Warm Welcome

After arriving in Sarapiqui just over one week ago, I already feel as though I´ve become part of a new family. Not only within a Tican (Costa Rican) host family, but also as a member of a family of volunteers and SCLC staff, working together to improve the local community and surrounding environment. The work completed by my fellow volunteers is outstanding; I´m already amazed at some of the projects started and executed by my motivated and dedicated peers. For example, JoAnna, the after-school program coordinator, works seemingly endlessly to provide local students with opportunities and activities that wouldn´t be possible without her consistent energy, inspiration, and hard-work. Everyday here at the center, is another opportunity to see how individuals are capable of making a positive impact within their community and, importantly, within the lives of community members.

At first glance, the town of Sarapiqui seems like just another small, rural community. However, after arriving at my host family and meeting the students and community members that the SCLC programs serve, the small town really springs to life and one can see how active and involved the town really is. On top of the weekend rafting trips, endless hiking opportunities, and trips with my host family, it really does become difficult to get bored here. On my first weekend in Sarapiqui, my host family invited me to travel to the neighboring town of San Telmos for a family wedding. I was lucky enough to meet everyone in the family (and extended family) as well as have the unique opportunity to experience the everyday life of a Costa Rican family. The feeling of community and togetherness was overwhelming, and I was able to see first-hand how special a community Sarapiqui really is.

Although I originally arrived at the Center with the intention of acting as the ESL teacher, I ended up working on various projects and programs that the SCLC offers instead. Several of these projects, aimed at eco-tourism and community development, allowed me to work within Sarapiqui on activities such as painting schools and assisting with community development projects. The student groups that the SCLC hosted worked very hard to complete the various community service and development tasks and the students really seemed to understand the positive impact they were making. Their work, as well as the organized and impressively-executed projects arranged by the SCLC, has really inspired me to become involved within future community development projects both abroad and in my own home-town back in the U.S.

With all the experiences I´ve had at the SCLC and with my host family, it´s hard to believe that I´ve only been here for little over a week. Next week, I will be returning to the U.S., but hope to return to Sarapiqui to volunteer once again in the future. I feel I have learned much about the SCLC, the Sarapiqui community, and the dedication of my fellow volunteers during my stay here and, importantly, I feel lucky enough to have helped make a difference within such a wonderful Costa Rican community.




