PMGY - Volunteer in Ghana from $375

***GHANA 2K16***

Well, what an experience that was.

3 weeks of constant fun, laughs, and incredible experiences.

Seth and the team are absolutely fab. When he says he's "got your back" (classic), he really has! I was lucky enough to spend my birthday there and it was honestly the best birthday I've ever had. The PMGY team will become like a second family, and will honestly make your day so much better, just by being around. I cannot thank them and Seth enough for their help and friendship. It really made the experience.

The medical placement was fab. I had the opportunity to observe and even get involved with pretty much anything I asked to do. The experience is what you make of it, and you may feel a little nervous at first, but just ask to get involved and the staff at the hospital will be more than happy to help you make the most of your time there! Jump in and take every opportunity and you definitely won't regret it.

And Ghana is great. The people are all so friendly and I felt safer there than I did around parts of Birmingham, so if the safety aspect is making you a little cautious, then please don't let it put you off! If you can, go on the trips on the weekends because they are amazing. It isn't everyday that you are standing just a few metres from a couple of elephants who are just chilling in some trees!

Overall, a fantastic experience. I loved every minute. You'll make so so many friends out there and, as long as you put your all into the trip, you will get so much out of it.

Would 100% recommend!

What can I even say about this experience apart from the fact I had the time of my life?! As my first time traveling alone (and being 17) I was pretty anxious about having to book everything myself, but PMGY helped ever stepid of the way. I could email the UK team with all of my queries and they would get back to me in a couple of hours or I could even message Seth Mensah on face book, the in counary coordinater, that I was months away from meeting, but he would still do everything he could to help me out.

Volunteering at the orphanage was so eye opening for me and is an experience that I will never
forget and will NEVER stop recommending!!! The children are absolutely adorable and full of energy and all they want to do is play, or do clapping rhythms, chat with you and play on the park. It's amazing how close you become to them so quickly, and when you leave you have a wonderful sense that you have made a difference. You get out the experience what you put into it... don't hold back!

The volunteer house was literally like a social hub and it was surprisingly ridiculously easy to make friends. And they will definitely be friends that last a lifetime! Everyone that works in the house is fantastic, Sofia that cooks and cleans is more like a mum... you want anything? Sofia is your gal! Adowoa cooks and cleans too and the food they prepare is authentic and delicious! Takes some getting used to but if anyone was ever feeling homesick then they shot into action and prepared some western food. Cobbinah (the taxi driver) is absolutely hilarious! Make sure you turn up the music loud in his car, Mr Boombastic should never be played as background music! And finally... we have Mr Mensah himself. Seth is the most accommodatingredients host possible, you can tell him ANYTHING and he will do his best to find a solution at any hour of the day or night. Seth will be your dad, big brother and best friend all in one. Plus he's a bit of a trouble maker... be prepared for a lot of laughs.

So I just got back from volunteering in Ghana for two weeks and I wish I could've stayed longer! I did the medical project as well as a couple of days at the orphanage and I absolutely loved every second of my time there! Both projects were such eye-opening experiences and the difference between the Ghanaian health care system and that of the Western world is so unbelievable! I got to see so many amazing things in the hospital, my favourite being seeing multiple natural births! Seth, the host in Ghana, is one of the most caring people I've ever met, he will literally help you with your every need! Sophia and Adjoa are so amazing and were eager to welcome me to the PMGY Ghana family, without forgetting Rex, Kofi, Cobinnah and of course little Roland! Ghana has totally exceeded my expectations, it's such a friendly welcoming country and I definitely would recommend it to anyone!

Over summer, 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!

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

I've just come back from a trip with PMGY in Ghana and had the best time! I'm lucky enough to have done lots of travelling before, but Ghana is an amazing country with some of the most welcoming and friendy people I've ever met. Thanks to PMGY the trip was easy to organise and everything went smoothly - which is an added bonus when travelling by yourself. You get lots of information in the handbook beforehand and for any other questions you can get a quick reply from the facebook group. Working in the orphanage and observing in the hospital was eye-opening and inspirational - it's an experience i'll never forget. Volunteering abroad is something I would definitly recommend - especially with PMGY in Ghana :-)

I volunteered at Kumasi Childrens Home with PMGY for four weeks (July/August 2014) and had a brilliant time. I chose Ghana because I was excited to see more of Africa and its unique culture and the project offered by PMGY - working with the disabled children - was exactly what I was looking for. All the information and support pre-departure was readily available and detailed, leaving no room for uncertainty!

Meeting my fellow volunteers and the in-country support was one of the most enjoyable aspects of the trip - over my time there I got to know the team very well and there was always someone there if I had questions or was feeling down and needed a hug! Some aspects of the trip were difficult, but I was prepared for this before arrival, it is never easy to see poverty or disability but it is important not to be visibly upset at the project: this is their day to day life after all, not sad to them! The work is really rewarding and you come to really care for the children you meet. Changing, feeding and washing the younger and disabled children makes up the majority of the work as well as helping with washing clothes and dishes. Of course, there is always time to play with the kids and organise tips (we went to the zoo!) which is so much fun!

The new accommodation is amazing, much more than I was expecting, a beautiful, spacious house with all the necessary conveniences (despite the occasional power cut and cold showers!)I wish I could see it when all the finishing touches are in place!

The in-country team could not have been better - constant support and brilliant fun! We all appreciated their organising our trip to Mole National Park, giving us the opportunity to go on safari (we saw elephants!), to visit waterfalls and a monkey sanctuary!

I can't thank PMGY enough, and especially out in-country co-ordinators, for giving me an experience that I will never forget! I already recommend the programme to anyone I meet!

The hosts are a lovely, lovely couple. They've just moved into a swanky new house; which they built together.
They are there 24/7 for us; whether 3pm or 3am. I had a bit of sickness whilst away, which was the inevitable with being in a foreign country for 6 months, they were perfect. They looked after me as if I were their own, took me to the hospital and everything - better to be safe than sorry.

Been back in England for barely a month and already want to go back. The surrounding atmosphere is amazing. Everyone is so friendly and loving there - "and the neighbourhood is awesome!"

The teaching and orphanage opportunities were amazing! Had my own class for 6 months, I grew to know and love everyone, and they seemed to love me as well, the responce that I got from all Ghanaians was very positive! (Although you do have to get used to being called a 'white man' all the time.)

Only thing that caught me out is that I presumed water would be provided, but had to buy this myself. My own assumption, due to being told that all foods, apart from snacks, would be provided.

Be prepared to fall in love with Ghana, I sure have & will be returning!