Affordable & Trusted Volunteer Programs in Ghana from $270

My week in Frankadua was one that I will hold close to my heart forever. I am a senior nursing student in the US, and myself with 5 other students traveled to Ghana for the medical outreach program. Over the course of just a week we were able to test over 1000 children for malaria and treat those who tested positive.in addition we provided wound care and infection control/prevention. Joe, from the purple program was beyond helpful in many ways and made us feel at home for our stay. Tee Tee from the medical outreach program specifically helped to keep things running smoothly, and made us feel safe and welcomed. Each night we had a meeting about our day, and the plan for the next- the staff was consistently asking how they can improve and making sure we all felt comfortable. They genuinely want to help make this a good experience for you, even though you are there to serve. The people were unbelievably welcoming. I met so many new people- some staying one week others staying 6 months, and those who life there that I will continue to be friends with for life. The volunteer house is inviting and there will never be a dull moment. I recommend the medical outreach program to fellow nursing students who wish to make a difference during their breaks from school. This is an experience that you will not find anywhere else, and you have the opportunity to really impact a community, no matter the length of the stay. As with anything, you get out of it what you put in. If you want to work with amazing people, staff and spend your breaks meaningfully then I recommend this program to you!

I participated in IVHQ's Ghana partnership and highly recommend it for a short term volunteer travel experience. The company is ethically run, with very good and thorough pre-departure materials focused on cultural sensitivity and respectful behavior. The projects on site are locally run and managed. The construction project I worked on was hard work, not just a token project for photo ops.There was a good balance of work time and free time, and for a short stay it was convenient to have the IVHQ folks available for planning sightseeing on the weekends.

When I left Frankadua, I left a piece of my heart and my newest family. Frankadua is the cutest, most culturally dense village. The people are welcoming and kind. In fact, it is likely you will be welcomed with a local bonfire your first night. They will love that you are in their village to help and also learn about their culture. The clothing is bright, the music is upbeat and happy, and the dancing is something that I’ll remember forever.

I originally signed up for four weeks of childcare and six weeks of medical. However, I ended up switching to only two weeks of childcare and then eight weeks of medical. The childcare project is easily one of the hardest projects offered. As a volunteer, your main responsibility is looking after fifty of the most rambunctious children the village has to offer. At the end of the day you will be exhausted, but be the happiest volunteer in the house. Spending the mornings with those adorable children is just the best experience. I personally had a difficult time with the cultural punishments the teachers perform. Unfortunately, as volunteers we must accept that it is a cultural happening and it is not able to be changed. This was the main reason I shortened my childcare project to two weeks rather than four.

Switching to medical was the perfect decision for me. I felt that I was making a meaningful difference and could fix the issues I saw. Our duties included wound care, malaria testing, hygiene education, and sex education. I personally enjoyed the malaria testing most. I was able to test four different schools in my ten weeks. The positive percentage rates were crazy to me! Each school tested 50% or higher. At the close of each testing day we would prescribe and provide malaria medications to the positive children. I loved knowing that the children would not develop symptoms because we were able to catch it soon enough.

The best thing about volunteering in Ghana is that there is ALWAYS more to be done. If you are up for the challenge, you can be working from 6AM-6PM. Another volunteer and I started three after school programs for the children and teenagers. These include girls club, JHS reading club, and reading tutoring at the volunteer house. If I were to pick a favorite volunteer activity it would be these three things. Reading is a life long skill and I was always happy to see their progression. Dedicating time to their learning was a highlight of my trip.

I would like to express my appreciation to the staff that made my trip smooth and safe. There wasn’t one time that I felt in danger and that was extremely important to me. I felt supported by the staff and knew that I could discuss my issues with them. Joe and Evans were two men I could openly discuss my issues with. I would also like to commend IVHQ for listening to concerns and addressing them. In the middle of my trip, I discussed a few concerns with Meika, an IVHQ employee, and they were addressed and corrected within two weeks time. IVHQ and the Ghana staff are truly there to make your experience the best it can be.

You would be silly to not pick IVHQ Ghana as your future volunteer location. Be prepared to fall in love with the people and their interesting culture. Know that there will be extremely hard times, but that they will provide you with learning opportunists. If you make it to Ghana... please give them all a hug for me!

had 2 amazing trips with IVHQ in Tanzania and Ghana. The local staff during the Ghana program were so incredibly helpful and supportive during my time. You truly get the feel of living similarly to a local and become close to the community around you. Every local is so friendly and helpful, they make you feel part of their community straight away. I loved that they also gave us the option to try different programs like malaria testing, teaching and agriculture. You got to experience it all and choose what you best fit and are the most helpful. You will become to close to the other volunteers and almost become family in no time as you are all experience a new challenge. It is an experience that has shaped me and I’ll never forget the people that made my time so amazing.

