I'm so excited to announce that while in Costa Rica I will be volunteering at CAIPAD, the Center for People with Disabilities. I will be working with special needs teens and adults. I have a good amount of training with special needs students and am eager to help where I can. I don't speak very much Spanish, but in a situation like this, I'm sure it won't be a problem. What's most important is patience and love. I will helping and organizing activities, developing programs, supervising, and most importantly being a role model. It will be a lot of hands on experience to say the least. I know I will make a difference in an environment like this. Sometimes what helps most is having an enthusiastic friend to guide you through the day... for them and for me.
I know I will be challenged by this job but at the same time, my energy and enthusiasm for helping people will surely shine through and be very helpful to those I'm assisting.
I know lots of easy games, crafts, songs, and activities; my knowledge will certainly be put to go use. I'm more than happy to oblige.
I will be working mornings, M-F. And even if it's raining, I'm sure many of the faces I will be greeted by will bring plenty of sunshine.
The only thing I have to be aware of is the fact that I have body art. Because I will be in a different country where tattoos and piercing might be perceived differently, I need to cautious that they are not obvious. Thankfully I've always had this in mind when I got any kind of tattoo or piercing. None of my body art is offensive or in bad taste or might be construed as anything but "pretty". I will likely have to learn some Spanish to describe them, in case any of the people I'm assisting become curious. However, the art is soooo small, it will likely be some time before anyone notices. Hopefully they will notice my big smile, positive attitude and enthusiasm before anything else.
Wish me luck!
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