Atlas Volunteers

My time in Ghana with Atlas was incredibly nice and I would recommend such a trip to anyone.
I was there for three months and the time passed far too quickly.
I applied to teach, but I also helped on other projects.
Not all volunteers work at the same school. This means there is always something to do at your school and you can get involved very well. In the beginning I had some time to get used to everything before I started teaching.
For the weekends you could always plan small trips with other volunteers.
If you wanted to go on a trip a little longer, it was no problem to have a day or two off.
Atlas always gave me recommendations for excursions and also helped to organize them.
The weekends on wich I didn't travel weren't boring either. There is a large lake nearby, where you can swim or you can just go to Abitifi to spend a nice evening at the bar.
The house had a wonderful terrace from which you had a beautiful view.
Compared to the rest of the country, it wasn't that hot in our area. Pepease (the village in which you live) and the entire area feels super safe and it felt very like home.
The atmosphere within the organization was familiar and super relaxed. During my stay, I always had the feeling that Atlas is committed to you and your ideas. No matter what idea you had, Atlas was always ready to support you. You can tell that the team really wants to have an impact on the country and the people.
The only thing I missed during my stay was chocolate and coffee. But I was able to enjoy delicious Ghanaian food.
All in all, it was one of the best experiences of my life to take part in this project.

If you come to volunteer in Ghana with Atlas you can expect one of the best experiences of your life. You will meet the poorest yet happiest people you have ever meet. You will be received everywhere with a smile and you can expect being welcomed every morning by the kids at school with hugs and huge smiles. Having friendly farmers as neighbours. The house was good conditions, you would miss anything. Wi-fi, Shower, Toilets, Bed,Kitchen, Birds singing in the morning and the most beautiful view from the balcony. On weekends we explored Ghana: Cape Coast, Accra, Lake Volta or chilled at home. I always felt safe, day or night. The food is amazing, I was vegan during the whole experience and it was so easy. Drinkable water is cheap and good. You can get a big delicious meal on the way to school for 5 cedis. The team is super friendly and genuine. If you are looking for a genuine volunteer program in Central Africa, Atlas is the best. During my weekend away trips in Ghana I got to meet other volunteers in other organisations and realised Atlas really is special with the close help they give in school, football academy and housing. They are a really great volunteer organisation.

I had a wonderful time in Ghana and I wish I could've stayed longer. The Atlas staff members are super nice and supportive all the time. If you have any issues before the arrival, they answer your e-mails super fast and on site they will help you with arranging your weekend trips, planning the lessons and everything else you may need assistance with.
Working with the kids was so much fun, they are passionate to learn, especially when you show them new teaching methods such as quizzes to repeat what they learned in the lesson. Especially during the vacation classes you are very flexible in what you teach and how, so that you feel comfortable with what you do. Also it helps a lot that you just observe and support other volunteers on your first days, that way you can settle in, see how the placement works, how the school situation is (it's very different to western school systems) and get some input on how you could organize your classes.
The tree planting placement includes growing seedlings and then planting them in public space such as schools. You work together with other volunteers and support staff so that it gets a fun way to do something good for our climate.
The volunteer houses are located really nice in the rural area, you have a big garden and a wonderful nature view. The villages and small towns around are not too overwhelming and after a few days you will get more and more comfortable with shopping, grabbing delicious local food and going out in the evening. The people are super friendly and welcoming.
In your free time you can explore the region around Pepease, spend time with your fellow volunteers or take part in other volunteering programs such as ecobricking. During the weekends you can always go on trips to see more of the country, it has so much to offer. The landscapes are beautiful and this way you will learn more about the culture.
All in all it was a precious experience and I was more than happy to work with Atlas Volunteers.

Atlas Volunteers provides you the resources and opportunities to create an experience of a lifetime! I cannot stop telling all my friends and family about how truly amazing this experience has been. It offers full immersion into the local culture with the opportunity to create an impact in whichever way you would like. As a volunteer at the school placement sites, I was able to teach independently and implement my own lesson plans to engage students in new learning strategies.

Not only that, but I had the opportunity to collaborate and teach side-by-side with the wonderful Ghanaian teachers at the school site. As a school teacher in the United States, I was able to implement my own teaching strategies AND learn so much from the Ghanaian teachers and students.

I think the BEST part about Atlas is that they offer you the flexibility to pursue whichever project/program you would like. There is plenty of flexibility and NUMEROUS ways to achieve impact here. The staff within Atlas, as well as the local staff at schools, is very supportive of allowing volunteers to implement special projects/programs during and after school. For those who may not have a clear vision of what they would want to do, there are still many ongoing projects to choose from! Sam, Frank, Gem, and the rest of the Atlas staff are extremely helpful and supportive in making sure each volunteer is comfortable at their placement site. The staff goes above and beyond to ensure you are able to create an impact in the way you would like! I can only sing praises of how wonderful, meaningful, and authentic my overall experience in Ghana with Atlas Volunteers has been. You will not regret the decision to join Atlas Volunteers!

I simply could not recommend going to Ghana with Atlas Volunteers enough. I had one of the greatest experiences of my life. I really felt looked after and that Sam, Frank and Libby cared about me. The support and kind words that they would offer me was always appreciated. I loved living in the small town of Pepease. I definitely recommend staying a minimum of two months. It is Ghana and things take a bit of a while to get the ball rolling so it takes about a month to get into a routine. I initially booked to be in Ghana for only 5 weeks but after being there for a week I immediately extended my stay to two months. I wish that I could have stayed even longer but I had to return home to begin my studies. It was an experience that changed my life and I left Ghana with new life long friends.