Volunteer in Ghana

Volunteers interested in Childcare Assistance can participate in the following project:

Childcare

Help improve the standard of living and education for children, through your involvement with a variety of tasks at a local school. In many parts of the country, there are increasing numbers of children and minors who have been left to fend for themselves, due to unfortunate circumstances. You can join a dedicated team of local staff in their efforts to help Ghanaians in need, by teaching, renovating, and completing various other tasks.

The teaching staff are often overworked and therefore welcome any help that can be given. Working as a teacher's assistant in the school or taking on other projects provides the staff with invaluable support and often frees-up their time to give the children the one-to-one attention they need.

Your ability to speak English will mean that you can help with English lessons which can provide the children with a valuable skill and added confidence. You will also require a lot of creativity during your placement, as lessons can be unpredictable and the needs of each child are unique.

You should also be prepared to join in with games and other fun exercises, often geared towards giving the children the chance to express themselves independently. It is also likely that you will be able to get involved with manual work, such as repairing and painting the classrooms and school buildings.

Please be advised that the daily transportation costs to and from your program are not included and must therefore be paid by yourself throughout the course of your stay. Those costs may range from $2 - $9 per day.

APPLY NOW

Volunteers interested in Community Development can participate in the following project:

Building Project

Assist locals with much needed construction, repairs and renovations. Get your hands dirty and engage with the community! Our projects are dictated by community need. As a result, you may be renovating a school, building a home, or constructing a community center. No matter which phase of a project you join, be assured that your contribution will be lasting and greatly appreciated. No experience is necessary, as you will be working alongside locals with lots of experience using local materials.

By joining a building project, you will bring the human-power that is needed to fuel the construction. Projects are selected by community need, which creates a variety of different projects. Education and sanitation are usually at the top of the list, but volunteers also work on recreational projects, such as sports field-leveling and community centers. These often provide a great focal point for the community.

You will join a team of other participants and locals, all of whom will work closely together for the common goal. The Ghanaian workers are skilled and know how to use the local materials, so they will act as your guides and teach you many 'tricks of the trade', ensuring the construction can be done quickly and efficiently. Since the projects vary, so do the tasks, but keep in mind this is physical work. There will be days that challenge you because they are strenuous, but don't be put off. Chances are, you will find that being outdoors and working as a team is a fun and truly rewarding experience!

Please be advised that the daily transportation costs to and from your program are not included and must therefore be paid by yourself throughout the course of your stay. Those costs may range from $2 - $6 per day.

APPLY NOW

Volunteers interested in Healthcare can participate in the following projects:

Medical Care

Experience the day-to-day processes at hospitals and clinics in Ghana and help local medical staff as they deliver essential treatment to patients. Gain valuable insight related to medical care work in Ghana. Clinics are also run by community outreach programs, where teams of medical staff may go into poorer communities to visit patients and families. During your stay you will have the opportunity to shadow and assist medical staff.

Medical care in developing countries is often desperately limited due to overcrowding and lack of funding. Hospitals and clinics throughout these countries can be severely under-resourced and are continually open to extra support. This story is true of Ghana, and we have developed a close relationship with a number of hospitals and clinics in the Ghanaian capital, Accra, to provide opportunities for improvements to the quality and delivery of local healthcare services.

We welcome you, with or without previous medical experience, since you will not be asked to undertake any work that requires formal medical training. Much of your role will be in a support capacity, working alongside professional medical staff in Ghana. You are likely to spend much of your time shadowing the local staff in their day-to-day work, learning how they manage and interact with patients. If you have formal medical training and qualifications, you may be invited to offer more of a hands-on role in the delivery of care. 

Through this medical placement, we hope to create cultural exchange opportunities through our efforts with the locals, and to assist local clinics and hospitals in providing care for patients. As a volunteer, you will develop your knowledge and teamwork skills through hands-on activity, while experiencing deep cultural immersion as well as an appreciation of Ghanaian culture.

Please be advised that the daily transportation costs to and from your program are not included and must therefore be paid by yourself throughout the course of your stay. Those costs may range from $2 - $4 per day.

Medical Care placements have a 2 week minimum duration.

APPLY NOW

 

Physical Therapy

During this program you will work at community clinics and sports organizations in Ghana, West Africa to provide physical therapy treatment to local patients and to Ghanaian athletes. You will have the opportunity to work together with other educated physiotherapists, as well as teaching Ghanaian physiotherapy students. This is a great experience for those pursuing a future career in physical therapy, or alternatively, it gives current professionals an understanding of the hurdles many physical therapists and medical professionals must overcome in developing countries.

This project requires physical therapists who are already qualified, or who have had at least 2 years of university study in this field.

Please be advised that the daily transportation costs to and from your program are not included and must therefore be paid by yourself throughout the course of your stay. Those costs may range from $2 - $6 per day.

This project has a minimum duration of 2 weeks.

