GVI, Ethical Impact: Volunteer in Ghana

Anyone that gets to experience GVI Ghana is one fortunate person. If you’re prepared to work hard and fully embrace the experience, then this will be life changing.

I couldn’t speak more highly of the staff at GVI Ghana, the impactful projects and the level of security in place to protect the volunteers. The base accommodation is well looked after, and the food made in the week is delicious. The staff are extremely supportive, have diverse backgrounds and make you feel at ease almost instantly. There is a large variety in projects, with constant reflection on their impact on the community.
I took part in a female empowerment project and a project focussed on physical education, both of which I thoroughly enjoyed. The projects are structured with varying flexibility, based on what the person is comfortable with, and I really enjoyed the level of freedom I was given to run with my ideas (ensuring they aligned with the project objectives and aims).
Kokrobite is a vibrant friendly community that GVI has integrated well
into, and the partnering schools are a joy to work with.

During my time it was clear that it didn’t matter what age group, life experience or work experience you had prior, but all that mattered was a willingness to get involved and be proactive.

This experience has developed my communication, teamwork and adaptability skills as well as boosting my overall confidence. These skills are fundamental in any professional setting, so it has provided a great chance to show how I have strengthened them.

Overall, it is very clear why this base has so many volunteers that either extend their stay and/or return. If one review makes up your mind today, I hope it is this one as I couldn’t recommend this experience with GVI Ghana anymore.

Had an incredible time with GVI Ghana; spent one month working in local partner schools with primary aged children assisting with one to ones to support literacy and maths. Work was very rewarding, kids were very engaged and you could see their progression. Felt very well looked after, food provided was a lovely mix of Ghanaian and western. Had plenty of cultural activities including African dancing, trip to Cape coast slave castle and hiking trip to the lush Volta region. Overall an incredible experience I am eager to go back!

I had such an amazing time in Ghana. I met so many other great people who were volunteering or staff of GVI. I made friends for life with some of them. My program was so great working with kids every day and being able to watch them grow in their English, Math, Science, etc. The community Kokrobite is so welcoming and some of the nicest people I've ever met. I have no bad things to say about my trip except that leaving was very hard. I would definitely recommend this program to anyone and everyone, it was seriously one of the best experiences of my life and I will definitely be going back.

I couldn’t have imagined how amazing my month in Ghana could have been. Not only did it give me a different cultural experience and perspective to various issues in my women’s empowerment programme; it helped me gain more confidence in my abilities both socially and on the projects. The projects were amazing and working with the local community and the kids was so rewarding. The social aspect was also so much more than I expected. Weekends away, social nights and the freedom to explore gave me the independence I didn’t think I had and helped me make some amazing friends.

Trying to describe my time in Ghana is one of the hardest things. I don’t think words can adequately express how incredible my 8 weeks with GVI was and the impact it has had on me, but I’m going to give it a go!
The most heart filling, sometimes challenging, but always rewarding, fun, and exciting experience I could have ever imagined, which greatly surpassed any expectations I had.
I signed up for the international development internship, and through which I helped organise the GVI Ghana Earth Day event and fundraising. This consisted of going into three local schools in Kokrobite to give a presentation on reasons for keeping the community clean in how this can be done. Following this we hosted a mass beach clean collecting 900kg of rubbish with 100 members of the Kokrobite community coming together with us to start to make the change. This then developed into the Keeping Kokrobite Beautiful (KKB) Campaign, which aims to continue and develop the beach cleaning as well as starting the KKB Action Team which is working towards finding viable solutions to the lack of waste disposal for all those in the community.
I loved the flexibility GVI Ghana offers. Although I signed up for the International Development Internship, I was able to also get involved with our partner schools. I spent everyday getting to know, learning from and being inspired by the amazing children of Divine Home.
The weekends also offer so much, being able to explore the bits of paradise in Ghana. Travelling up and down the coast with your friends, seeing some incredible places and meeting even more beautiful people.
If you travel to Ghana with GVI you will have a life changing experience in which you gain so much from the people you are surrounded by, and are driven everyday by the impact you have.
I miss this country, community and everyone in it so much, and I’m hoping to travel out next year.
If you are reading this thinking twice about signing up, do it, please. Best 8 weeks EVER!!!❤️❤️❤️

What an experience! In October of this year, I spent six weeks in Kokrobite with GVI Ghana. It was genuinely six of the best weeks of my life. Matt, Zen and all the staff on base are so welcoming. It's literally as if they are welcoming you into their family. You have everything you need on base; great food, facilities, resources for school and projects etc. It makes it so much easier to get the most out of every day. I was an international development intern, which meant I got to attend cool events like YouthConnekt Africa Summit '21 and meetings with GVI Ghana's key local partners. These meetings allowed important community stakeholders to voice their opinions and identify what the most pressing community needs were. It also helped us to draw up projects to address these needs. If I could have changed one thing about my experience, I would have liked to do more of this kind of work. Regardless of what programme you are doing, everyone gives a hand out in the local schools at one point or another. The thing is once you do it once, you want to go back every single day. The kids absolutely idolise the volunteers. It is impossible not to smile from ear to ear when you work with them. I have zero teaching experience but with the support of the other volunteers you learn pretty quickly. If you are not comfortable taking a class by yourself which I wasn't for a little while, you can do one to one learning support with kids who may need it more than others. The kids are so hungry to learn and you can see the happiness it brings them when they learn something new. The evenings and weekends also provided a great opportunity to bond with other volunteers. Between sunrises, sunsets, surf days and weekend trips you share some pretty wholesome experiences together and you will make friends for life. To anyone thinking of going to Ghana, the advice I would give is go for as long as you possibly can. I was there for six weeks and I would have stayed for six months if I could!

When I decided to do an International Development Internship with GVI Ghana I thought I knew what I was getting into. I could not have predicted or imagined all of the amazing experiences I had in Kokrobite, Ghana. Not only did I have an amazing experience culturally in Ghana, I was able to connect with and meet people from all over the world. Not only was I able to enjoy myself in Ghana but I was able to be part of projects and a purpose that I truly believe and make a difference. Originally I had planned to go for 6 weeks but ended up staying for 8 only to leave wishing I had more time with GVI. Ever since I have left I have been thinking about when and where I can do another program. Truly an amazing program with adventure all the while working in an environment that will help build professional experience for my career.

Going to Ghana I signed for the teaching programme and I am so unbelievably grateful that I did, i stayed with my class for 13 weeks and I got to watch them improve and grow and it was the most rewarding feeling I’ve ever had. I have fallen in love with everything about this place- the people , the food and the country. And on top of all that I have made some best friends for life. I enjoyed my time here so much that I am planning to come again over Christmas 😊. My perspective on life and values have changed so much.