to know English here. Our ESL classes therefore act as a form of Community Development. In the past we have had many groups volunteer to do service projects here which is an amazing thing! I am hoping to see more of that in the near future, especially to start a recycling system throughout all of the comunities.
I am now adjusted to living in the rural Costa Rica- it has opened up my eyes to a whole different world. I am so lucky to have this experience and truly feel I can have a big impact on these special peoplés lives. Helping the community of Sarapiquí grow stronger brings us one step closer to world peace.
Much love and peace to all
Pura Vida,
Kaity Fitzgerald
Volunteer Coordinator
Activist for world peace
commdev@learningcentercostarica.org
Life is simple in Sarapiquí. People have their families and a place to sleep, and that is really all that matters here. Most families do not have cars, computers, or hot water but that is the way it is and noone complains. Travelling to the USA and witnessing all of the unecessary materials we have would turn their lives upside down. Ticans (slang for Costa Ricans) are veryyy laid back people who do not worry about any thing. Pura Vida (Pure Life)they say to just about everything that happens, good or bad.
The beautiful Sarapiquí River runs behind the center which we take advantage of on hot days. Our friends who are guides at Adventuras de Sarapiqui take us kayaking, canopying, and hiking throughout the forest. Chilamate Jungle is right down the street from us which is a wonderful place to visit. It is run by a Tican/Canadian family who we have all become very close with. They are eager to help the center and with community development in anyway they can. There are endless trails to hike and things to see on any given day here so you can make yourself as busy as you want to be.
But helping the communities is really what we are here for. There is so much this community needs and we are here to help. Most of the schools here are poorer than you can imagine. We raise money and collect donations for simple materials which they simply can not afford to buy. Although public education is free here, high school puts a strain on their pockets because they need to pay for their books, uniforms, and their bus to get there. Going to work after 6th grade is the easier alternative here. Our Becados program is an amazing thing we have here-generous donors support students all the way from 7th - 12th grades so that they graduate. We have volunteers teach Environmental Education in the schools because it is a very important part of their lives here. Right now we are planting vegetable gardens behind all of the schools to teach more sustainable ways of living as well as saving some money down the road. Due to a lack of income, children only go to school for about 3 hours a day. Our After School Program is another great program we have which gives the students an extra place to learn after their short school days. The children are amazing and very intelligent. They WANT to learn which is a great thing to see. We also do many reforestation projects with them. A big form of income for Sarapiquí is tourism so it is a huge assett to know English here. Our ESL classes therefore act as a form of Community Development. In the past we have had many groups volunteer to do service projects here which is an amazing thing! I am hoping to see more of that in the near future, especially to start a recycling system throughout all of the comunities.
I am now adjusted to living in the rural Costa Rica- it has opened up my eyes to a whole different world. I am so lucky to have this experience and truly feel I can have a big impact on these special peoplés lives. Helping the community of Sarapiquí grow stronger brings us one step closer to world peace.
Much love and peace to all
Pura Vida,
Kaity Fitzgerald
Volunteer Coordinator
Activist for world peace
commdev@learningcentercostarica.org
Monday, July 13, 2009
colibrís
Hummingbirds…it seems like one can wait forever to catch just a glimpse of these graceful, magical, and colourful creatures. However, Sarapiquí engages the inner spirit to embrace all of life’s elements while emitting good vibes and thus it is easier to slow life down and watch the hummingbirds and other wildlife. I suppose that is why it is considered a true ‘pura vida’ lifestyle which allows reflection on life’s sweeter moments and enables one to appreciate natural aspects just as they are.
This experience provided me the opportunity to enhance my vision to see life with greater clarity and really recognize kindness in strangers. While enjoying hammocks, mangos, and eternal sunshine, embodied in peacefulness of local people’s smiling faces as even when it is pouring rain, the people make it seem like the sun is at its brightest. Not to mention lush landscapes with plenty of wildlife to visit you when you are feeling lonely such as Howler monkeys, Iguanas, Morpha butterflies, or the vast amount of tropical birds. Then there is my friendly family that I am truly grateful to have a home away from home where there is abundant food and I will be leaving with a lot more love in my heart and a little added ‘love’ in my physical appearance too (love handles)!
In addition there are the community service projects which are inspirational as I learn from people about their environment and their personal stories as well as gaining a fresh perspective on the importance of reforestation and environmental conservation efforts.
