PMGY - Volunteer in Ghana from $375

My time Ghana was incredible!
As part of the medical placement, I had the opportunity to work in a hospital and learn & see things I would have never had the chance to otherwise!
Seth, the country coordinator, was fantastic! He really did everything in his power to help maximize our experience!
I had always dreamed of going to Africa and being immersed in a different culture and reality.. Plan My Gap Year allowed me to do this in the best and safest way possible!
I feel that Seth helped us to truly live and see the real Ghana.. It's a trip I will never forget!

My time there was transformative.. I will never forget the things I learnt or the friends I made!

And thus, I would full heartedly recommend it to anybody with an open mind and spirit!

I have now returned from my 3 week English Teaching Placement in Kumasi, Ghana and I must say that it has been one of the most enjoyable and eye-opening experiences of my life so far. A big part of this is purely down to the support, kindness and welcoming attitude of the local team at PMGY Ghana. All of the team there are so focussed on making sure you have an enjoyable and productive time in Ghana, as in the words of Seth Mensah (PMGY Ghana Coordinator) they want to "make sure you make every moment count". This support that Seth and his team offers expands over so many different areas, from simple things such as buying people biscuits and putting on films to keep people entertained and happy, or taking care of you when ill even if it means driving to the pharmacy for you, as well as going to your placement with you and sorting out any issues if you are unhappy with what you're doing there or how you're treated. The list can go on for ages, however, the main point that I'm trying to put across is that you'll never feel alone or unsupported when at PMGY Ghana.
The placements are also a great experience, despite only having done the teaching placement, I have heard great and interesting things about them all. The one thing which can most likely be said for all of them, as well as Ghana as a whole, is that it's all quite a big culture shock, however with an open mind and the concept of "this is how they do things in Ghana" you can manage to benefit quite a lot from it all. In my own case with the school, you realise how education is a lot more appreciated, as the children are required to pay school fees. Yes, the conditions of the school, classrooms and resources are not the best, however, they manage to make it work which is a great thing that I admire. At the end of the day, I found my entire placement at the school great, seeing the kids smiling faces as we walked into the classroom each day, introducing them to a new style of lessons which didn't just revolve around writing and got them more practically involved. But the best thing was when you realised that students were getting an understanding of your lesson and the information which you had taught them, seeing the happiness on their faces when they understood and would explain to their friends to help them when struggling. To me that was one of the best parts about it, knowing I had actually contributed to their lives and that this experience has benefitted more than just myself.
As a whole, these last 3 weeks volunteering teaching English in Ghana with PMGY has been a truly unforgettable experience and one that I hope to replicate with PMGY again in the future, either at one of their other destinations or possibly Ghana again. From start to end PMGY have been so helpful and supportive, both the UK and Ghana team. You can see they are doing great things, managing to make a difference whilst providing great experiences for people, allowing them to open their eyes to the world and provide the means to give something back. I will definitely be volunteering with them again at some point in the future and I can only hope that they manage to continue to grow as an organisation so that they can continue to make the change which you can see occurring at the various projects.

In August 2014 I spent 2 weeks volunteering in Ghana with PMGY on the orphanage programme. It was honestly the best thing I have ever done! It is absolutely amazing. Before I left for Ghana, I had contacted two other volunteers who were travelling to Ghana on the same day as me, and we ended up meeting at Heathrow Airport and seating next to each other on the plane. PMGY had created a Facebook group, which allowed all the volunteers to ask questions and find other people who would be out in Ghana at the same time. I found this very helpful. When we arrived at the airport, two members of the local team were there to meet us. They were both very welcoming and friendly. That evening we stayed in a hotel in Accra before travelling to Kumasi by coach the next day. The drive took around 5 hours but this gave you time to get to know all the volunteers and the local team.

The volunteer house is lovely. There is lots of space, each bedroom sleeps 6. This allows you to get to know the people you are sharing with well. There is a big living room and a nice kitchen and dining room. Having all the volunteers living together allows everyone to become friends very quickly.

The next day you have an orientation day where you get to experience the amazing culture Ghana has. It also allows you to see how kind and welcoming the Ghanaians are. The majority of the locals speak a little bit of English as well as the local language of Twi. Back at the house the guy will teach you a little bit of Twi and you will have an African drumming and dancing lesson.

The next day we started our volunteering. At first it was hard because you don’t know what they expect you to do, but as the week goes on you soon learn. The orphanage is very eye opening but also fun, the children are great and very energetic. The mothers are great as well. At first they seem rather unfriendly towards you but remember to introduce yourself, offer to help and tell them what you are planning on doing before just doing it and they will open up to you. I am sure most people would be the same; they have new people coming in regularly to help them do their job. These people have been working there for years so just make sure you respect them and appreciate that their job is hard work. You work alongside the staff to assist in teaching the children and the daily running of the orphanage. It was an amazing experience and the work was incredibly rewarding.

I also spent two afternoons working in the hospital. It was a very interesting experience. Obviously they are tremendously different from Western hospitals. I spent a few hours in immunisations, however this does get a little repetitive after a while. All the staff in this ward of the hospital are very busy so they don’t have much time to talk to you. I then spent a few hours in X-ray. The people who work in this ward are very friendly. As they have fewer patients they have more time to explain everything to you and show you how everything is done. I also spend a few hours in A&E and the ENT wards. Overall I enjoyed spending two afternoons in the hospital, I found it very informative and helpful.

