Volunteering in Costa Rica: Coffee Cooperative

Construction Program

The Coffee Cooperative Project runs throughout the year. However, the activities that volunteer will have the opportunities to be involved in vary according to the season:  

• Harvest season runs from November through March every year. During this period, volunteers will spend at least some of their days picking coffee in the field.
• From November through May, volunteer activities will be centred on processing the coffee: this involves passing the coffee beans through machinery to get the pulp of the coffee cherry off, washing the beans, and drying the beans on drying patios that need to be raked and moved around on a regular basis.
• Other non-seasonal activities include roasting and packaging the beans, working on improving marketing and distribution of the coffee product. There will also be opportunities such as teaching English in local schools throughout the year.

Volunteers will work alongside the local community in strengthening the entire coffee product operation, in both coffee production and marketing,  as well as in reforestation and caring for the local ecosystem.

Accommodation

Volunteers will be accommodated in a local family-stay. All families selected for this are pre-approved, and the program fees cover breakfast, lunch, and dinner from Monday through to Sunday. Most family-stays include a shared room and shared bath facilities, and many of the families have been hosting volunteers for years.

Meals and Food

Local Costa Rican food is provided three times a day for participants at family-stays. Costa Rican food is a fusion cuisine. It combines elements of culinary traditions from Africa, Italy, France, China, and Spain, flavoured by traditional grains (rice, corn, and beans), roots sweet potatoes), spices (coriander, garlic, annatto, saffron, parsley, oregano, thyme, nutmeg, salt, and pepper), oils (olive oil, vegetable oil, and lard), sauces (Soy, and Worcestershire), fresh fruit, and vegetables. The food is mild to slightly seasoned.

Free Time

Volunteers are expected to work Monday to Friday, with weekends free to travel and explore the region. We encourage you to make the most of your time in Costa Rica, and there are some fantastic sights to see.

Communication

Free internet is available for volunteers to use at our partner's headquarters.  Internet cafés are widely available in San Jose.

If you are interested in bringing your own cell phone and getting a pre-paid SIM card, by far the easiest way to do this is at the airport.

If you do not have a cell phone, do not worry! Most volunteers stay in touch with a combination of phone cards for local calls, and Skype and/or email to stay in touch with friends and family at home.

Number of Volunteers

The Costa Rica program usually has between 15 and 40 volunteers per month, but the number of volunteers varies depending on the season.  Generally you are placed with one to three other volunteers at your project.

To return to the main Costa Rica program, click here.