The constant flow of volunteers provide a dynamic working environment in which unique personalities come together for a shared goal to make the world a better place with our personal impacts on the communities of Sarapiquí. Witnessing the exchange of cultures and new friendships form has definitely been a highlight.
This adventure was not the least bit what I expected, but much much more. I embrace the lessons I have learned and the memories that I will treasure always. ¡Muchas gracias Sarapiquí!
pura vida,
Jenn (Volunteer Coordinator '09)
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Que Rico!
So, I´ve made it through my first month as a volunteer here in Sarapiqui. There were a few bumps in the road, but all in all I´m really proud of the way I´ve managed to adjust and even flourish here. Hard to believe a whole 1/6 of my time in Costa Rica has gone by already.
The staff here at SCLC are just incredibly dedicated; they welcomed me into the fold, and I found myself working alongside them almost immediately. June was an unbeleiveably busy month - the busiest tourism season of the year, in fact. After a brief orientation to the Center, I was put to work as the interim Tourism Coordinator - the person who serves as a liason between the local community and the eco-tourists who come to explore it.
The position was a natural fit for me, which I had expected, since I like working with groups. What I had not expected was that the eco-tourists we hosted would be so hardworking, so ready to get their hands dirty while participating in local service projects.
For example, I lead a group of students from NY in building a ´´bio-digestor,´´ basically a low-cost, underground machine that converts cow excrement into methane gas for home cooking and heating. We had to dig a huge 8 x 10 x 8 trench for the digestor tank, and another shallower, narrower trench connecting the tank to a farmhouse. After a crude safety valve was assembled, the unit had to be connected to the house by yards and yards of PVC pipe. It was unbelievably hard work, but we managed to get it all done in just one day.
On another day, I led a group of teachers from the US in an effort to further extend the sidewalk that the SCLC has been building along the local highway. Where there is no sidewalk, local kids have no choice but to walk on the highway itself, taking their chances with the trucks and cars that race by at 50+ mph. So, this project was very important to me on a personal level. It was also very labor-intensive, because we had to do all of the cement mixing manually using shovels and wheelbarrows. A lot of the teachers were older ladies, but they worked so amazingly hard to get the job done. I could barely keep up with them.
I also assist with less rigorous tourism activities, such as cooking and dance classes. The cooking classes are my favorite. I´ve already learned how to make some delicious Costa Rican dishes, especially enjucadas (en-joo-kah-das). I´m also getting used to preparing and eating unusual fruits such as platanos (plantains) and fruta de pan (breadfruit).
Now that the tourism season is winding down, I´m shifting my focus toward what I initially came here to do: teach English! I´ve already begun to design lesson plans for the English classes I´ll begin teaching in a few weeks. Until then, I´m going to try to use my free time to do some hiking and exploring in Sarapiqui.
- Sarah ¨Dos¨
The staff here at SCLC are just incredibly dedicated; they welcomed me into the fold, and I found myself working alongside them almost immediately. June was an unbeleiveably busy month - the busiest tourism season of the year, in fact. After a brief orientation to the Center, I was put to work as the interim Tourism Coordinator - the person who serves as a liason between the local community and the eco-tourists who come to explore it.
The position was a natural fit for me, which I had expected, since I like working with groups. What I had not expected was that the eco-tourists we hosted would be so hardworking, so ready to get their hands dirty while participating in local service projects.
For example, I lead a group of students from NY in building a ´´bio-digestor,´´ basically a low-cost, underground machine that converts cow excrement into methane gas for home cooking and heating. We had to dig a huge 8 x 10 x 8 trench for the digestor tank, and another shallower, narrower trench connecting the tank to a farmhouse. After a crude safety valve was assembled, the unit had to be connected to the house by yards and yards of PVC pipe. It was unbelievably hard work, but we managed to get it all done in just one day.
On another day, I led a group of teachers from the US in an effort to further extend the sidewalk that the SCLC has been building along the local highway. Where there is no sidewalk, local kids have no choice but to walk on the highway itself, taking their chances with the trucks and cars that race by at 50+ mph. So, this project was very important to me on a personal level. It was also very labor-intensive, because we had to do all of the cement mixing manually using shovels and wheelbarrows. A lot of the teachers were older ladies, but they worked so amazingly hard to get the job done. I could barely keep up with them.
