Indigenous Project in Bambu, Costa Rica

  Costa Rica

• Eastern Lowlands: 
Bribri

Durations of Program: 1-2 weeks, 2-4 weeks, 5-8 weeks, 9-12 weeks and 3-6 months
Typical Duration of Program: 2-4 weeks
Dates: Any day of the year

Description: Volunteers in Bambu will be integrated into the local indigenous community while participating in a variety of ongoing sustainable and cultural volunteer projects, designed to strengthen the community.

Bambu, labeled on traditional maps as Bratsi, is reached by following the Suretka River, about 30 minutes into the reservation from the main indigenous community of Bribri. A good deal of the way as you're passing alongside the river, youll see Panama directly on the opposite side of the riverbank.

One of the main organizations we work with there is the Bambu Cultural Center. A very charismatic and dynamic indigenous man named Danilo Gabb fulfilled a dream recently by building some amazingly beautiful structures using traditional indigenous methods.

The Center host groups from around the world, as well as leading tours throughout the indigenous reservation and even into Panama. The best part about this center - Danilo's dream fulfilled - is it directly supports 20 local families through the income it produces through receiving overnight guests, groups and the tours they lead. The families all take turns with Center responsibilities, such as cleaning, cooking, managing guests, leading the tours and performing the necessary maintenance on the grounds.

There are many things our volunteers help with at the Center, including teaching English to the families who work there, children and adults from town, translating for the tours, helping to build marketing material, planting flowers and trees, general maintenance, and the planning & fulfillment of cultural activities.

The center has electricity, running water and real bathrooms, not to mention a pet crocodile, Julia, who lives in the river behind the Center. This place is so incredibly beautiful that you wont want to leave!

Using the Center as our base of operations, we work with other area residents on community projects such as reforestation, encouraging and supporting traditional farming, as well as permanent or sustainable agriculture. As a foundation, one of our main goals is to work with the community and their own intentions of preserving nature and their indigenous culture. As a volunteer, you will also have the wonderful opportunity to take part in the local activities of the family that you are living with. The families take turns in hosting our volunteers and pride themselves on creating a safe, loving and enjoyable atmosphere. You will be welcomed into their home as part of their family and you will be fed wholesome meals of rice, beans, fresh fruit, plantains (type of banana), fresh fruit juices and often chicken or fresh fish, and of course fresh Costa Rican coffee.

Volunteering in Bambu, or anywhere else on the Reservation is not for everyone. Though the people themselves will likely be some of the most welcoming, friendly people you have ever met, it is a quiet place. You should expect to be isolated from the outside world for the most part for several days at a time. You will not find bars, restaurants, stores, cell phones, internet cafes or lots of the creature comforts you might be used to back home. We have found that this opportunity fits well for individuals, families and groups who are ready to leave behind their creature comforts for a while in exchange for the opportunity to build relationships with the people in this community, to learn or improve their Spanish or to really take advantage of immersing themselves in this loving culture.

Where most all of our host families have electricity and private rooms for their guests, there are some homes that do not have bathrooms inside the home. And though the house might have electricity, some homes do not have electrical outlets. Lights are sometimes hardwired into the electrical system. So charging your iPod or plugging in your hairdryer can be a challenge in some cases. That being said, nearly 100% of our volunteers who have visited Bambu have left in tears, having had life-altering experiences and having made new friends for life. About 25% of our volunteers have returned to visit again, bringing other family members with them and to continue their support of this community in other ways.

Bambu is located about a one-hour bus ride away from the popular tourist beach town of Puerto Viejo. Because of this, many volunteers find it nice to volunteer in Bambu during the week and then to take advantage of our many tours during the weekend, or to just go relax and enjoy the many restaurants and beaches of Puerto Viejo, or nearby Bocas del Toro Panama. Many volunteers decide to combine their work at the Center while there with the nearby elementary school and retirement home.

Please visit our website photo gallery to see photos of our projects and read what past volunteers have said about their experiences in our volunteer blog.

Highlights: Life-changing experiences, unrestricted glimpses of the Costa Rica most visitors don't know, and a way to have a positive and lasting impact on a community are all major components of a volunteer vacation with Tropical Adventures.

Live among locals, learn from them and share talents that can make a difference in a society often forgotten. Take advantage of the Spanish immersion program to enhance communication during the project work.

The vacation is not all work; plenty of play is available: snorkeling, surfing, kayaking, river rafting, canopy (zip line) tours, chocolate factory tours, and several sights to see (waterfalls, butterfly garden, volcano, etc.).

Build bridges, literally and figuratively, and return home fulfilling a community's hopes and feeling fulfilled.

Qualifications: We are seeking volunteers who have the ability to impact the community in a positive way. Prospective volunteers should have a good work ethic, a friendly attitude and be willing to immerse themselves in another culture.

Cost in US$: 1 week - $995, 2 weeks - $1895, each additional week - $299

*Accommodation in guesthouses and hotels is available at extra charge.

Spanish language lessons, excursions and cellphone rental are available at an extra cost.

Children 5 and under are charged $599 for two weeks. Children aged 6-12 are charged $899 for two weeks. We offer a family discount of 10% off the total base price.

Experience Required: no

Typical Volunteer: The typical volunteer at Tropical Adventures is someone who wants to experience the rich bio-diversity of Costa Rica, while learning Spanish and sharing their time, skills and love. Our volunteers like to work hard and play hard. They work well with others and enjoy submersing themselves in a different culture. Typical volunteers are college students, families or retirees.

Age Range: 16+ unless with guardian.

This Program is open to World Wide Participants. This Program is also open to Families, Couples and Individuals

Participants Travel to Costa Rica Independently Or in Groups

Typically Participants Work Independently Or in Groups

Application Process Involves:

• Online Application plus Application Assessment
• Phone Interview

Post Services Include:

• Alumni Network
• Exit DebriefingAbroad

Tropical Adventures's Mission Statement: The Tropical Adventures Foundation is a resource for empowering individuals and communities inside and outside of Costa Rica. Our goals are to: Support the inherent value of the individual, reduce poverty and injustice, help communities achieve sustainable growth, create safe environments, promote international learning and cooperation and foster personal and worldwide peace. Every community around the world faces the fundamental challenge to create social and economic systems that promote peace, human welfare and the sustainability of the environment on which life depends. We meet this challenge by supporting and encouraging initiatives by those living and working closest to where the problems are located. We promote collaboration among diverse individuals, nonprofit organizations, government and businesses from the local area and around the world, as well as from every level of society. Our experience shows such activities help build common understanding, bring forward and reinforce the inherent value of the individual, strengthen a sense of local and worldwide community, and ultimately enable people to improve their lives and reinforce their commitment to society.

Year Founded: 2005