APPLY NOW

Volunteers interested in Teaching can participate in the following projects:

Teaching

Meet a generation of eager students and help improve their education, as a teacher in Ghana! Take this opportunity to make an impact by sharing your knowledge, as you teach subjects like Math, English, History, Science and Foreign Languages at schools in Accra. In addition to regular class teaching, you will be encouraged to introduce your own ideas and get involved with extracurricular activities, which might include art and design, drama, music, sports or the production of a school newspaper.

Ghanaian schools are structured in three main levels and operate under the Ghana education service. They include the Nursery/Primary schools, the Junior High School and the Senior High School. Our main focus is on the Primary and the Junior High School level, as it’s an age range that needs more care and attention to stay on track. 

You will be placed in one of the local schools and will be responsible for teaching students English and other subjects. Your role will be to offer inspiring and exciting lessons that will improve the literacy, numerical, and communication skills of the students in your class. Assistance with issues such as lesson planning, discipline and cultural courtesies will be available from a number of sources, including local school teachers, the in-country staff and other participants. However, it is important to remember that your role is intended to be as independent and self-supporting as possible. This will enable you to develop greater self-confidence in your own teaching ability and organisational skills.

Our goal through this placement is to help improve the educational prospects of village children and widen their cultural interactions. In return, as a volunteer, you will gain practical knowledge from your teaching role, and experience deep cultural immersion as well as an appreciation of Ghanaian culture.

Please be advised that the daily transportation costs to and from your program are not included and must therefore be paid by yourself throughout the course of your stay. Those costs may range from $2 - $9 per day.

APPLY NOW

 

Teaching Art and Design

If your passion for Art and Design is through the roof and you desire to share your unique gifts with the world, then this program is tailor-made for you. During your program you will get to help run Art Clubs in local schools, using any number of different mediums. Your efforts will be helping local children use their own creative abilities to express themselves and produce their own works of art that they can be proud of.

The aims and objectives of this project are:

• Deepen the artistic and creative expression of local children and yourself
• Broaden cultural interactions through learning and idea exchange
• Gain invaluable and practical experience in teaching
• Expand your knowledge of Ghanaian customs, history, art and culture

 
Typically you can choose the age group you’d prefer to work with, and then develop a syllabus for your class and determine what the goal will be for your time together, guiding your students through the steps to getting those targeted outcomes met. With some encouragement and direction from you, they may even be able to have an exhibition to showcase their work. Overall, this enriching experience can help them to build their own level of confidence in their skills and ability and even give them the nudge needed to pursue their artistic dreams. You will be helping to nurture that spark! The bonus is that as they are learning from you, you will learn from them too. Through this program, which is a one-of-a-kind cultural exchange, all involved will be able to develop a unique bond.

During this experience, you will also get to see local art and learn from the local artisans who are creating a vast array of art and design pieces - just about anything you can imagine from batik on clothing and scarves, jewelry design, painting, photography, screen printing, sculpture and wood carving. The best part is that you will get the opportunity to gain some hands-on, experiential learning. Discussions about the creative process will also yield a greater insight and likely a greater appreciation for the unique and stylistic qualities of African art. That additional knowledge may allow for comparing and contrasting with some of the Western style art you may already be familiar with.

It is important to note that time with local artists is subject to their availability. Keep in mind that there may be some additional costs involved for any additional materials (brushes, canvas, paint, etc.) that may be required for your participation.

Please be advised that the daily transportation costs to and from your program are not included and must therefore be paid by yourself throughout the course of your stay. Those costs may range from $2 - $6 per day.

APPLY NOW

Volunteers interested in Youth Sports Coaching can participate in the following project:

Sports Coaching 

Take your love for all things sports to the next level. Teach everything you know to young people in Ghana who want to learn and love to play! Assist with training sessions, organize matches with other clubs, and work in tandem with other participants. Local coaches will also be available on occasion, to provide direction for the coaching drills. From enthusiastic beginner to licensed coach, whatever your background or level of sport coaching knowledge, we have a placement for you!

Many Ghanaian children have a passion for sports. The most popular of these is probably soccer ("football"), but there are many who love anything that gets them running and jumping and keeps them competitive. This is where you come in!

You can share your love of sports and your knowledge about how each game is played to help the local children raise the bar and step up their game. There will be tons of opportunities to share your enthusiasm and efforts in a variety of sports, to help local children learn a totally new sport or make improvements in the sport they already love to play.

You can feel free to bring any sort of equipment or teaching aids with you that will assist with your coaching experience, as equipment may be limited in some placement areas.

Coaching options include:

• Soccer - "Football"
• Boxing
• Golf
• Tennis
• Field Hockey
• Rugby
• Basketball
• Netball
• Martial Arts
• Athletic Training
• Swimming

Please be advised that the daily transportation costs to and from your program are not included and must therefore be paid by yourself throughout the course of your stay. Those costs may range from $2 - $5 per day.

APPLY NOW