Program Reviews

My trip there was full of new experiences. I loved doing my project, plastic recycling, as I could see the positive impact in real time (and it is an essential part in our fight against climate change).
Living with people from many different countries is really nice, as we can learn from the different cultures. Also, planning activities and meals together is fun!
I would recommend going to Atlas Volunteer especially because they are very welcoming, and will do everything in their power to make your stay a great experience.

Where do I even start?! I came to Ghana for the volunteer work with the sea turtles. Unfortunately I was at the end of the hatching period and the eggs that were in the hatchery did not survive the crabs. So this means I did not get to see any turtles, of course that is nature so Atlas could do nothing about it and it just tells me that this project is very pure. But not for a minute did I feel bad about the turtle project because there was already a lot of other things to do for us. We did a lot of very different and fun projects such as recycling in many different ways, we got to clean the beaches (what was very much needed), we spend a lot of time with the kids who live in the village and got to help out at the local school, we also did local farming. Our ‘guide’ from Atlas was Rii and he was very kind and had lots of things for us in mind to do in our free time. He also let us meet a lot of people, other volunteers but also locals. At all times we had one or two, we called them our bodyguards around us so I always felt very safe and these guys really felt like our friends. What we did in our free time let us see a lot of Ghana, we went to a festival (which was real fun!), we went to Cape Coast to learn about the history of the country, we had a cooking lesson from a lady from our village, we learned a bit of Twi (the local language) and we got to do surf lessons. For me it was a really special experience and I will recommend it to everyone! You get to really see Africa and how the life is here and you get to be a part of that and meet lots of very nice people!

My trip to Abetefi (Ghana) was a great experience.
The local contact persons of "Build an Education" were a great help to get me settled and well connected with the other volunteers and colleagues.
I was happy supporting the teachers with their reading club, helping the children struggling with English reading and writing.
Next to the volunteering work, there were lots of opportunities to get out and see the country. The local contact persons often joined and were always available to help organizing the trips.
If you're in for some adventure and want to make a difference in the community, I can strongly recommend this volunteering program.

I came back in March this year to spend another 7 weeks with Atlas Volunteers. First time I came with a friend for three months and I highly recommend this organization if you’re thinking of coming by yourself. It’s so easy to make friends and doing reading club at the local schools is great for anyone who’s interested in working with kids and wants to help them improve their English skills. Despite the work you got more than enough time for amazing free time activities such as hiking, city trips, surfing or exploring new waterfalls! Ghana is such an amazing country with beautiful people. Thank you Sam, Dom, Rii and Frank for your incredible work :)

The people in Ghana are great and really sweet, they are always helpful and besides what everybody would think, really happy with the few things they had. Their energy is contagious!
The country is beautiful, and the people of the program make you feel at home from the very beginning, always taking care of you.
It made me realize the importance of a good conversation and a good time, not so much stress always planning what it is next, if you have food and a ceiling to sleep under, with people you love, all is good.
The volunteers are around the same age what it is great to create connections!
Totally recommended

The Atlas house is based in a beautiful area, it's safe and easy to get around and there's plenty to do in your downtime. There's lots of projects to choose from, something for everyone. Spending time in the schools is an amazing experience, the kids are so much fun and so eager to learn. The support you receive from Dom and Frank is fantastic, there's always someone to turn to if you need it.
On weekends it's easy to go and explore further afield, if you're there for some time make the trip to Mole, it's worth it!

It was an amazing trip of one month ! I am so thankful for the atlas team and for all the people I met during my stay ! Working, spending time with the children and getting to get to know them, was amazing ! Visiting the country, the different villages and learning about the culture and the people too! I can only recommend atlas volunteer! And I would recommend staying more then one month if you can !

To put it simple my stay with Atlas was amazing. I tried out a lot of different projects and I can proudly say now that I fell in love with Ghana and the incredible people I met there. There wasn't a minute where I regretted my decision of going to Africa. The scenery is beautiful, the people welcomed me wholeheartedly and I've made friendships, that will hopefully last for a lifetime.
Whenever I needed something Sam and his team were ready to help, so I was able to enjoy my stay to the fullest and help the community as much as possible.
So don't hesitate and pack your stuff and get ready for your adventure with Atlas. It definitely won't disappoint you, I promise :)

It was an amazing trip. You had a lot of freedom to do whatever you wanted. If there were any problems the team were very quick to help you. The kids at school and the Ghanaian people were very welcoming and it was an experience I will never forget. In your spare time, you could go on small trips to see the beautiful area and in the weekends you could go on trips further away. I did not feel unsafe during my trip in Ghana and it is something I would consider doing again. At last, the other volunteers are very welcoming and you get to learn them very quickly as well with the team behind Atlas volunteers, who lives in the same house as you.

My two initial placements were PE and Reading Club. As I arrived during Easter time, my trip started with a lot of fun and partying because the region is known for its huge Easter celebration. After that beautiful time, work really began. I focused early on Reading Club and only did a few PE lessons whilst my time in Ghana. I always had fun with the kids from class 2 (7-9 years) and started bonding with them early on. The best times in school were the breaks, when all the kids come and talk, play and have fun with you. After a few weeks, Frank offered me to choose another placement to take part in so I decided to work on the farm once a week. There, I was lucky to meet Atobi, one of the purest hearts I have ever met which made it so easy to be on that farm even though it was hard work every week. The farm work was even more rewarding than school but also in a different way as you immediately notice the progress you made. Besides from work, I had a lot of freedom to do what I wanted to and the volunteers were always encouraged to organise weekend trips. I saw a lot of Ghana, such as the Wli Waterfalls, Cape Coast, Kokrobite and more. If there was no weekend trip planned, we often went partying with everyone and sometimes made spontaneous trips to lakes or pools closer to the volunteer house in Aduamoa. During my time in Ghana I also had the great opportunity to meet a lot of locals and not only did I spend a lot of time with them but also made friends for life with some of them. I am still in contact with them and hope to see them again soon. I will try my best to come back to Ghana as it was one of the best times of my life.