Volunteer in Ghana with uVolunteer

My arrival and pick up was good. All the things I did here were so amazing. My family here were so great and I would love to see them again. The house where I stayed is really good and the people are so nice and took really good care of me. The project had just started so they don't have yet a lot of material. I did what I can and hopefully the children enjoyed it. I also hope that in the future there will be more material for them and a good organized schedule. I enjoyed it there so much.
On one Tuesday they had: our day. I didn't know what the meaning of it was, but it was a nice day. The children brought food with them and the children were really happy. I experienced so many different things here! And all the people there are nice. I was very quickly used to the way of living there, and I liked it so much. Kokrobite is a real nice place. It's a so different than the Netherlands but now I'm used to the way of living there.
I have seen a lot in Ghana. I traveled to Cape Coast and Kumasi and other places. I had a great time.
It is definitely a life time experience. When somebody is hesitating to come to Africa for holiday or better for volunteering, the only thing I can say: just do it! You will never feel regret, I'm sure.

I am not a trained teacher, so I have to admit I struggled trying to keep all the kids in line and interested at all times. The kids had so much energy and passion that I had to bring my A game to keep up with them. Some of the kids were more independent, learned on their own, and knew when to seek help when needed. Others needed more attention in specific subjects and seemed to constantly want to share stories and have discussions with me. I appreciated all of their different styles and personalities. Just when I started to get to know them better it was time to leave.

I failed to prepare myself for the goodbyes. When I was there I looked forward to seeing them the next day or the next week. When it was time to say I will not return, it was heart breaking. Most of them said their goodbyes and seemed to have not noticed that I will not return. A few asked if I will come back to be with them again. As I tried really hard to hold back tears the only answer I had was that I really want to return, but I do not know. I could not give them a promise I was not sure if I could keep. Have I become another person in these children's life that has abandoned them? Or did they understand I was only there for a temporary time and just appreciate our time together?

This separation has been really hard to deal with because I miss them so much. I must remember that I will carry the joy and happiness they have brought into my life with me every day. This chapter of my life will not bring me down, but make me stronger, happier, more grateful, and hopeful.

Lia

At the college, it was track and field qualifications for the West African Poly games. Most of the athletes competed in bare feet, socks, and a few pairs of shoes. Kofi, the 20 year old man who represented the IT students, won the 1,600 meter race by running it bare foot and still managed to break the school record held for 15 years.

As a volunteer, it took long days to help prepare the field for the event. We had to measure, chalk the lanes for the runners, pick up and move large rocks, dig a large hole for the long and triple jump. The best part about getting the long and triple jump pit ready was going to a local saw mill with other Ghanaians and bringing the saw dust back on our bicycles. The day of the event was filled with hundreds of people from the local community, and the local college. The telecom company MTN, sponsored the event by giving the winners of each event shirts, trophies, and hats. A very memorable event that I will never forget!

I really appreciate UVolunteer for being organized and providing the volunteers with such a nice environment to live in. Great showers, kitchen, food, staff and a clean house with comfortable beds. Koforidua is surrounded by mountains, so it's a great place to have weekends off. It's close to waterfalls, hiking in the mountains, bicycle riding, local villages,and easy access to festivals in the Eastern Region. Only a quick ride to Accra to see any major attractions in Ghana's capital city.

I really enjoyed the Ghana experience.

Ghana was the most eye opening experience I have ever encountered in my life. Upon arriving, I was not quite sure what to expect, but I knew I would not be living a posh life. I was not prepared to have everything I had grown accustomed too in the states taken away from me, but I settled in quickly. I often times found myself looking around in awe that I was in Ghana and how the people lived.
The little things added up in Ghana and they were always a result of someone wanting to help in one way or another, and that is what I will remember about my experience, the people.

Despite the amount of poverty here, I can say with confidence that Ghanians are the most genuinely nice people I have ever been around in my life. I almost wanted to ask the first few people I spoke to what they wanted because they acted like a salesman, but they were just truly being friendly. After going to the crazy market, experiencing the upbeat style of church, and eating some Ghaninan food it was time for me to start my project.

My project involved teaching 15-18 year old girls how to play basketball. The game of basketball is rare in Ghana, and most do not have access to a court or ball. The first day I started teaching the girls I thought I was starting from the basics, but I did not realize they had never even seen a basketball before. Names such as Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson were completely foreign and the concept of dribbling had not previously been taught.

My goal was to keep it fun. As soon as the girls started to show any signs of being bored, I just let them play even if it meant breaking a few rules. The first week was very entertaining and I enjoyed watching the girls' progress in their knowledge and ability of the game. In order to help my teaching process, I taught the girls in a classroom setting in the mornings to help explain how to play the game and show them a few skills. In the afternoon we would walk about 15 minutes away to play at a local court. I had a lot of fun teaching the girls and made some good friends along the way.

Outside of teaching at the local school, I got to know a lot of people in Ghana. uVolunteer got me plugged into the community with some great people and I was able to branch out from there. The hearts of Ghanians are genuine and everybody wanted to know my story. uVolunteer did a great job making sure I experienced the culture here and setting me up with people to take me around town. I got to go to a local church, experience the food market, walk around the clothes market, eat all kinds of Ghanian food, go to local night life spots, experience the national park, walk with elephants, see monkeys steal people's breakfast, wash clothes by hand, and be chased by 50 Ghanian kids hoping to take a basketball from me.

