Volunteering with children in Ghana
| country: | Ghana |
| departures: | Departures can be arranged at anytime to suit you |
| price: | From £1095 - £1895 (2 - 12 weeks) excluding flights. Price depends on length of project. £495 for each additional month. Price includes all accommodation & meals, transfers, insurance and support from project staff |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
the amazing things you'll be doing
Voluntary care work in Ghana is an ideal way to get involved and help improve conditions for local children. You can contribute towards this vital development work during a gap year, career break, or just a holiday. Volunteers with qualifications and experience are welcome but you do not need to have either to volunteer. Energy, passion and commitment to the work at hand should see you through.
Ghana in West Africa is a country of rich natural resources and ancient traditions. However, due to the onslaught of HIV/AIDS, which has left many children with no family members to care for them, there is a low life expectancy and high infant mortality rates. Many of Ghana's children are struggling to survive, which is why our volunteer care projects are so important.
The number of orphans in Ghana is a massive problem for the country's rudimentary social welfare services. In the orphanages that do exist, staff struggle with limited resources to feed, clothe and educate the children in their care. Staff all too often simply don't have the time to provide the individual love and attention that these children need so they can have as normal a childhood as possible.
Up to five volunteers work in the country's largest state-run orphanage in Accra, looking after around 150 children between them. Each volunteer is assigned to a particular house, or to the nursery, in order to get to know a small group of the orphans well. We also have placements in smaller care homes, day care centres, an HIV educational centre and a home for mentally and physically disabled children.
In whichever volunteer care project in Ghana you find yourself, you need to be ready for a challenge. Many of the children are desperate for attention and there will undoubtedly be children present who have health problems and who need special attention due to disabilities. It is in your role as a volunteer - spending time with the children, playing with them and putting a smile on their faces - that you are so valuable. Whether you are taking a group out for an afternoon on the beach, helping older children with school homework or playing a game with the younger ones, you will be an essential part of their development. Any extra interests or skills that you have can be put to good use, and please let our local staff know about them when you apply.
Ghana in West Africa is a country of rich natural resources and ancient traditions. However, due to the onslaught of HIV/AIDS, which has left many children with no family members to care for them, there is a low life expectancy and high infant mortality rates. Many of Ghana's children are struggling to survive, which is why our volunteer care projects are so important.
The number of orphans in Ghana is a massive problem for the country's rudimentary social welfare services. In the orphanages that do exist, staff struggle with limited resources to feed, clothe and educate the children in their care. Staff all too often simply don't have the time to provide the individual love and attention that these children need so they can have as normal a childhood as possible.
the project
We have various different volunteer options for you in Ghana, working in both orphanages and care homes. We work in a number of areas, from the urban Accra, Ghana's capital city, to more rural locations such as the Akuapem Hills. There are also care placements available in Cape Coast and Kumasi. Up to five volunteers work in the country's largest state-run orphanage in Accra, looking after around 150 children between them. Each volunteer is assigned to a particular house, or to the nursery, in order to get to know a small group of the orphans well. We also have placements in smaller care homes, day care centres, an HIV educational centre and a home for mentally and physically disabled children.
In whichever volunteer care project in Ghana you find yourself, you need to be ready for a challenge. Many of the children are desperate for attention and there will undoubtedly be children present who have health problems and who need special attention due to disabilities. It is in your role as a volunteer - spending time with the children, playing with them and putting a smile on their faces - that you are so valuable. Whether you are taking a group out for an afternoon on the beach, helping older children with school homework or playing a game with the younger ones, you will be an essential part of their development. Any extra interests or skills that you have can be put to good use, and please let our local staff know about them when you apply.
volunteer travel - what's it all about?
Are you are looking for an adventurous trip with a purpose, or on a gap year or career break? If you want to make a difference in some of the world’s most important conservation areas - and in community projects - then volunteer trips are for you! Volunteers tend to have a sense of adventure, and come from a range of different backgrounds and from all over the world. Edward Abbey said 'sentiment without action is the ruin of the soul'.
how this holiday makes a difference
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You will be helping out in orphanages and care centres across Ghana. Local staff find themselves fully employed making sure that the youngsters have clean clothes and bedding and are fed and watered. They don’t have much time to spend one to one with the children. This is where our volunteers are able to help whether it is helping an older student with his homework or playing with a toddler. You play a real part in improving the quality of life of these youngsters. You don’t need to be a qualified teacher or childcare worker. It is a great way to really be able to help as well as getting to know the local children. The local staff will warmly welcome you to their centres.
We take seriously our responsibilities towards the communities we work with in Ghana. We have full time staff on the ground that will meet you from the airport, give you an induction on arrival and support you from our local office throughout your stay. They are mainly local people who we pay a good local wage and can give you all the information and support you will need during your stay. They have been trained by us to work with visiting volunteers. In Ghana you will be staying with a local family close to where you work. We pay the family where you will be staying. This means that the money goes directly into the local economy. The meals you eat, the chairs you sit on have all probably been made in the town where you will be staying. Living in Ghana will give you an opportunity to be a real part of the local community. Most of the money that you spend during your time at the placement will be at grassroots level going into local Ghanaian businesses. Our organisation is environmentally responsible. We recycle at our offices and offset our carbon emissions from staff flying to our destinations around the world. We believe that actions like this can be the first step towards preserving the planet for future generations. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |