Volunteer Vacation Testimonials
Costa Rica Orosi Testimonials
“I was very lucky to have a great group of women working with me. You will be working on tasks you don't know how to do yet, but you pick things up very quickly. I can now say I can use a sander, drill into steel, and stain wood!
On our last day, several of the women who live in La Flor came together to give us coffee and pastries. I would've felt proud of our work either way, but seeing their smiles and recognizing the time they took out of their day to thank us for our work connected the work I did to the people it would affect. Sitting with them and feeling their gratitude was among my favorite moments of the program because I didn't need to understand each word they were saying to know how thankful they were. I truly feel I can say I know the culture and interacted with it.”
Eleanor Faems
Orosi Valley, Costa Rica.
August, 2024
“Costa Rica Orosi ValleyThe project at the community center and church was meaningful to the community, and therefore it was meaningful to us - we appreciated the opportunity to contribute to the restoration and beautification of these important structures. The visit to the school was also a highlight. My observation is that both my children and the Costa Rican children were impacted by the experience.
The opportunity to connect with members of the local community and experience a level of cultural immersion was the best part of the program. We met individuals and families of all ages and generations, each with their own interests, passions, and stories to tell. We gained exposure to the language, family life, typical homes and businesses, schools, church, farming, and so much more.
A highlight was visiting Paco's farm - it was beautiful, and we enjoyed bearing witness to the pride and joy he felt. My kids loved their time at the local elementary school, connecting with kids of all ages through play and comparing the US vs. Costa Rican way of life. They learned how much they had in common! And it was wonderful for all the kids to practice English/Spanish together.
We chose to participate as a family, and this was the perfect project for us - everyone had work to do that was appropriate for their age/skill level and allowed them to grow. We worked both individually and together, which was great. My daughter has already spread the word about Globe Aware to her friends and is interested in returning to this project with one or more of them. I haven't had a chance to think about which other programs interest me/us, but we are definitely interested in learning more and considering the options!”
Jennifer Maniscalco
Orosi Valley, Costa Rica.
July, 2024
“I really enjoyed helping out a local family and also worked on a project to sand and paint benches for the community center. I felt like these projects were meaningful and helpful to the community. There was plenty of free time, so I got to explore some of the community.
I definitely enjoyed the food and always got seconds if I wanted them, and the accommodations were amazing. I really enjoyed the setup of the lodge. I really enjoyed Federico and how he interacted with our group and got to know us.”
Tessa Omer
Orosi Valley, Costa Rica. March, 2024
“I know we really helped this family. In addition, we worked on a community project as well. I liked the location, the people, Federico, and the work. We so love our experiences with Globe Aware. They are meaningful, fun, and mind expanding!”
Sandy Reilly
Orosi Valley, Costa Rica. November, 2023
“This was my 5th time volunteering with Globe Aware (Cuba, Cambodia, Vietnam, the Philippines, and now Costa Rica). Federico was our Costa Rica coordinator and he was EXCELLENT. He was very friendly and knowledgeable, accommodated our schedule needs, and made us feel very welcome. I would recommend the Costa Rica Orosi Valley to my friends and family. The project was a good mixture of hard work (mixing cement to make concrete) and "easy" work (helping decorate a community center for an event).”
Kyle Rowley
Orosi Valley, Costa Rica. November, 2023
![](/images/joomlart/article/3086868fd47c19866acad62fba575b36.jpg)
Without Globe Aware, we would never have visited Orosi Valley and had this experience. This is such an exclusive experience but also so rewarding at the same time. The balance was perfect. The first half of the trip focused on working, then the second half was on leisure activities. Before beginning work at the community center, we had the chance to meet the local families that would use the community center. Having this understanding beforehand made our work project meaningful.
Sarah Park
Orosi Valley, Costa Rica. July 2022
![](/images/joomlart/article/f4b01d8a0ac0109782c212e078010544.jpg)
Alex,
Everything went really well! Federico and I had no issues meeting up at the airport, and from there everything was great. He was a blast to spend time with, and helped provide a lot of perspective on the local culture, not to mention the wildlife and vegetation. He's practically a walking encyclopedia. He also set up transportation for me to visit the LaPaz waterfall park on the morning of my departure, which turned out to be really cool and something I'm very glad I did. I wasn't aware of it until the night before I left when Federico suggested it. But getting to see toucans so close up was cool, and the area where they let you hold test tubes of nectar while hummingbirds whiz around you was probably a once in a lifetime experience. The waterfalls were really dramatic too. And I got to really experience the true meaning of cloud forest after getting rained on while there.
![](/images/joomlart/article/d3c4d52362cfc099ff893614322bc7c7.jpg)
“We had a wonderful experience and are so grateful that we were able to go on this trip as a family and with our friends. Many companies discouraged us from bringing young children along on a volunteer trip, but Globe Aware has encouraged us to bring our children and made it possible for us to do so. Thank you so much! I have already recommended Globe Aware to several of my friends.”
- Amy![](/images/joomlart/article/bddd72afc989bc99959403e810677ba4.jpg)
Dear Staff at Globe Aware,
I wrote a long thank you to Frederico for our wonderful trip to the Orosi Valley last Dec., '15 when we painted their church for Christmas, but I don't think he received the email. I has been awhile but this trip is a forever memory experience. It was the most amazing time, and we (with family) enjoyed both work and play on this trip.
The wonderful other families (both on the trip and our hosts), food and futbol, card games after working a full day made the event more like "camp" since we made new friends while helping and having fun. Please send this Thanks to Frederico who may not even remember me (Sue, Scott and Mark) by this point with all his visitors, but possibly and I hope so. When I say "amazing" trip, I truly mean it and know Frederico was working hard behind the scenes every day to make this happen while appearing relaxed and easy going when he was with us, but always helping us keep on schedule.
![](/images/joomlart/article/705fa6a2ccef5f3fc6164f97adc8e5bf.jpg)
The local people were so appreciative and welcoming. There was plenty of free time to unwind. The food was great and they even made vegetarian meals for my daughter. It was amazing to see another culture and how they live. My children were amazed at how small the houses were but everyone seemed happy. More is not always better. We were able to communicate even though there was a language barrier. It was a wonderful experience. Our guide, Federico, was amazing. He knows so much about the local culture and community. He was a travel guide, interpreter, chef, driver and friend all wrapped up into one. He is an incredible person. - Jennifer Hilger July 2014
![](/images/joomlart/article/03328770a6fb60087b9fbf4aaba97e3f.jpg)
New testimonial: Having just returned from our service trip to Orosi Valley I wanted to reach out and thank your organization for putting on a first class trip. It was truly an enlightening experience for my son and me. The accommodations were perfect, Federico did an amazing job in coordinating everything for our week’s stay, and the local work projects which we assigned were were both educational and fulfilling. My son is still talking about all that he saw and learned while in Costa Rica. - Alexander Allen, March 2015
![](/images/joomlart/article/3147021596b060406d6b9bc0a18add24.jpg)
Federico was super accommodating and tried to respond to every request that someone in our group made -- whether it was about food, free time or something else. From my perspective, everything went very smoothly. I thought the food was delicious. I especially liked the lentil patties at Gustavo's house. Going to try and make those at home one day! - Emilia Askari February 2015