I also assist with less rigorous tourism activities, such as cooking and dance classes. The cooking classes are my favorite. I´ve already learned how to make some delicious Costa Rican dishes, especially enjucadas (en-joo-kah-das). I´m also getting used to preparing and eating unusual fruits such as platanos (plantains) and fruta de pan (breadfruit).
Now that the tourism season is winding down, I´m shifting my focus toward what I initially came here to do: teach English! I´ve already begun to design lesson plans for the English classes I´ll begin teaching in a few weeks. Until then, I´m going to try to use my free time to do some hiking and exploring in Sarapiqui.
- Sarah ¨Dos¨
Monday, May 18, 2009
An experience tuanes!
I worked at the SCLC for the month of April. During my time there I helped co-ordinate the After School Program, and was in charge of my own drop-in English classes as well.
Though my time was short, working at the center and living in the town of Sarapiqui was one of the best experiences of my life. Every aspect of my life working at the SCLC was incredible. The town is incredibly rich in nature and biodiversity; a beautiful day in Sarapiqui is more breath taking than a beautiful day anywhere else I have been. The people of the town and my fellow workers at the center are some of the most generous and kind-hearted people I have ever met, and my time there would not have been anywhere near what it was if it were not for them. However, the best part of being a volunteer at the SCLC was the work itself. I will never forget the kids in the After School Program. Though they can be a bit crazy at times, I had alot of fun being with them. Also, being able to teach and help someone who is so eager to communicate with more people, and providing them with even just a bit of knowledge to send them on their way is the most rewarding experience I have ever had.
I hope to one day return as a full-time volunteer to the center because it is definitely going to hold a place in my heart for the rest of my life. If anyone reading this blog is scepticle about being a volunteer, my advice is to do yourself a favor and go because it will be one of the best decisions of your life!
Friday, May 15, 2009
Pura Vida
I have worked as an English teacher for almost 5 months now and it has been a wonderful experience. A little daunted at first by 30 students in each class, I soon found my stride and have treasured the dynamics of large groups. A testimony to Costa Ricans, all my students are so friendly and fun to teach. Working with beginner levels has been very rewarding, witnessing their constant improvements. With just 2 weeks to go, I’m fully aware of how much I’ll miss them, both as students and friends...
An integral part of my work has been teaching at a local school comprising a class with 17 kids, aged 8 to 14. Before I started, they surrounded an English CD, restlessly trying to decipher the various mumbled and distorted sounds. Teaching has been challenging but gratifying as the kids hit the right notes! The school itself is just lovely and the walk there a delight, crossing the rickety bridge and strolling down sunny, stony back roads, surrounded by quiet, soft-eyed cattle and noisy, colourful birds.
Homelife! What can I say??! I’ve loved each and every minute! The house is superb ... not a window in sight and if there is a wall, it’s short! Rustic rooms are a series of wooden ‘sheds’ topped, further up, by an iron roof (great in the rain!) and surrounded by a lush, tropical garden. The open-air kitchen consists of a wood-fired stove, the smell of coffee and Minerva, who consistently serves up food, far exceeding that of any restaurant. A short walk through the forest beyond, brings you to the river, where kingfishers and rafters abound and provides the most refreshing escape from a hot, humid day! I’ll miss my family for sure, and the endless stream of people that stop by to share stories and good food.
So, it’s been a great experience! I’ve met some wonderful people both at work and at play, and shared some more-than-memorable times.
Friday, April 17, 2009
In the swing of things
All the programs are in place and are in full force here at the Center. March has been an eventful month and the air has been buzzing with activity from the steady flow of students and tourists. Having students from the nearby Escuela Chilamate in the After School Program adds a whole new element to the Center and there has been a lot more life and energy floating around the air.
The After School Program consists of two groups: The first group is officially considered ASP and is for students in 2nd to 4th grade. The second group is called the Eco Club and is for 5th and 6th graders. When I first arrived to the Center and told shared with others that I was in charge of the ASP, I got a lot of responses along the lines of “Good luck!” and “You’re going to need a lot of energy for that!”. With my optimism and enthusiasm for working with an age group I haven’t worked with before, I thought it would be no big deal and not be that hard. Boy was I wrong. Working with the younger group has proved to be quite the challenge! Because they have so much energy, it is hard for them to pay attention, follow directions and stay on task. Also, because they come directly after their classes are done, they don’t want to feel like they are coming to another class and want to have fun more than anything. Due to this challenge, I have to think of really fun and inventive activities to capture their interest and mask what they are doing as learning. It is a constant learning process for me to see what works and what doesn’t. Now that the group is dwindling down, it is easier to manage the group and see some progress being made.
