Volunteer in Ghana
Ghana Overview
Last Aug/Sept 2013 places! Book online or call today
Volunteer in Ghana, where both education and willing hands are highly valued. If you would like to get stuck in with a rewarding project, are resourceful and would like the freedom and flexibility to try out your own ideas this Ghana volunteer placement is for you. Travelling out from your volunteer base each day with fellow volunteers or perhaps a friend or partner you travelled with you have an exciting a variety of options. You might teach nursery rhymes to infants at day care centres, outdoor sport and games, distributing resources to very remote communities, teaching in a variety of different schools from poor schools, Islamic schools to technical colleges. You may like to spend a couple of weeks playing with children followed by a week of more practical work elsewhere where each day you are doing something different. Although two or three weeks is the average length of stay, with such variety and so many places to explore (beaches, tropical forest and safari) many people who arrive for two weeks comment that they regretted not biting the bullet and having committed to longer.
Ghana is also an ideal first time project if you are really not sure what area of work you would like to get involved with. If this is your first experience of volunteering overseas you can simply shadow the longer stay volunteers on a variety of different projects until you find the one which suits. You may like to add on building or the coastal project later in your stay. Alternatively you may like to community volunteering throughout your stay to experience a wide variety of locations and projects.
Trips in your free time
The safaris to see elephants, giraffes etc, trips to the waterfalls and the coast can all be easily organised after arrival paying local prices with the support of your friendly coordinating team. Volunteers regularly explore at the weekends, it's not all hard work in Ghana!
Volunteer in Ghana with the support of a large dedicated team of English speaking volunteer coordinators, never far away to assist and advise on how to get the most out of your experience as a Ghana volunteer from drivers, housekeepers to placement organisors and coordinators.
Volunteering in Ghana couldn't be easier if you are travelling alone as everyone stays together at a volunteer house. This provides our Ghana work volunteers with plenty of opportunities to make friends (in fact the majority of people travel alone).Or you may like to add yourself to the Buddy List and connect with others before you travel.
Media from Ghana
Country: Ghana
Book your placement with £125. Then pay £95 per week to volunteer in one of the friendliest country of Africa.
Video - Below you'll find all the videos for Ghana so you don't have to search around whole the site!
Volunteer Pictures
Conservation
Building Work
Health Work
Ghana Photos
Your memories
We have been sent some of the most lovely photos from volunteers at play and at work, they are truly inspirational.
Photo Album by volunteer Alan Phillips
Photo Album by volunteer Emily Tudor
Photo Album by volunteer Charlotte Constable
Photo Album by volunteer Coral Evans
.jpg "Volunteer Abroad with Original Volunteers")
Photo Album by volunteer Fiona Kaye
Photo Album by volunteer Matthew Ash
Photo Album by volunteer Natasha Hudson
Photo Album by volunteer Rebecca Hudson
Photo Album by volunteer Eleanor Howe
Photo by volunteer Marie Moxley
Photo Album by volunteer Nick Frost
Photo Album by volunteer Kaylee Hurst
Photo Album by volunteer Gemma Pilmoor
Photo by volunteer Kate Gutteridge
Photo by volunteer Adam Goodgroves
What next?
If you would like to book over the phone or simply ask more questions please call us on 01603 627 007
See related video ‘How to book’
If you know where and when you want to go, then you can book online.
You can also change your date of arrival or country at any time.
Trip info for Ghana
Country: Ghana
Book your placement with £125. Then pay £95 per week to volunteer in one of the friendliest country of Africa.
Change lives and volunteer in Ghana 2013 - 2014
Volunteer in Ghana
Best project for medical electives but hurry as spaces limited to 5 med students per hospital.
With a variety of options available, that can be chosen after arrival, our Ghana volunteering program provides all the ingredients of the classic African volunteering experience. There are many different volunteering options, in many locations, in and around the Kwahu region. Based at a volunteer house with your fellow volunteers; choose from one or more of the following – teaching in schools, playing and care work with children in nursery schools, outdoors games and sport, building projects and healthcare; whether you stay for one week or a month or more. For medical and nursing students, workshadowing and community outreach healthcare placements may be available, please contact us for more details. Please note summer spaces for health related extremely limited and will not be full time.
Teaching in schools
Volunteers can choose from the available options on arrival from primary and secondary schools. No experience is necessary; most volunteers have little or no experience and volunteer numbers and interest permitting, many share classes. There may be some set books to follow but there is always an opportunity to introduce the children to new things, even in the primary schools.
