📝 Detailed information
🏢 About the local organisation
ACI Costa Rica is a non-profit organization founded in 1967, whose main goal is to promote programs of intercultural learning and international volunteer service (IVS) for people from all around of the world, facilitating their experience in social and ecological projects, developing global citizens.
ACI wants to contribute to solidarity and friendship between the different societies of our globalized world, to sustainable human development, and personal growth of our participants.
Our organization is an active full member of the International Cultural Youth Exchange (ICYE), a federation of more than 40 intercultural and IVS organizations located in the five continents. ICYE Headquarters are placed in Berlin, Germany. The federation of ICYE has been recognized as International Peace Messenger by the United Nations.
ACI Costa Rica has developed partnerships with other networks and programs such as: The Committee of Coordination of International Voluntary Service (CCIVS), associate to UNESCO, The Alliance of European Organizations (ALLIANCE), Volunteering Matters from United Kingdom (VM), VolontEUROPE, Weltwärs from the German government, and ERASMUS + from the European Union.
The experiences we promote are mainly focused on incoming and outgoing programs, involving long and short-term periods, for groups and individuals. These programs are managed in cooperation with our local Costa Rican networks, partner organizations and communities such as: The Federation of Social Organizations (FOS) and YO ME UNO from the private initiate, and others.
💼 What the programme involves
This is a grass roots organization located in the rural community of El Silencio
Coopesilencio, around 1,5 hours inland from Quepos. It is a self-managed farming,
animal husbandry and rural tourism cooperative that has a strong commitment to
protecting the environment and runs conservation and environmental education
activities. The cooperative owns almost 1000 hectares of land that are being used for
different activities such as: African Palm tree cultivation, reforestation, conservation
of primary forest and ecotourism. Coopesilencio’s mission statement is “to promote
the social and economic development of its families, through the use of profitable
enterprises and the protection of the environment that surrounds them”.
The village is surrounded by a tropical forest on the northeast side and by the Savegre
River on the northwest side. El Rey beach is only one hour southwest from the
community of El Silencio.
Possible tasks for the volunteer:
• To help in any activity with maintaining, developing, and improving the
ecotourism program that the cooperative runs:
§ Gardening
§ Making wood signs for the trails
§ Maintaining and cleaning the trails of the forest and the water ducts of the
community
§ Help with the other projects of the Cooperative, such as organic farming,
animal husbandry as well as at the lodge and restaurant area for visitors
🏠 Accommodation on site
The volunteers stay in a host family which will be near the project.
3 meals per day are provided by the family.
📍 About the location
El Silencio is located around 27 km from the center of Quepos, in which you can find all the basic services (Banks, Supermarkts, Restaurants, Gyms).
⚠️ Requirements
Required skills and interests of the volunteer:
• To have the maturity to work following the rules in a responsible way. The
project has internal rules that apply to the project, the community and the host
families.
• To work on tasks such as building cages and fences, digging ditches, raking, etc.
• To adapt to outdoor work in a tropical climate with very modest living
accommodations and insects
• Basic Spanish Level
ℹ️ Additional information
Project Fee: $140 per week /
Apart from the Project Fee per month, there is a Fee charged by ACI:
Weeks Eco Camps
1 to 4 $150
5 to 8 $250
9 to 12 $350
13 + $450
A minimum stay of 2 weeks at the project is required.
Local transportation, international insurance and airfare will be covered by the volunteer.