I participate in the education project, which means assisting teachers and pupils in Basic 4 primary school. I read English with the children one on one.

It is recommended to stay for a long period (in my case one year, but I would say at least one school term of 3 months), so you can get to learn the kids, build a bond, and they learn to trust and respect you. Also, you will get to know the teachers and observe the school system.

It's worthwhile to travel through the country to see great nature, like waterfalls, monkeys, elephants and hippos.

I completed the Sports Development & Coaching Program for six months and am very happy overall with my decision to do this program with Atlas Volunteers. I would recommend everyone to come for at least three months, because I think everyone needs a certain amount of time to settle in, especially with education programs. My first month was extremely exciting. I went on several trips over the weekend and got to know Ghana really well. I needed the first month to really settle in as a sports teacher at the school. In the following months, I was able to find more and more good routines for myself in sports lessons at the school. The volunteer house offers a perfect retreat and at the same time a place for volunteers to get together. In general, I can highly recommend volunteering with Atlas Volunteers in the Kwahu East region of Ghana.

I am very happy with having choosen Atlas as a volunteer program. The people I met were so nice and the program really set value on activities together in the volunteer group. I could not be happier with the experiences I could make in Ghana and Atlas has been a good partner.

Also this was a great opportunity for me to gain practical experiences for my future job as an English teacher.

If you are thinking about volunteering in Ghana and are unsure if Atlas is the right program, I can only recommend it to you!

I went to help the Atlas Volunteers association renovate a primary school. It was amazing. The members of the association were very kind, attentive, and they taught me many things. I was able to meet members of the village where I stayed with the association, and they all brought me so much. I loved discovering all these people and seeing the smiles on the children’s faces after we finished painting their classroom. We were able to do many activities, visit the surrounding areas, and taste traditional dishes from Ghana.

I think you still need to have at least a basic level of English and stay for at least three weeks; otherwise, you don’t really have time to fully enjoy the experience.

My first three weeks have been amazing, with the exception of being a bit sick.

I really enjoy my time in this beautiful place and meeting all the other volunteers.

Rii and Junior are doing a great job introducing you to the work and telling you everything you want to know. They are professional but still behave like friends, which is really nice :)

The work is exhausting of course but it’s good that you get no pressure and it’s nice too see the impact you have.

The best part is of course releasing the baby turtles, which is always an amazing experience.

This program was recommended to me by a friend who had already been there a year earlier, and I couldn't have asked for better advice. I immediately felt welcome (even though my English wasn't the best), any doubts were quickly cleared up, and as the days went by, I felt more and more at home. Although it may seem difficult at first, with time and the help of the other volunteers and Dom, everything will be a breeze. I was there for the kindergarten and primary school education program and I went back a second time. During the week, I had a very busy routine. In the morning, I went to school, and in the afternoon, depending on the day, there were activities to do. On the weekend, I could easily travel around and discover Ghana. The village where you live is very quiet and has everything you need. This experience will always remain in my heart, and I will definitely return. Sam and Dom are the absolute best.

It was really fulfilling to be part of kids education and learning process. This project allowed me to work individually and personally with students who struggled with reading especially or even writing. It was rewarding to see how happy they were while learning and building up their confidence as most of the times they can have this feeling in their class.

Also, being part of a school meant being part of a community and learn about the Ghanaian culture and their traditions. In big words, it is a country that welcomes you everywhere you go and helps you in anything you may need.
The project allows you also to visit the country and the different regions as well as to meet many new volunteers

At the other project, the turtle project:
We had the chance to experience all the process of a turtle, from it's birth to the nesting. It was amazing to be part of the process and to help the species itself while taking care of the environment and sorroundings, such as doing some beach clean up and farming nearby.

Walking around the area helps you understand more about the Ghanaian culture and their calm way of life. A way of life in which one feels welcomed since minute one that you enter the country. Also, Ghana is really safe country to travel to.

Two months ago I left for a trip to Ghana and, well, the fact that I doubled my stay will tell enough about the wonderful time I had with Atlas! Atlas is a small organisation that really looks for opportunities to help the community. The team is so passionate and inspiring about the different projects and are open for new ideas. They also help you with planning trips or changing to one of the other projects. In Abetifi the volunteer house is for the projects reforestation, education, sports and construction. During my time we stayed with 10-18 volunteers: always someone to chat or play a game. At Cape Three Points the group was smaller but very nice.

Turtle Poject (3 weeks): I didn’t know anything about turtles, but left as a very proud and invested turtle mom. At night you do beach patrol two times. During the day you do different activities like changing the sand in the hatchery, gardening, getting bamboo for renovations or beach clean-up. I really liked that every day was different! In between the activities there’s enough time to relax, play games, go for a swim or see the sunset at the lighthouse. I found so much peace and quiet at Cape Three Points (it feels like a paradise in the middle of nowhere), but also had so much fun. I met the most amazing people and found friendship for life.

Reforestation project (5 weeks): Like the turtle project, I didn’t know anything about trees or cabbages, but became a very proud and invested tree mom and cabbage expert. There was a weekend day I said “I really miss my little trees, happy we can go there again tomorrow.” Three times a week you do reforestation: going to the tree nursery and taking care of the baby trees (watering, weeding, re-planting..) or going to the planting side for planting trees or making a firebuild (to protect the already planted trees for fire). Two times a week you go helping on a farm (this time we did grow cabbages) and often finish your workday with cooking together on an open fire. Because the work is more physical (totally fine with the weather, just have more breaks), I had really nice conversations with the others. In the afternoons you have enough free time.

Volunteering is not work: it’s sharing smiles, making someone’s day a little easier, giving back to an amazing community. What I did like the most? Becoming a part of the community. I learned to do small talk in Twi (local language), learned how to cook local dishes, played with the kids, took Ghanaian showers (showering in the rain).. I met the most amazing people and found friendship for life. Conclusion: found a new home and a new family. Definitely will come back here. If you're unsure whether to go: GO! It was my best decision ever. The plastic plants in my room are gone now :)