Connection Café: Volunteering abroad

	Volunteering abroad
	Posted by Robin Anderson at Sep 25, 2008 09:34 AM CDT Categories: Volunteerism

I recently took a vacation in Costa Rica. This wasn’t your typical vacation though. I signed up to volunteer, along with a group of several other people, helping abused and neglected children at a local children’s shelter in Cartago, Costa Rica for one week.

Initially, I was worried that I wouldn’t be good at interacting and playing with the kids, but they were so loving and so open-hearted, they really didn’t give you a choice. I don’t mean to imply that they weren’t occasionally mischievous or that they didn’t test us, as most kids will do, but beneath all of that was a deep sense of compassion and love, for themselves and for others.

Part of this was due to the couple who had adopted them – all 37 of them. Realizing the limitations of the Costa Rican foster system, this couple decided to make a home and a family for these children – something they would not get in an orphanage. No matter what the children had been through and even if they initially resisted, they would embrace and hold each one of them and tell them how much they loved them upon entering their home for the first time. Up until the age of 12, all of the kids are encouraged to simply be kids, play and go to school. Once they are older they are given chores – and the children actually want to do them!

Needless to say, this couple’s love and unwavering commitment to these kids was inspiring. By the end of the week, without even fully realizing it, I had grown immensely attached to these children. All of the volunteers tried to keep the goodbyes light-hearted and positive, but for most of us it was heartbreaking to leave, knowing we’d probably never see them again. I will miss them, but I doubt I could ever forget them.

There are many different organizations available if you are interested in doing volunteer work abroad. The organization I worked with was Cross-Cultural Solutions. Due to their incredible attention to detail, their credibility and their passion for helping people in need, I would personally recommend them to anyone seriously considering volunteering in another country.