Every day on the way to class I would walk by the kids school and hear the word 'obrony' (white man!) about 50 times. At first I did not know what to do, but all I had to do was smile and wave as if I was some sort of celebrity. The kids' faces light up and some just want wave at you. The little things added up in Ghana and they were always a result of someone wanting to help in one way or another, and that is what I will remember about my experience, the people.

I would recommend the uVolunteer program to anybody and suggest you join because it will be one of the most important experiences you will ever encounter. Be thankful for your current life, but know that you can never be truly thankful unless you live in a poor town.

One memorable moment I remember is when I was trying to teach the children about gentle touch, and patting or rubbing the shoulder to get my attention, instead of hitting or pulling aggressively. This was a hard lesson for them, as in their culture they are used to rough handling and gentle touch does not really exist. As I explained to them how to do it, and that I like it better than being pulled on very hardly, they really understood and started helping each other out by reminding each other and demonstrating it on me. It was really sweet to see how one girl showed another one what a " gentle touch" was and how quickly she responded and started doing it that way.
Overall my experience at the orphanage was truly wonderful, and I would not trade it for anything, despite its challenges and obstacles. It was an experience I put myself into and I think it has made me a stronger, more adaptable person because of it. I am glad to have been able to share something with the children and hope that the time I spent with them will leave some kind of impression or memory in there minds to carry with them for the rest of there lives. Ghana is an amazing country, rich with culture, flavor and excitement. There was never a dull moment in Ghana and my time here has enriched my life in a very positive way.

I had an exciting week because things were so different compare to our country that I could not believe what I saw.
The first week was a bit of orientation to the projects we were about to do. I had an exciting week because things were so different compare to our country that I could not believe what I saw, such as how people worked at the market or the condition of the roads and taxis or "trotros".The second week was more normal because we had got used to some things in the country.
Working at the orphanage was amazing; the summer camp was successful, well organized and above all, the children were so nice and polite, they made our stay in Ghana much more pleasant, and always made us come home and feel happy for the work we had done that day.I thought of this trip as a challenge or an adventure, and I did not know what would or could happen. But fortunately everything went well and, for me, it has been so far the most rewarding experience I've ever had-certainly one to be repeated.

The little expectations I did have were definitely exceeded when I arrived and met the staff and settled in. Everyone was extremely warm and friendly from the moment I was picked up at the airport. The weekend was busy exploring Koforidua and getting familiar with the Ghanaian food and culture .After seeing how people lived in the town I was relieved to find our dorms very comfortable and clean.
Before we began camp at the Orphanage, we were brought to the orphanage to meet the staff and children. Sunday night we spent planning how we would execute the English and Sports camp for the next two weeks. I was glad to find that Nat and the team had already done some basic lesson planning for the week so I felt prepared. Mon-Thurs we worked from about 9am-3pm at the orphanage. The days were well organized and it was comforting to have local staff and teachers there to help us as well. I was pleased that there were other volunteers with me during the program so I could not only make new friends but also have co-teachers to plan with. Even though I am a teacher, the work was challenging but extremely fun. Coming from teaching in West Philadelphia, I was blown away by how well behaved, well-mannered and respectful the children were. They were eager to learn and try new things and their excitement for us being there was incredibly rewarding.
On the weekend, Nat accompanied our group on a trip to the Cape Coast and was an excellent tour guide. At the end of the two weeks, I could have never imagined how upset I would be to leave the children. The children are amazing and really make everything about working at the camp completely worthwhile, in just two weeks I felt a developed a really strong bond with my entire group of kids.
Overall, my experience is exactly what I was looking for in a volunteer program. I made sure to stay open-minded and patient the entire trip. At times, when I wanted to feel frustrated with some of the ways of the culture, I reminded myself that it was part of the whole learning experience. I would not have done anything differently and I am completely satisfied with the program. I felt by having the opportunity to immerse myself in the culture I was able to come away with a life changing experience that I will surely never forget.

In Ghana, everyone was extremely friendly from the moment we arrived. I was a little worried about our living arrangements but I was so relieved to see our house. It was clean, comfortable, and safe. Our first weekend was busy with orientation and getting to know the city, food and culture. Our program coordinators, Fred and Annette, were always there to listen and answer any questions or concerns we had.

That first day at the orphanage we learned that one of the children (Naomi) was very sick. Once we met Naomi we both felt an immediate connection with her. We knew that we had to help her. Once we talked to Annette and Fred about it, they arranged for us to take her to the hospital on our first day off. She was admitted to the hospital for malnutrition and we found out that once a child is admitted, someone has to be with her 24/7. Alec, one of the other volunteers, was part of our team to help Naomi, we set up different shifts with Fred, Alec, Sammar and I spending hours at the hospital each to care for her.

I have had a lot of memorable chapters in my life, but none compare to this life changing experience. From the culture, country, children, and people I met along the way to the friendships I've made with Fred, Annette, and the other volunteers. I am truly blessed to have met such wonderful people and I know that I have made some life-long friends.

I would recommend going to Ghana to anyone that is even remotely interested in doing volunteer work in Africa; it was a beautiful country with beautiful people. This trip has awakened a passion in me that I could have never imagined and I am hoping to add many more chapters in my volunteer journeys of this type.