They tell me “Life is Calling”, and then ask “How far [I'm] willing to go?” Well, the truth is, all the way to Costa Rica. For two years. That’s how far. Physically, it’s not that far, but mentally? It’s far. And the Peace Corps motto above says it all.
This June marks one year of living in Costa Rica as a Children, Youth, and Family Development volunteer. My town is a small agriculture town of about 600 inhabitants in the central-valley mountains where there have been ups, there have been downs, and there have been in-betweens. Life is simple, life is unpredictable, and life is….challenging. This, I have discovered first hand over the past year in a country that struggles to get its footing over a vast crevasse of a rocky cliff between a land of poverty and a land beaming full of tourism. 
When I got my Peace Corps placement of Costa Rica, most people couldn’t believe it. “There’s Peace Corps in Costa Rica?” “Oh, tough break,” or “It’ll be like you’re on vacation for two years!” But there is a face of Costa Rica – a face that most people don’t know.
This face of Costa Rica, it’s hidden well. It’s hidden deep in my village where Nicaraguan mothers struggle to afford milk for their children. It’s hidden in broken benches that surround the soccer field and in the tin walls that make up the houses here. It’s hidden in the discrimination between Nicaraguans and Costa Ricans. It’s hidden in the lack of resources in the school. It’s hidden in the lack of productive activities for youth. It’s hidden. Everywhere.
That’s, I guess, where my job comes in- two years working in the youth development sector of this community. And due to the slow process of international development work, I am finally beginning to feel like I am making a difference here, one year later. As a firm believer in the power of images, photography and creative expression to create change, I have used that as a way to empower children and give them an outlet for their hidden voices as the basis of many of my projects. And will continue to do so over the next year.
My time here is long. But my time here is also short. It’s simple; but, it’s challenging. It’s planned; but it’s also incredibly unpredictable. There are barriers of all sorts, and there are rocks in the way. But it’s real, and it’s extraordinary, and I am immersed in it – this lovely country balancing between “developed” and “developing.” This country has stories to tell.
Rebecca Stumpf is currently a Peace Corps volunteer in Copey de Dota, Costa Rica. To read more about her experiences and see more of her photography, check out her website and photography blog. For some delicious recipes, check out her food blog.
Latest posts by beckarie
- It's All About Who You Know - October 7th, 2010
- Office-Errr, House Hours - September 17th, 2010
- Lessons of Working in Another Culture - August 25th, 2010
- Observing From the Inside - July 29th, 2010
- Ode to Costa Rica - July 15th, 2010
- Is Living in Latin America Turning Me Into a Hypochondriac? - July 6th, 2010
- Day in the Life: On Laundry - June 17th, 2010
This reminds me of the documentary Born into Brothels. If you haven’t read it, you should. Love the pictures, love the writing, well said. Keep up the work, though it feels in vain often, it rarely is.
as an Idealist I try to keep a fresh perspective and remind myself that slow, small steps of progress can make a big difference, but sometimes it’s so difficult! thank you for this quote:
“And due to the slow process of international development work, I am finally beginning to feel like I am making a difference here”
, encouraging me to stay motivated!