Algonquin
College Social
Services
Students Visit
Costa Rica
By Sean Chase
Members of
Algonquin
College's Social
Service Worker
program recently
spent a week in
Costa Rica where
they conducted
humanitarian
projects to
assist orphans
and people
suffering from
HIV/AIDS.
The visit,
planned by the
program's
coordinator,
Summer Boone,
under the title
"Helping Hands
Team 2010," gave
11 students and
staff members
the unique
experience of
helping others
in a third world
country.
The group
arrived in the
Latin American
nation on Feb.
13. They
immediately
focused their
attentions on
the Pueblito
orphanage which
was founded in
1972 by the
Canadian
International
Development
Agency (CIDA).
Their purpose
was to spend
time teaching
the 113 children
who live there
using a
pre-planned
curriculum in
English which
focused on
subjects such as
the Canadian
culture, food,
weather, and
exercise,
nutrition and
team building.
The plight of
the orphans
opened the eyes
of the social
worker students.
"Many of the
children came
from abusive
homes,"
explained
student Kim
Sheldrick,
noting their
parents were
either addicted
to drugs or
alcohol or
involved in
crime. "Some of
them didn't care
to see their
children again.
If the children
didn't have a
support system,
they came to the
orphanage."
The group also
spent one day
assisting the "Hogar
Esperanza," a
shelter for men
and women
affected by
HIV/AIDS. Many
of the victims
had been forced
to live on the
streets or turn
to a life of
prostitution to
survive. They
also learned
that human
trafficking,
which sees young
people lured by
false promises
to be sold and
exploited, is
becoming a
pressing social
problem for
Costa Rica.
"These people
have no money
and Costa Rica
has no social
assistance so
without the
shelter they
would be forced
to turn to the
street for
money,"
recounted
student Nancy
Blimkie.
During their
outreach
program, Ms.
Blimkie spoke to
a group of women
who were either
HIV positive or
had to care for
a family member
with the
disease. She was
struck by their
resiliency.
"They spoke of
their children,
hope, dreams and
several spoke of
owning their own
businesses," she
said.
When they
weren't
conducting
humanitarian
work, the group
visited several
landmarks
including the
Arenal Volcano,
one of the 10
most active
volcanos in the
world, the
Inbioparque, a
bio-diversity
nature park, and
the Braulio
Carrillo
National Park.
They also
interactive with
the local
community by
living with a
host family
through which
they gained a
better
understanding of
the culture and
issues which
affect the
democratic
republic.
"We all agreed
that this was a
very successful
project and that
we accomplished
what we set out
to do," said
student Suzanne
Audet. "We made
a difference in
the lives of
people who
needed a helping
hand." |
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
