I have travelled to Ghana to volunteer with Atlas on three separate occasions now, the first being March 2023 for just over two weeks, the second for 6 months (as I loved it so much) from November 2023 to April 2024 and most recently September 2024 for two and half a weeks. I loved all three times I was there. I volunteered in Education and on sports projects with the school and an additional programme of supporting the football academy on the evenings. I loved the projects as you get so involved from day one at the schools within the young Ghaniain community helping in the classrooms supporting kids that need extra help with subjects such as English, Maths and anything you can help in to be honest. You get to really embrace in the culture there and the day to day lives of these people and take your own role. When comfortable you can even teach your own class. I liked to stick to one class for consistency but also sometimes when required you could help other classes. The trips around Ghana are really good and something for everyone from beautiful coastlines to hiking amongst others and very interesting to travel on public transport to get an experience. Nice big volunteer house with large outdoor areas and tables you can sit at in the evenings with the other volunteers, make friends and have a good time with when the projects finish for the day. The team are really helpful and on hand when you need something or someone. I loved Ghana and albeit will be some time but I am certain to be coming back time and time again in the future.

During my time in Ghana, I volunteered at a primary school in Abetifi, where I supported the teachers and worked closely with the children. My days started with rides to school, where I was welcomed each day by the enthusiastic smiles of the children. At school, I helped with various activities, from assisting the children during their lessons to organizing playtime. I enjoyed creating a safe and playful environment where the children could learn and have fun.

In addition to my work at the school, I also had the chance to get to know the local community better and participate in cultural events, which enriched my experience even more. The Atlas staff were always available and ready to help me with any questions or challenges. Thanks to their support and the warm welcome from the community, I quickly felt at home, even though I was far from my own home.

This experience was not only an opportunity to contribute to education but also to build strong connections with the children and local people. A lifetime experience! I hope I can visit again soon.

I really enjoyed this project a lot! Before my arrival, the coordinators Sam, Rii and Emmanuel were all very helpful and reached out to me to make sure I didn’t need anything or had any questions. Moreover, the project itself was very nice and I really felt like I made a difference. I especially liked that it was scheduled what we had to do throughout the week but at the same time, Rii and Emmanuel made it very flexible so adjustments could be made according to our needs as volunteers. Lastly, one thing I really appreciated was how engaged Rii and Emmanuel themselves were in the project - both regarding the turtles but they also took the initiative to arrange some afternoon activities and on the weekends as well in which they took part themselves. This added to the “family feeling” and was a big part of my experience. Even though most of our work was from morning til around midday, every day we had a theme for the afternoon/night such as “family dinner” or “twi lessons” which I enjoyed a lot. It made us closer as a group and it was a great opportunity to get to know the Ghanaian culture and each other better. I want to give a lot of credit to Rii and Emmanuel as I saw how hard they are working to make everyone feel welcomed and included. Moreover, they had a great way of communicating the terms of the project and the expectations in a clear and professional way while they at the same time made it clear that our opinions as a volunteer is highly appreciated. They truly made it feel like one big teamwork - as it should be, so thank you!

Great experience. This experience allowed a new part of me to come out. I want to come back in the future, and I want to try a new project because now I want to discover other new things in Ghana and about me. In this experience, I discovered one of the biggest fortunes of my life, and this gave and give me a strong motivation to follow my passion. In this experience, I had the fortune to be able to choose what to do with my life. So I understand that I am very lucky to have my life, and the possibility to follow my passion.

I've stayed with Atlas multiple times now and will continue to return. The variety of projects and opportunities for weekend trips means there is something for everyone.

I feel safe and at home at all times, the team are all very supportive. There is always someone on hand for advise with projects or support around the house. The house has a communal feel, there's something going on most evenings but without being on a restrictive schedule. The area is welcoming and easy to get around so you can quickly gain independence.

I have to admit I was out of my comfort zone and a bit apprehensive to travel to Ghana at first but I had the most amazing time. I loved that there were different projects to choose from like teaching in schools and ecobricking (sadly turtle conservation wasn’t there when I was). The vibe from the locals and all the staff was amazing and I couldn’t fault them. The accommodation meant that everyone was together and could share the experience, play games and have themed nights. I was collected from the airport by the organisation which made the process much easier. If you’re looking to push yourself out of your comfort zone this is a great opportunity.

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!