Erin Taylor
SCLC Volunteer; April 2010

50 Days In....

When I arrived in Costa Rica about a month and a half ago, I have to say that my first thought was “What have I done?” I was overwhelmed by the noise and the crowds and the traffic of San Jose, such a change from the tiny farm town I had last been in, and completely exhausted from my trip – and it was only halfway done. I grabbed a taxi from the airport to the bus terminal and wearily tried to force my brain to convert to Spanish as I attempted to convince the bus driver that no, I did not want to pay $100+ to go directly to Sarapiqui. When we got to the terminal I dragged all of my luggage inside and tried desperately to figure out which ticket window was the one I needed. I managed to obtain a ticket for a bus that I desperately hoped was the right one, double- and triple-checking the directions that Kaity, the Volunteer Coordinator, had sent me. I went outside and there was a whole line of buses – and I had no idea which was mine. I knew that my bus wasn’t going to leave for an hour, so I plopped on one of the benches and tried to surreptitiously figure out which one I should get on. As I was sitting there, a woman came up to me and started talking to me in Spanish. At that point my brain wasn’t working in any language and the only thing I could make out was something about how a woman such as myself shouldn’t be traveling alone her. Great. The clock ticked closer to when my bus had to leave and I finally worked up the courage to ask one of the drivers which bus I needed. He pointed me on to his own bus and threw my luggage in the compartment at the bottom. I climbed up and grabbed a window seat and about a half hour later, we headed out. Once we got out of San Jose, something wonderful happened. I started to see the true beauty of Costa Rica as forests, waterfalls, and animal life flickered by my window. Some of the views were absolutely breathtaking, especially the ones off the edges of cliffs that we passed. Those were also breathtaking in a different way, as I tried to focus on the scenery in the distance and not the mere inches between the tires of the bus and the terrifying absence of land.
When I got to Puerto Viejo, Kaity and her friend met me at the stop and informed me that I still had one more leg of public transportation on my trip. They very kindly helped carry my bags onto another bus. Since this one had no compartment underneath, my first contact with the people that I was perhaps going to be teaching was comprised mostly of excuses as I knocked into them with what by then definitely felt like the biggest piece of luggage that anyone has ever traveled with. As I completed the last step of the beginning of my journey I started out the window once again, this time at the community that would be my home for the next six months. It was nothing like how I had pictured the rainforest to be but enchanting in an entirely different way. After one last muddy walk, for it had been drizzling all day, we reached my host family’s house and after quick introductions Kaity and Daniela left and I sank onto my bed, staring around me while processing the events of the day.
The next morning dawned bright and beautiful and I headed out with Joanna, another volunteer who also was living with the same host family, for my first walk to the Center. As we walked we skirted around pipas, a type of coconut, that littered the ground and tried to talk over the blare of trucks and tractor trailers barreling down what we now affectionately call the “Death Highway”. After about 15 minutes, the Center came into sight and I fell in love immediately. It is located back from the road in the cool and shady jungle with a breathtaking view of the river, an outdoor kitchen, gorgeous balcony, and howler monkeys and lizards galore. Everyone I met was super-friendly and welcoming and the stresses and frustrations of my previous day traveling started to melt away.
The first few weeks here I organized all of the ESL supplies and information both in the office and on the network and began creating the syllabus and curriculum for each level of English that we offer here at the Center. I also was here to greet the other ESL teacher and the Scholarship Coordinator when she arrived a few days after me. I had been a little nervous about meeting Leah since I was going to working so closely with her for so long but once we started talking we clicked almost right away. We have now been teaching classes for about three weeks and it’s been a great, if challenging, experience. The levels of the students weren’t quite what we expected and we had to scrap all the lesson plans that we had spent the previous weeks creating, learning a valuable lesson ourselves in the process; there is only so far ahead you can plan if you want to be a truly good and flexible teacher. The Center also experienced a huge increase in students after the first couple days of classes which was a great feeling, knowing that word was really getting out about the Center, but also another challenge to undertake. The students themselves are great and really want to learn. For a lot of them, their livelihood depends on it. Most work full-time jobs and care for their families in addition to making time to attend our night classes here. I can’t even begin to say the respect and admiration I have for them and I use their example to inspire me as a teacher and make sure I provide them with the best education that I can.
The end of the day so far usually finds at least Leah and I fairly exhausted from a day of planning lessons and a night of teaching, as we have not yet been able to get too far ahead in our planning what with enrollment only just recently ending, but we get to nurse our exhaustion in some fairly fantastic ways. Some nights we take off to Selva Verde Lodge next door for a drink or two on their beautiful ledge overlooking the river as we talk about our day and our classes while listening to the sounds of the jungle that surround us and the rushing of the river. Other nights we might meet friends at Portones or Chilamate Jungle to hang out, or stay in and have a Movie Night with whatever movies or shows that someone was able to get their hands on. With working at the Center, classes, talking to my host family, and hanging out with my friends at night my Spanish has started to improve a lot. There always seems to be a mix of native Spanish and native English speakers so everyone is constantly switching languages, asking vocabulary questions, and generally having a good time.
The weekends since I have been here have pretty much all been amazing. Whitewater rafting literally in my own backyard, ziplining, hiking, swimming at some gorgeous local waterfalls, visiting the old cocoa plantations and the unbelievable biological reserve, and to top it off, celebrating my 24th birthday with jumping off a bridge into the Sarapiqui River, a delicious meal and drinks at a restaurant over in La Virgen, and a bonfire, fire twirling, and delicious homemade cake at Chilamate Jungle. At times I have to stop and remind myself to sit back, look around, and appreciate where I am.
However, there have also been miscommunications, language barriers, cultural differences, homesickness, and immeasurable adjustments to be dealt with on a daily basis. Coming from the United States to a third world country that has a different language, culture, and norms has not been easy by any means. Not to mention how intimately I have come to know the insect world – we have even shared the same clothes! Sometimes even simple tasks, such as going to the bank, getting mail, or even taking a shower in the morning can become huge ordeals. Yet I try to look at a lot of these events from the viewpoints of students I have had, or will have, who are immigrants to the United States. I know that having the experience of trying to adjust to a completely alien world far from my loved ones will help me identify with my students, even though my experience is still next to nothing compared to theirs. However, even these daily frustrations pale in comparison next to what I dream to take out of this – a second language, amazing friends, wonderful adventures, and perhaps most importantly another step on my way to becoming a great teacher and having a better understanding of the world and the people in it. Hopefully, I will be able to give something even half as valuable back while I am here.

-Heidi Gramlich-

The cycle continues...

Time is funny here in Sarapiqui...days go by slow, peaceful, and tranquil-but my 5 months here have flown by, and I am not looking forward to my departure in April. I have come to love Sarapiqui and have made it my home. I have met so many beatufiul and interesting people here who have greatly effected my life. But we must all move on and explore the many beauties that our planet has to offer.
We have just welcomed 6 new volunteers and one staff member to the center...thing are always changing here at the center which keep things fresh and exciting.

Jennifer Vargas changed roles from Intern to our lovely receptionist here at the center. She is a native from Sarapiqui and just graduated from La Universidad de Costa Rica on the Nicoya Peninsula.
Leah Josephson has joined us from Saint Paul, Minnesota as our "flaca y alta" ESL teacher and Scholarship Coordinator. Heidi Gramlich has moved from Fort Ann, New York and is our new ESL Coordinator. After just 1 week students are already loving classes...we have even had to open up new classes because the word got out that we have 2 awesome teachers now at the center.
Lee Caldwell is our Ecotourism volunteer and is from Forsyth, Georgia. February, March, and April are all full of ecotourism and community service activities so Lee will be busy helping Kattia (the Ecotouism and Community Development Coordinator).
Joanna Colon has joined us from New York, NY and is our After School Program Coordinator...she will be working with not only Chilamate this year, but also with Cristo Rey and Linda Vista.
Our short term volunteers have been great additions to the center. Anne Louise Carney came to the center for 5 weeks and worked with ´Las Morphas´. Las Morphas is a women's group that comes to the center to make their jewelery and crafts and then sell them in our artisan gallery. She taught the women how to felt so that they could sell different products. They loved ´Ana´ and still ask about her daily. Casey FitzGerald has just joined the team as our short term volunteer. He came as a birder but we found out he has MANY other talents as well. He will be working in the schools here on any projects that are needed from a 'handy man'. He's already fixed the bathrooms at Linda Vista and the center's bikes and he has only been here 2days! Awesome Casey. So glad to have them all on board!
It's been great showing the new volunteers around Sarapiquí...taking them to the river, to the Pozo Azul waterfall, to OTS, white water rafting, and showing them the Sarapiqueño social life have all been highlights since my return in January.

Mi Vida en Sarapiqui...

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!

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

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)

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¨