At the weekend we went to Mole National Park, where you get to go on two safaris and hopefully see elephants. You also stop off at a beautiful waterfall to go for a swim and go to a monkey sanctuary. Although it was a long drive there it was definitely worth it as it was an incredible experience, and I would definitely recommend going.

In the evenings the guys would come back to the house to see you and find out how your day went, we usually ended up watching films or playing card games. Another man also stayed in the house all the time. He was very friendly and funny. He would; go to Internet cafes with you or go to get some money out with you, he was very helpful. There was never a point where I felt scared or worried about being alone in a new country. There was always lots of support from all the local team, who I miss lots! The only problem I had in Ghana was with the food. I wasn’t a fan of plantain or yams, but all the other volunteers liked it. However, there were always plenty of things you could eat so you never went hungry.

Overall I would highly recommend travelling to Ghana with PMGY, they are a fantastic company! I really hope I can go back soon.

Ghana was the first African state I travelled to. Prior to the trip, I was full of awe and wonder at the same time somewhat nervous to embark on this life changing trip to the peaceful African country. All PMGY staff in Ghana was extremely helpful. The programme coordinator Seth made me feel incredibly welcomed even before I arrived! Whenever you need someone to speak to or are caught in a difficult situation Seth will respond to Facebook messages and phone calls at an instant. Other PMGY staffs, Kwame and Sofia are both very friendly, they made you feel very comfortable while living in the house. I recommend you to eat the red red beans and Plantin made by Sofia, they are delicious! My trip was cut short because of family commitments however, this did not stop me enjoy my short time in Ghana. Even with the short time in Ghana, it was a sad and difficult goodbye.
The orphanage experience was amazing! it was made me appreciate how good my life was and made me notice that it is the smallest and unnoticeable things in our life that is in fact the most important in theirs. Helping out at the orphanage has been an unforgettable and worth every second of my life experience.
Christmas in Ghana! Christmas in Ghana is not celebrated in the same manner to the UK, nevertheless, the PMGY staffs try their hardest to make you feel at home during Christmas, such as, putting up Christmas trees, decoration around the house, watching Christmas movies and sing songs.

Ghana was the first African state I travelled to. Prior to the trip, I was full of awe and wonder at the same time somewhat nervous to embark on this life changing trip to the peaceful African country. All PMGY staff in Ghana was extremely helpful. The programme coordinator Seth made me feel incredibly welcomed even before I arrived! Whenever you need someone to speak to or are caught in a difficult situation Seth will respond to Facebook messages and phone calls at an instant. Other PMGY staffs, Kwame and Sofia are both very friendly, they made you feel very comfortable while living in the house. I recommend you to eat the red red beans and Plantin made by Sofia, they are delicious! My trip was cut short because of family commitments however, this did not stop me enjoy my short time in Ghana. Even with the short time in Ghana, it was a sad and difficult goodbye.

The orphanage experience was amazing! it was made me appreciate how good my life was and made me notice that it is the smallest and unnoticeable things in our life that is in fact the most important in theirs. Helping out at the orphanage has been an unforgettable and worth every second of my life experience.

Christmas in Ghana! Christmas in Ghana is not celebrated in the same manner to the UK, nevertheless, the PMGY staffs try their hardest to make you feel at home during Christmas, such as, putting up Christmas trees, decoration around the house, watching Christmas movies and sing songs.

Spent 3 weeks with the PMGY Ghana team from 19/06/2016-10/07/2016 and it was one of the best experiences of my life! I took part in the medical programme, which was amazing! So so eye opening, and a massive culture shock. All the medical staff were very welcoming and friendly and we're happy to answer any questions you had about anything at all. Due to the fact not being medically trained, the placement was largely observational but you get out what you put in, the more questions you ask the more you learn! The ONLY small negative I have is that the hospital was very slow placed with lots of waiting around but that's just the Ghanaian culture and something you have to get used to! Seth and the PMGY Ghana team (Rex, Sofia, Adjowa and Maria) were amazing and made the trip that bit more special. They all did their best to make you feel safe and welcome at all times. All the team, particularly Seth, did everything in his power to help you, whether you found something distressing at placement or were unwell Seth would do all he could to resolve the problem no matter the time of day! My only regret is that I didn't decide to stay for longer!! I would recommend the company PMGY and Ghana to anyone :D

I returned this year for 4 weeks with PMGY in Ghana after spending 4 weeks there in 2014. I didn't know that it was possible for the experience to get even better the second time around! I spent my time volunteering on the orphanage project. My time in Ghana was both an incredible and eye opening one and being able to help and care for such sweet children at the orphanage is an immensely rewarding experience. Not only were the projects great but I have made so many life long friends thanks to PMGY! The PMGY staff were great from start to finish, Josh and Philip were always quick to answer any queries before the trip. Seth and the rest of the staff at the volunteer house would always go out of their way to ensure that you are comfortable with everything and having the best time possible, no request is too much to ask! From the weekend trips to Cape Coast to the Mole National Park - Ghana has so much to offer! I would highly recommend PMGY for an amazing and affordable trip!

I spent 3 of the most interesting weeks of my life in Ghana. I volunteered in the medical placement and it was vastly different in practice compared to anything comparable I've witnessed in the UK, it showed me a whole different side to how medial care is practised around the world, this placement is so much more than that. You are not only let into a hospital you are let into Ghanaian culture and life as well as Seth's home. When you embrace it and throw yourself into this adventure you get a truly unforgettable experience with some amazing people that i can not recommend more.