📝 Detailed information
🏢 About the local organisation
ACI Costa Rica is a non-profit NGO that promotes and coordinates intercultural programs and international volunteering for youth from across the globe. With more than 45 years of experience in doing this, we are experts in mentoring volunteers in their intercultural experience, guiding them in their collaboration with social and ecological projects, allowing for them to gain new perspectives of the world and a better understanding of different cultures in the world.
El Hogar de Ancianos de Cañas works with around 40 elderly people mainly locals from the town. They supply different services as:
-Lodging and Food,
-Psychological and physical therapies,
-Medical support,
In general they become their family during their stay at the centre. The main goal for the centre is to protect elderly people with disadvantages from the community. The placement gets support from the Government, and NGO´s like ACI Costa Rica.
During more than 5 years, ACI Costa Rica has cooperated with this community by sending international volunteers, young people who have shared with the locals and supported different placements as schools, communal centres, etc.
💼 What the programme involves
The main tasks for Volunteers:
1-Infra - structure project (to be confirmed a month before the starting date for the workcamp). It can be:
a-Painting of different areas.
b-Building sites walks and/or trails.
2-Maintenance of green areas and different facilities when it is needed.
3-Support with the attention and activities for the elderly people from the centre.
🏠 Accommodation on site
Lodging and Food during the Workcamp:
During Orientation Process (first night in San José): ACI Costa Rica will place the group of international volunteers in a Hostel located in San José, very closed from ACI Office. Lodging and food will be covered by ACI Costa Rica.
During the time in Cañas: Local Families will be more than happy to receive 15 international volunteers plus our ACI supervisor and leader of the group. Families will supply three meals a day, a private room and all their care to the volunteers. Families may be included in some of the activities as well.
📍 About the location
Cañas is the sixth canton in the province of Guanacaste in Costa Rica. The canton covers an area of 682.20 km², and has a population of 25,897. Its capital city is also called Cañas. The elongated canton touches the Río Tempisque in the southwest. It keeps the Río Bebedero and Río Tenorio on its western boundary as it widens to encompass agricultural lowlands before climbing into the Cordillera de Guanacaste up to the Tenorio Volcano National Park. The canton was established by a decree of July 12, 1878.
Cañas is located about three hours away from the Capital City of San José. The city is surrounded by the tropical dry forest from the region. This community is also located really closed to Tilarán and the biggest Lake of Costa Rica named Lago Arenal. It has also very good access to many of the best and more famous beach resorts from the North Pacific. Settled by the Pan - American Road, Cañas is known as an important town for visitors from all over the country, on the way to many different places in the North Lands of our country.
Cañas as many cities from Guanacaste is well known as the hearth of the Costa Rican Folklore regarding music, dances and many other traditions. This town can be considered as a middle size town or a small city with all the facilities as: banks, supermarkets, hospital and many clinics, stores, cafeterias, etc.