I am very happy with my experience! I had the chance to volunteer on both towns, one doing construction and renovation, and on the other doing medical outreach. Both programs were very well organized, and had an amazing value to the communities we worked at! I will recommend to introduce a strong medical volunteering program on the Gold Program, as there was none when I went there. On the purple program I recommend introducing a First Aid course to the school on the week of the medical outreach! On the purple program I was very happy with Evans and Teetee. Evans is super smart and we were working together to introduce the First Aid course on the outline! He was always attentive and focused on improving the experience of the volunteers! Evans and Teetee always considered the safety and value of all the volunteers and I am very happy with them being part of the staff of IVHQ!

Some people believe that volunteering is for young people, but at my age of 75, I just spent an extraordinary 3 weeks in Ghana with 9 outstanding young adults from around the world.

It was the most incredible and rewarding trip in my 50 years of traveling. Volunteering is for anyone with an open mind and a desire for adventure. I strongly recommend it for capable seniors and retirees who can spend a few weeks helping in a community in need of assistance. There is no age limit to volunteering..... there is no limit to giving. The IVHQ team is well organized, and everything is taken care of, staring with the airport pickup.

I am recommending IVHQ to all my friends, and I'm now preparing my next adventure to Zambia and later to Madagascar. I have found the road to a fulfilling retirement.

I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Ghana through IVHQ as a volunteer on the medical program. We spent our days going to schools to provide wound care, malaria testing, sex & health education and assist with various other medical concerns the students faced. We would also go into the communities to assist adults with similar concerns and treated any local that came to our door.

What made this program especially unique is the medical coordinator, Evans Nkansah. Evans has a striking passion for helping the people in communities and does everything possible to ensure we can as much as possible. He has built close relationships with local people all over Frankadua and the surrounding area and they trust him to guide the volunteers to help in the most effective ways. Evans taught each and every one of us medical volunteers how we can best help the people of these communities and gave his all every day. His compassion and pure love for his work will forever stay with me and I will be forever thankful to have been able to work with and learn from him.

I spent two weeks in Frankadua, volunteering on the childcare programme although I also helped with the teaching and medical programmes. I had the most amazing experience and wish I could have stayed for longer!

When we arrived we were greeted by IVHQ staff at the airport who took us to a house in Accra. We had our orientation to help us to settle into our volunteer placement before we set off to Frankadua.

Both Evans and Jo were very helpful and tried their best to ensure that we were all happy. We had meetings with staff every few days to make sure that we were all getting the most out of our programmes, and where we could raise any queries if necessary. For me, Evans was particularly helpful and really contributed to making my stay at Frankadua fun; he always made sure we were all okay, asked our opinions on things that affected us such as the food and the locals, gave us advice when we needed and went the extra mile for us even if he wasn't supposed to be working. (If you ever get hungry at midnight Evans is your guy! ) I thought it was really good that Evans stayed with us around the house, it put everyone at ease knowing there was someone there who we knew we could rely on and who genuinely cared and had our best interests at heart.

I thought that the location of the volunteer house was perfect, we were immersed into the culture as our house was surrounded by local houses. It is also only a short walk away from the main road where you can get a tro to there locations, the market, and lots of local schools. Everyone I met in Frankadua was so welcoming, friendly and keen to involve us in their lives.

It was the best experience ever. I learned a lot of about culture, met amazing people. I felt like I could help and felt appreciated. The program was amazing, everything planned well, I always felt safe and surrounded by other volunteers. Looking forward to come back! If you have any doubts - just don’t. I promise, it’s gonna be the time of your life! Everything was better then I expected: responsable people took us form the airport, since then we never been left alone, food was just AMAZING, I could even say that was the most delicious meals I’ve ever had. We helped a lot for local people and it inspired me so much. We spent a lot of time talking about local culture, learning how to cook, sing, dance, make clothes. I’ve got really used to the atmosphere and it became my home. I highly recommend to go volunteering abroad, because it thought me how to live to the fullest every single day.

2 months in Ghana was enough to convince me to return and visit again as soon as I possibly can. Naturally you become part of a really huge family and easily become knitted into a very welcoming community. By far this was the best summer of my life. You meet incredible people from all over the world who arrive at your same destination with the intention to address the needs of the community and help as much as they possibly can. It was refreshing to come across numerous solo travelers such as myself.

Being a young female traveling solo, safety was a concern to many of my loved ones back home. Traveling and working through IVHQ granted my family and I the security I needed to spend my summer in Africa with the confidence that I was in good hands. Every journey has its bumps; I did fall sick a number of times, but with the support and attention of the IVHQ staff Evans I was able to recover and enjoy most of my time in Ghana. The IVHQ staff were very attentive with my needs, safety, and concerns, while also doing an amazing job at assuring my time in Ghana was enjoyable. At my placement, I had the pleasure of working with IVHQ staff members Evans and Andrew. I don’t know what this journey would have been without them. They both were great at making my placement feel like home and their presence granted the security that made my stay as comfortable as it was.

I had the time of my life to say the least. The rest is for you to travel, see, and experience yourself. The phrase TIA (This is Africa) is forever ingrained in my memory. Everyone’s experience is unique to their perspective of the world, so make the most of the journey to Ghana. Arrive with an open mind and attitude to trying new things. You will leave with the richest experience and create the most beautiful bonds with those experiencing it with you.

My time was spent in Frankadua, Ghana where my time was invested into several of the programs offered. IVHQ was very good about being flexible with the work you can get involved with, allowing for the most immersive experience. I spent my summer teaching, assisting with childcare, agriculture, and assisting the medical program with wound care. My advice would be to not be scared to create bonds and really get to know the community. Doing this will truly allow you to understand the greater needs of the village, which will allow you the creative freedom to help in ways beyond what you expected upon arrival. This can encourage great initiatives for the village during your stay or even in the future.

By far, this was one of the most meaningful, unforgettable experiences of a lifetime. I will never forget the amount of warmth and love that made up my time in Ghana.
Best wishes and safe travels!

There are no words that can truly describe this journey. From the start, IVHQ staff in particular, Evans and the locals were so welcoming and took great care of us all. I was on the medical outreach and childcare program in Frankadua (Eastern Region). The medical outreach involved malaria testing in schools as well as feminine hygiene education. When volunteering, it's your character and determination that makes a change. The staff were open to new ideas and projects, so for anyone considering this come with an open mind. The families and children are so loving and special, words don't do justice. Frankadua became my second home and I would wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone who wants to spread love, happiness and make a lasting impact. Thank you!

My volunteer trip to Ghana was one of a kind. The IVHQ team on the ground, Felix, Mama T, Evans, and Benjamin work very hard to make your time in Ghana enjoyable and safe. As a volunteer on the childcare program in Asempaneye, I had a wonderful time getting to know the children and being part of their learning experience in the classroom. Volunteers also have the opportunity to explore the touristy parts of Ghana, more specifically Cape Coast, where the trip includes accommodation for the weekend, tours of Elmina and Cape Coast Castle, a traditional fire dance and party at Oasis Hotel and more! To the IVHQ team, thank you so much for the program, support and love you've shown to me and our volunteer group. God Bless I will miss you all! <3

I had the best time of my life! I wish I could go back in time to relive it! The community was amazing! So friendly and hospitable, that they treat you like family. The staff are amazing! Evans has such good attention to detail, understands well the needs of other volunteers, and is basically just a friend to us all. Andrew is so good at his job. You can tell he cares a lot about Frankadua and the wider communities. And Rita, Millie and Abigail are so kind and good at what they do. The volunteer house was good! Not perfect but it felt like home... so perfect enough. I have really have no complaints. I think that it really depends on mindset, so if you go in with positivity, you will have an amazing time. I can’t wait to come back and see everyone there!

-c

I loved my time at IVHQ Ghana so much so that two weeks just wasn't enough and I ended up staying for another week (even that wasn't long enough) . From arrival through to departure I felt extremely safe and supported and the staff will always have a special place in my heart . A huge thank you to the fantastic team: Evans, Philix, Tina and Benjamin and pre-arrival support from Meika. It was a life changing experience that has to taught me so much and left me with memories and friends from all over the world. Ghana is a very beautiful part of the world where the smiles, love and hospitality from from the locals, especially the children will stay with you for life and make you start planning your next trip back the moment you are home. Medaase

Ivhq Ghana was the experience of a lifetime! I did the medical program and loved it. I went with friends and made a lot of new friends there. It was a very eye opening experience, I was able to learn a lot of new things and practice skills I already had. The Ivhq staff were so helpful before I left for the trip. They answered all of my questions quickly and helped me to adequately prepare for the trip. Once there, the staff were very friendly and helpful in country. I felt safe the entire time and there was always someone I could get help from. I really enjoyed getting to know so many locals and play with a lot of cute kids. I also really enjoyed weekend trips to see different parts of the country. Overall it was a great experience and I would recommend.