Another one of my responsibilities is helping with the Bird Club two Saturdays out of the month. A steady group of high school students have been coming to the club consisting of one hour of in-class training and one hour in the field to identify birds. It is great to see the enthusiasm and genuine interest of the people who continue to come to the club. I'm learning a lot about birding along side the students and really developing my skills to take over the group when I have to be in charge. In This week we sat down to plan for International Migratory Bird Day (IMBD) on May 9th. We are trying to utilize as many of the students and groups at the Center along with help from the Selva Verde Lodge next door to help make it a well rounded and interesting event for everyone. We will have origami, face painting, mask making, various presentations having to do with birds, and a short play and songs performed by the students from the Eco Club in my After School Program. Planning and promotion has begun and hopefully things will run well!
On the same note of planning, we have had a few meeting as a group to see what we can do to create a stronger link between the community and the Center. We have come up with two ideas that will be starting off in the next few weeks. Next week, we will begin to show movies for the public here at the Center free of charge. Also we plan to have a soccer tournament between the target communities we work with that will start April 25th. With the start of these two events, we hope to promote and distinguish ourselves as a Learning Center. When one asks a member of the community what the Learning Center is, more often than not the response is “Selva Verde”. Although we are affiliated with Selva Verde Lodge, we are a separate working entity that works along side of the Lodge that has a lot more resources to offer the community than most people in the area think. We hope that the residents of the Sarapiquí will respond positively to our efforts and understand who we are and what we stand for.
Sara Rodriguez
Friday, February 13, 2009
Olivia's Blog Entry: Ph Levels, Arm-wrestling, and Sidewalks (Oh My!)
I´m writing on the last day of my short-term volunteer experience with SCLC. I arrived about a month ago with the long-term volunteers: Meghan and Mandi, the English teachers, Sara, the After School Program volunteer, Aysha, the tourism volunteer, and Anna, the Environmental Education volunteer. The last month has been a lot of fun for us, getting to know one another, the Center, and the community we´re hoping to serve. We´ve learned a lot very quickly, about how the center runs day-to-day, the different kinds of birds and monkeys we can see from our porch, and that rice and beans three meals a day sounds boring, but is in fact fantastic.
My job at the center over the past month has been to tackle the closet of mystery, in order to organize the water-monitoring equipment for use with After School Programs and Eco-Club. Turns out, in addition to two types of water-monitoring systems, the center is in possession of a large novelty magnet, walkey talkeys, and various other gems. Currently we´re hot on the trail to replacing some of the expired chemical reagents for testing the river. I love picturing Sara and Anna by the river with their students, reading pH levels.
I have been living with a host family about 2 kilometers from the center, which has been an eventful experience and definitely a boost for my Spanish. In addition to my host mother, and myself, there is always a rotating cast of children in the house, mostly boys between the ages of 5 and 8. Of course at times living in close quarters with so many people speaking rapid-fire Spanish is stressful, and the thought of reading a book quietly in my bed seems a distant impossibility. However, I´ve had a blast with the kids, playing cards, for some ill-advised reason teaching them to arm-wrestle, and seriously debating the merits of Hombre Araña verses Batman (who is for some reason not known as Hombre Murcièlago).
As I get ready to leave Sarapiqui, I know I will miss the staff and volunteers at the Center, as well as other friends I´ve made in the community over the last month. I will definitely miss my walk to and from the center everyday. Although it´s along what I´ve come to think of as ¨The Road of Death¨ (think Pet Cemetery, the first one), with huge trucks powering by every few minutes, it´s definitely one of the highlights of my day. In the 25 minutes, I pass by two bar/restaurants, two small grocers, the school, a shoe repair shop, and very little else besides cows, grass, and houses. This morning my walk was slowed by a woman walking her goats out to pasture along sidewalk, something I will be sure to remember at home in Baltimore. Although I rarely think of it on my walk, the sidewalk that I use every day was built by SCLC, and is used by the whole community to avoid the perilous road. It is a very substantial demonstration of how our efforts can really improve the quality of life in a community, and engage the community in that process. I´m very pleased to have been involved with a group that acknowledges the power of such efforts over this past month.
More updates to come from other volunteers, stay tuned!
