What inspired you to work for Raleigh Costa Rica?
Young people. I strongly believe we have the potential to change the world. I saw with my own eyes how young people generated real changes through volunteering in a context as difficult as that of Venezuela. And that's why I continued my path in this sector. Raleigh Costa Rica offers me the opportunity to continue supporting young people, to propose and create according to my experience, and that is something valuable.
Describe a typical day at work.
I am in charge of managing volunteer recruitment actions, my day is quite varied. I can be answering email queries in the morning, and in the afternoon working on a project site generating content for social media. The Raleigh CR team is made up of young people, with a good vibe. We enjoy what we do and that makes the work environment very cool and light.
La Cangreja National Park
What advice would you tell your pre-travel self?
Never stop traveling, be open to new people, take the time to get to know them, ask them what they like about their cultures. Don't be afraid to try new things, food, and music. Trust that this is going to be the best experience of your life. Although at times you miss your home, you can always return, so value the opportunity to leave your comfort zone and take in the learning.
What makes your organization special?
People definitely. Raleigh CR offers an experience of diversity and interculturality like few organizations. Being able to interact with people from all over the world who have common goals is the best life experience—it is something that is not learned in school or university, you have to live it to understand it. All while having the privilege of living in an Indigenous community or national park in one of the most biodiverse countries in the world. What more can you ask for?
Why should someone choose your organization over competitors?
Raleigh CR takes you out of your comfort zone, leads you to have great learning, and, above all, to know yourself. For a young person with little or no work experience, self-knowledge is very important. Knowing what you are capable of - what you are made of - will help you face difficult situations in the future. It is a challenging experience of teamwork, of making your own decisions, and walking with the consequences.
Working on Barbilla National Park
How is your company handling Covid protocols? What should participants know about your Covid readiness? How are you assisting participants with navigating the new travel landscape?
At a time when most countries are fighting against the pandemic, the role played by organizations that receive foreign volunteers is essential. Raleigh CR has an emergency decision-making team, and the risks associated with Covid have been determined with their respective response mechanisms. All of our participants are vaccinated and we regularly do lateral flow tests to check the health of our entire team.
What is Raleigh Costa Rica's mission and how do you continue to work toward it?
Raleigh Costa Rica’s mission is: To ignite youth-led action that creates solutions to the world’s most urgent problems.
We do this by working together with partners and universities to motivate more young people to come to Costa Rica, showing them the kinder side of Latin America and what their hard work can achieve. We have to take immediate action because the present depends on our work and volunteering is a very good way to start.
What do you hope participants take away from your programs?
Comfort to make their own decisions, and the certainty that youth have much to contribute from their own experience. We hope participants understand that climate change is a related problem that we must start fighting today, and the effort of every person in the world is necessary. We hope participants carry the best memories of Costa Rica, a country of friendly people who want to make the world a better place.
Landscape to Indigenous Territory
Why is it important for people to travel abroad and experience new cultures?
We live in a diverse and multicultural world. Each country has its own characteristics, such as: language, gastronomy, music, dances, traditions, habits, laws, beliefs, literature, art, clothing, among others. It is important because they broaden your vision of the world, stimulate creativity, improve your interpersonal relationships, and promote effective communication. Travel has many benefits.
Why do you think learning a new language is important?
Learning other languages allows you to enrich your life, experience new ideas, and exercise your mind. You can benefit from world cultural diversity, obtain scholarships for postgraduate studies, or work in a transnational company. In learning a new language, you develop an ability to express yourself to others in order to be understood across languages. The world today has no limits—the limits are those we create ourselves.
22F Expedition
What advice do you have for individuals thinking about going abroad?
Traveling abroad allows you to get to know another culture and broaden your vision of society. It makes us more flexible and respectful—we learn to value the needs and thought patterns of the people we meet. Specifying in your resume that you have volunteered abroad is an opportunity to showcase your experience, and going abroad adds additional value over your command of the language you’ve learned and practiced. This helps you stand out when being considered for a new role because it endorses your experience in adapting to other cultures and languages.
What does meaningful travel mean to you?
Impact tourism is providing strategic contributions of time, talent, and value to social and environmental projects in destinations around the world. This includes tourism companies, travelers, and organizations in alliance with the host communities. There are many ways to contribute to the environment and developing countries, and what better way than to do it while getting to know first-hand the local people and their experiences?