Nursery work
Get involved with day nurseries in and around the area. Some of the nurseries have even been built by previous volunteers! From nursery games, simple activities to washing dirty hands to one to one attention nursery work can be exhilarating. Working with young children can be very rewarding as you watch them grow and know you have been involved with their development.
Sport
Many of the children only go to school for the morning or afternoon providing plenty of opportunity to get the children together to play sport. Although football is the national sport, the children are always keen to try something new from rounders to volleyball to ‘fun’ sports day events and athletics (although don’t forget to provide refreshments and snacks for long activity sessions to keep the children going!)
Skills and experience, specific skills and experiences are not needed for any placement in Ghana and everyone is welcome to come and try their hand to something new.
What's included in this programme
Accommodation: The accommodation of the main volunteer houses comprises of large modern, self-catered, shared volunteer houses with communal lounge with TV and kitchen areas. Beds are usually single or bunkbeds and bedrooms are dorm style sleeping 2 to 4. Friends are placed together wherever possible. Toilets are western style sit-on toilets.
Support team: You will also have access to a 24/7 support team comprised of co-ordinators, housekeepers and drivers.
Airport pick-up: Pick-up is organised for all volunteers and costs £40 per person.
What's not included
Flights
Visas
Insurance
Return Airport transfer
Local Transport around Ghana
Meals
We consider this project ideal if you...
Want a variety of different options to pick and choose from
Would like to try something new and develop your skills and confidence
Want to try out your own ideas
Are looking for a busier project* with lots of like-minded volunteers
Want to experience Africa within a safe and informal environment
Highlights
A relaxed way of life in tropical Eastern Ghana away from the hustle and the bustle awaits you.
Our Ghana project provides a classic African experience, with lots of variety for volunteers.
Positive input from volunteers will help the children and set their futures up to be brighter
While volunteering in Ghana a Project Manager for a Midlands Hospital helped to build a Classroom, install a Creche, and set up Maths, and English tests during her two week stay at a school. Joyte Parmar, who works at the University of Birmingham Hospital, described her time spent volunteering at the Lisa Findlay school in Ghana as 'the best thing that I have ever done, It was fantastic'.(read review)
Food
Ghana is a self-catering project, which means you can choose what to eat and when! Great for volunteers with specific dietary requirements. There is usually a cafe/bar within easy reach and shops to buy and cook at home. Near one of the volunteer houses there is a café which serves western snacks and meals. Many volunteers on short stays will eat out every day. Shops and markets can be found in the local towns nearby either a walk or short taxi ride (taxis are used as local transport).
Local support
A local support team is available in Ghana; made up of volunteer placement co-ordinators, house staff and drivers. They can be reached easily at anytime during your stay for advice and help on any matter from changing projects to organising a visit to a doctor should you need one. Because of the flexibility of arrival dates, there are often volunteers who arrived before you available for informal advice and insights on where to volunteer and how to spend your free time.
Your local support team. Front row - Co-ordinators, Rebecca and Fred. Middle row - House keepers and assistant co-ordinator, Rose. Back row - Drivers
Getting around
Public transport is the main way to travel around Ghana but taxis are the preferred and most common transport used in rural areas. The transport is cheap for short trips ranging from 35p – 60p. For Accra a bus is the best option and costs around £3.
Local facilities
The towns – Mpraeso and Nkawkaw will have all the local facilities that are needed, including banks, doctors, cafes and other amenities.
Health
There is a hospital nearby, although volunteer visits are extremely rare, should you need one, follow the advice on the boards in the houses or call your coordinator.
What to take
Once you have applied and registered with Original Volunteers, you will receive an Information Pack via email that will have further details on the project in Ghana and what you need to do next.
Things that you will need to organise yourself
Flights to Accra
Visa
Travel Insurance
In-country transport (except your airport pickup on arrival date)
Any extra equipment – e.g books, toys, props etc.
Food
Fast facts - Project information
Project Duration: Min 1 week - Max 12 weeks
Location of project: Various locations in Kwahu and Lake Volta region.
Arrival Airport: Accra
Activities: Building, playing with children, teaching, general day-to-day care.
Working Hours: Variable – Full or Part time. Weekends free
Getting to the project: Airport pick-up and transfer to the volunteer house is automatically arranged for all volunteers, once flights have been received.
