After more than 10 years in ice-speedskating I started skateboarding again last summer. I didn´t know exactly what to do after the time of the exam – e.g. Study or working or something else. But than – after I saw the presentation of the video about building the skate park in “Dresden Wettbuero” and Luise told me that volunteers are always welcome to work – I decided to support the project because I agree in the aims and I am very interested in its emphasis.

There is a chance that “Pura Vida Skateboarding” is in cooperation with “Weltwaerts” and “skate aid” and therfore I´ve got a place for political volunteering development here in Costa Rica. I submitted my application and after an interview with Chritian, Torben from “skate aid” and representatives of “Weltwaerts” ( One World Network in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany), I got the approval for a one year voluntary service here in San Isidro.

I was very happy about that and it is great for me. With the knowledge that the work as a volunteer requires a high level of initiative and self-responsibility I left Germany at August the 8th.

My first impressions are confirmed by the colorful nature of the country and its friendly and helpful people and the anticipations about the land are fulfilled. When I arrived in San Isidro my mentor and contact for the project Ricardo took me on and gave me a very good insight into the project.

At the same time a group of master students staying here for workshops with young people in video and photography. They gave a very warm welcome to me. I got many help from them in the first weeks and I got a view in their work. Therefore I gained a good experience how to manage a workshop by myself. The results are all very well and they gave the participants a lot of joy. You can see the results in facebook under “EIN AUSBLICK”.

The team here on site isn´t working together as volunteers only in the project – we´re also have become good friends. This makes it much easier to speak about the little daily problems, structural changes and upcoming goals. This takes the planning in good progress.
For example: we have decided to make a “reunion” with all the participants of the workshops and also the skaters in the park every 2 weeks. Here is an impression of the first reunion. )

In focus stands to discuss the mutual knowledge and the rules for behavior in and around the skate park. The launch was set that in the future (hopefully) at least one volonteer will take part in addition to the short-time volunteers. This will help and it can be a continuous structuring growing up of the workshops e.g. in English-, German- or art lessons.
But to realize that there was a great obstacle for us. The classrooms they are formerly used previously were closed to us. That makes the performance to teach almost impossible.

It was on focus for us to get the classrooms back again. By support of Ricardio – a skater of the group who is working in the city hall – we got a chance for a meeting with an ability of the city council and the chairman of the ground which houses the classrooms. The talk was very good and it has turned out that there is an interesting in the project by the town council and we can use the premises in the future.

At this point I would like to say goodbye until next time and say a thanks to all involved helpers to build the skate park. It is a great project for the future what Christian has launched and we stay here to give the best to endorse and expand it.

Miriam Neumann