La Brunca – Summer 2024
Session B
“Happiness is not gained from your possessions but from the strength of your community,” wrote one La Brunca volunteer in reflecting on their experience.
This quote reflects the sentiment of many of our La Brunca volunteers. The La Brunca program is community-focused, providing volunteers the chance to create long-lasting cross-cultural connections not only with each other but also with their host families, local youth, and other community members. While volunteers had the opportunity to perform service work and engage in amazing activities and excursions, they felt most grateful for the community and support networks they found along the way.
“I expected it to be more focused on service, but I found instead that it’s more centered on cultural exchange. In my opinion, that made the trip so much better than I could have imagined.”
Volunteers began their journey at a biological center in Pérez Zeledón. In addition to absorbing a wealth of information and preparing for their time in the community, they spent time exploring the vast network of trails on site and contributing to several beautification projects. Participants also had the opportunity to tour an ecological reserve, learn about biological corridors, and enjoy a delicious lunch while learning about a local agricultural collective and the processing of yucca and sago flour.
Four days later, volunteers loaded our beloved buseta to travel to our community, all anxious and excited to meet their host families. We were greeted with a lovely bienvenida lunch, where volunteers got to know their host families for the first time. The next few days were full of fun activities and excursions. From hiking in a national park and learning about the importance of the region’s vast biodiversity, to enjoying ice cream at a caterpillar-shaped restaurant, to making, tasting, and using chocolate for face masks, volunteers learned all about local sustainability efforts and the significance of family-owned businesses and collectives in the area.
In the days that followed, volunteers participated in several service projects, including learning to tile at the local church, digging and pouring concrete outside the school cafeteria, and repainting the salón, including a beautiful mural designed in collaboration with community members that will bear the handprints of the volunteers long after their time here.
“I really loved seeing all the progress we made, and the local community members made it feel like we were truly making an impact.”
Some of the best evenings were spent playing competitive games of soccer with local youth in the rain. Volunteers ended their time with a day of trying traditional foods, competing family against family in field games, and a wonderful despedida filled with dancing until the sun went down.
“[I gained] greater global awareness through community bonding and an appreciation of our differences.”
Volunteers concluded their time in the mountains above San Isidro del General on a beautiful finca. They had the chance to learn about and collect microorganisms, compete in various games, and reflect on their time together, the impact they made on others, and the impact others made on them.
La Brunca – Session D
Our small but mighty group of La Brunca D arrived in Costa Rica late Thursday night. After a night filled with their first tastes of Costa Rican food and getting to know each other, the volunteers got up early to travel to Pérez Zeledón. A long but beautiful journey, full of mountain views, delicious snacks, and plenty of chit-chat, came to an end as the bus entered our community and climbed the mountain to our briefing site. Between briefing activities and thoughtful discussions, the volunteers found time to play soccer, hike, play cards, and enjoy other fun games that brought them closer together. In addition to learning more about what lay ahead, the volunteers also built beautiful rock walls to support garden plots and weeded numerous bamboo planters.
A couple of days later, the volunteers eagerly boarded the bus to our next community, where they would meet their host families. From the very first moment, the volunteers pushed themselves out of their comfort zones, speaking in Spanish and engaging with their host family members, sharing their likes and interests, and learning more about the people they would be staying with. The next few mornings were spent completing service work, from filling tire planters to carrying branches to painting. In the afternoons, the volunteers learned more about the local entrepreneurship their host families were involved in and the projects they led. Their evenings were filled with soccer games with local kids, learning to cook traditional meals, and lots of singing and dancing. Participants also had the chance to visit a local high school, where they connected with local youth through human pyramids, circus games, and letter exchanges.
“It was really fun to meet people my age in my community and to actually form some cross-cultural connections and friendships.”
Our local youth leader took the time to teach our volunteers the steps of traditional dances and led them through fun field games. Volunteers also learned to make rice tamales, a delicious dish unique to the region.
“The student youth leaders were amazing; all of them were incredibly kind and excited to get to know the volunteers.”
Volunteers concluded their time in the community with a tour and hike of a local palm farm, a soccer tournament in a neighboring community, and a beautiful despedida night, during which they sang together and danced the night away.
The bus ride back to Pérez Zeledón was filled with games, karaoke, and shared memories. Their debriefing time was spent reflecting on their experiences and preparing to return home and share what they had learned.
“I think I will try to take more opportunities to help my community through volunteer work, because I want to bring back these ideals of supporting communities that welcome us by helping with what they care about.”
Volunteers also had the chance to learn about cane sugar processing, make their own tapitas de dulce, and ride in a traditional ox cart. From candle lighting to ice cream to movie nights, volunteers laughed, shared, and recharged as their program came to a close.
Beyond the amazing experiences and wealth of information learned, what stayed with volunteers most were the little moments shared with each other and their host families. Whether it was an UNO game, a music exchange, or memories shared while washing dishes, volunteers found small points of connection in every corner.
“My host family was absolutely amazing; my host mother was the sweetest woman alive, and I felt really well supported by her.”
Aerin McQuillen