Requirements: Minimum age 18
On arrival
The nearest airport to the project is Accra. Once you arrive at Accra airport, there will be someone waiting for you to take you to the volunteer house. When you are settled in, the co-ordinator will go through all the options with you and see which projects you are most interested in and would like to be involved in. Most volunteers decide on their chosen project/s after chatting with the co-ordinator. Your fellow volunteers who may have arrived shortly before you may also have their own recommendations. Your co-ordinator will also give you a tour of the local area on the day of your arrival, showing you where you can buy food and exchange money etc. If your flight arrives in the evening then the co-ordinator will show you around the next morning once you have had the time to settle into your accommodation.
Accommodation included
Most volunteers stay at one of the main volunteer houses. Most have a large garden area or veranda; they are almost always fairly modern Ghanaian houses (of bricks and mortar, not thatched huts). There is a communal area, where the volunteers can choose to relax and watch a DVD. Accommodation is included with this project. Bedrooms are usually dormitory style, with three or four to a room, usually bunk beds.
Project resources and advice
If you are hoping to work teaching in the schools, you can bring along children’s activity books. Few of the schools will have text books for you to use, although previous volunteers tend to leave some spares for others to use in the volunteer house. You could also prepare for the fact that you may get bored if you are staying for longer periods, so bring different props, colouring books, crayons, quizzes and word games too. Nursery schools and orphanages are often lacking in materials, so anything welcome and best to think outside the box or to contact the coordinator by email on what might be needed at the time of your visit.
Free time
There are lots of things to see in Ghana in your free time. Locally the beautiful Kwahu Tafo waterfall is a must and volunteers can swim in the pool below. There are also beautiful lakes and beaches, including Lake Volta and Lake Bosomtwe, and Kokrobite beach. Mole National Park is also a popular tourist visit to see elephants, giraffes and the usual safari wildlife., along with different churches and other places of worship. Closer to home there are many pleasant walks from the volunteer house up into the hills behind. A small local hotel allows volunteers the use of their swimming pool.
Not on your own
The majority travel to Ghana on their own. But you will never be alone after arrival as there are almost always lots of other volunteers on this busy and ever popular project. There is also the option to get in touch with other volunteers before you travel. Most volunteers do this, so that when they arrive they have the opportunity of already knowing people; some volunteers even meet up before they travel and fly to Ghana together.
How to apply
It is quick an easy to book with Original Volunteers. You can book online or call us on now on 01603 627 007 and book over the phone.
See related video ‘How to book’.
It costs £125 to book. Once book you can go to as many placements as you want within a year without having to pay the booking fee of £125 again.
The booking fee instantly books and reserves your place for any month you choose .We are very flexible. Just let us know if your plans change and spaces permitting we will put you on another list.
When to pay for this project
An invoice will be sent approximately 30 days before departure, or sooner if you are travelling sooner. This is the easiest way to pay.
Ghana at a glance
Ghana, a former British colony is one of the most peaceful in Africa. Its lush green plantations and dusty, sleepy roads will draw you in and make you feel at home. The people in Ghana are warm and friendly despite forty percent living below the poverty line. There is great pride and energy which is clear to see in the classroom, during ceremonies and on the football pitch.
Ghana is located in West Africa. It is bordered by the Ivory Coast to the west and the Gulf of Guinea to the south. The word Ghana comes from the ancient Ghana Empire and means ‘Warrior King.’ The Gold Coast achieved independence in 1957. It was the first sub-Saharan African Nation to gain independence.
Not to be missed: Kakum National Park, Lake Volta (the largest manmade lake in the world), coastal forts and beaches, Elmina castle, Accra's bustling harbour area, elephants at Mole National Park, hippos at Weichau in northern Ghana, the stilt village of Nzuleo. Also venture into the little visited neighbouring countries of Togo and Burkina Faso.
Religions: 63% Christian, 16% Muslim, 21% indigenous beliefs. There are mosques within reach and a Muslim primary school which Muslim volunteers are welcomed to get involved with.
Time difference from the UK: GMT +0 hrs (Ghana Standard Time is GMT)
*Peak volunteer periods in Ghana are Christmas,Easter and June to September
**All volunteers joining the coastal project (when running) contribute an additional £50 to cover materials and coastal project support.
Climate
Ghana has a tropical climate; however temperatures vary with each season. In the north the rainy season occurs between April to September. February and March are the hottest months, the highest temperature being 32 Celsius.
