For two weeks Valerie McEllin, a native of Kiltimagh, found herself digging trenches, plastering walls, and carrying boulders. With worn-in jeans and muddy boots, Valerie spent her holiday volunteering to build homes for underprivileged families and fell in love with beautiful Costa Rica.
“The decision to choose Costa Rica comprised a quick search on Google images and our minds were made up,” she said.
Now, years later, the Mayo native is still motivated to volunteer more of her time and has applied for a career break which would take her away from the current norm.
After teaching in Italy for a year and returning home to teach for three consecutive years, Valerie was ready for a change outside the classroom, she said.
Working in Italy infected Valerie with the infamous travel bug, and the physicality of the building project appealed to her greatly, as it was outside in beautiful Costa Rica. Valerie booked her project through i-to-i, the Irish based travel organisation specialising in volunteer placements abroad.
“I was delighted to find the option of doing something worthwhile and helpful while at the same time being active and outdoors,” she said.
During Valerie’s project in Costa Rica she lived with a host family and got an in-depth look at the culture and lifestyle.
“Meeting and getting to know the other project volunteers was brilliant fun, but above all, I was enriched by the warmth and closeness of my host family, of whom I have fantastic memories,” she said.
With over 500 volunteer projects globally, i-to-i offers a variety of placements and opportunities which had brought Valerie to be interested in a building project in Vietnam, or possibly working with children in India.
“You can’t underestimate the effect you can have on a person’s life,” Valerie said. “And if you can do something to improve someone’s day for even one minute, then where’s the harm?”