Olivia Cumming
My job at the center over the past month has been to tackle the closet of mystery, in order to organize the water-monitoring equipment for use with After School Programs and Eco-Club. Turns out, in addition to two types of water-monitoring systems, the center is in possession of a large novelty magnet, walkey talkeys, and various other gems. Currently we´re hot on the trail to replacing some of the expired chemical reagents for testing the river. I love picturing Sara and Anna by the river with their students, reading pH levels.
I have been living with a host family about 2 kilometers from the center, which has been an eventful experience and definitely a boost for my Spanish. In addition to my host mother, and myself, there is always a rotating cast of children in the house, mostly boys between the ages of 5 and 8. Of course at times living in close quarters with so many people speaking rapid-fire Spanish is stressful, and the thought of reading a book quietly in my bed seems a distant impossibility. However, I´ve had a blast with the kids, playing cards, for some ill-advised reason teaching them to arm-wrestle, and seriously debating the merits of Hombre Araña verses Batman (who is for some reason not known as Hombre Murcièlago).
As I get ready to leave Sarapiqui, I know I will miss the staff and volunteers at the Center, as well as other friends I´ve made in the community over the last month. I will definitely miss my walk to and from the center everyday. Although it´s along what I´ve come to think of as ¨The Road of Death¨ (think Pet Cemetery, the first one), with huge trucks powering by every few minutes, it´s definitely one of the highlights of my day. In the 25 minutes, I pass by two bar/restaurants, two small grocers, the school, a shoe repair shop, and very little else besides cows, grass, and houses. This morning my walk was slowed by a woman walking her goats out to pasture along sidewalk, something I will be sure to remember at home in Baltimore. Although I rarely think of it on my walk, the sidewalk that I use every day was built by SCLC, and is used by the whole community to avoid the perilous road. It is a very substantial demonstration of how our efforts can really improve the quality of life in a community, and engage the community in that process. I´m very pleased to have been involved with a group that acknowledges the power of such efforts over this past month.
More updates to come from other volunteers, stay tuned!
Olivia Cumming
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
SCLC Provides School Packs to Earthquake Victims
In what was the first, of hopefully many mechanisms in which the SCLC is helping victims of the Cinchona Earthquake which occurred on Jan. 8, 2009, the SCLC donated 45 school packs and 15 toy packs to children who were affected by the earthquake.
One of SCLC’s ongoing donation programs is our “School Pack” donations. For just $10 a donor can help purchase a pack of school materials. These materials are then donated to the neediest persons in the local communities.
The SCLC is happy to be able to provide this small ,yet important donation to the community of San Miguel which was heavily impacted by the earthquake. With school starting in just a few weeks, these were important items for families who are trying to return some normalcy to their lives.
The SCLC will continue to work with the National Emergency Commission, the Fuerza Publica and the local Police to coordinate volunteers for community service projects in the region. Look for updates on this progress soon.
If you are interested in helping with the recovery efforts please contact us at commdev@learningcentercostarica.org or by phone in Costa Rica at +(506)- 2766-6482.
One of SCLC’s ongoing donation programs is our “School Pack” donations. For just $10 a donor can help purchase a pack of school materials. These materials are then donated to the neediest persons in the local communities.
The SCLC is happy to be able to provide this small ,yet important donation to the community of San Miguel which was heavily impacted by the earthquake. With school starting in just a few weeks, these were important items for families who are trying to return some normalcy to their lives.
The SCLC will continue to work with the National Emergency Commission, the Fuerza Publica and the local Police to coordinate volunteers for community service projects in the region. Look for updates on this progress soon.
If you are interested in helping with the recovery efforts please contact us at commdev@learningcentercostarica.org or by phone in Costa Rica at +(506)- 2766-6482.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Welcome to the SCLC Blog!
Welcome to the debut entry of the Sarapiqui Conservation Learning Center's new online blog: "SCLC Seeds." Starting in January 2009, the blog will be regularly updated by those who are sowing the seeds of activity at the SCLC: the volunteers! The bloggers will post on the progress of our 2009 programs, both old ones and new ones, as well as offer personal insight on what it is like to live, work and play as an SCLC volunteer.
We invite you to check back regularly for new postings and information, as well as to leave comments and questions for our "bloggers."Thank you for visiting us online, and we hope you consider visiting us in Costa Rica as well.
Pura Vida,
The SCLC Team
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