Volunteer in Ghana with uVolunteer

Name: Volunteer in Ghana with uVolunteer
Brand: uVolunteer
SKU: 22063
Rating: 5 (17 reviews)

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Location

Ghana

Project Types

Arts Childcare Orphan Care Building Projects Sports Wildlife Conservation Education Teaching Computer Literacy Health Medical Disabled Care +2

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Program Details

Language

English

Housing

Hostel

Last Updated: Jul 09, 2018

Last Reviewed: Dec 18, 2014

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1 traveler is looking at this program

About Program

Volunteer in Ghana with uVolunteer for the experience of a lifetime! uVolunteer offers a range of volunteer projects throughout the country. Volunteers can choose to work with uVolunteer's partner organizations in conservation, health care, community development, sports coaching, orphanage work, teaching English, and more.

uVolunteer also supports volunteers by offering a number of services including airport pick up, travel insurance, social activities, orientation and tour, and more. Check out uVolunteer's website for more information on the number of volunteer projects offered in Ghana!

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Consider your impact: Volunteering abroad can be a rewarding experience for both volunteers and local communities, and at Go Overseas, we believe all volunteers should have the resources to make informed decisions about the type of volunteer project they want to partake in. However, despite best intentions, some organizations offering placements in orphanages may unknowingly place children in danger. You can read about the potential dangers of orphanage volunteering here.

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Program Reviews

5.00 Rating

based on 17 reviews

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Rating Spread Volunteer

5 rating 100%
4 rating 0%
3 rating 0%
2 rating 0%
1 rating 0%

Impact 4.95
Support 5
Fun 4.95
Value 4.95
Safety 5

Showing 9 - 16 of 17 reviews

When I arrived , it was amazing to realize that everything I had seen on cocumentaries or the news on TV was all both, real and really impressive. Living in Koforidua made me appreciate everyhing I have at home, in Spain

What would you improve about this program?

Although my time in Ghana will always be remembered as one of the best in my life, I must say that generally speaking the place where I live is much more developed and that is something that, in broad terms, we should certainly appreciate more.
The showing of affection, respect, friendship, generosity, just to mention a few was so widespread that it was hard to believe that all these things could be found altogether in one place at the same time.
The staff that works for uVolunteer made my stay really comfortable as well as pleasant. I was able to visit famous places around Koforidua and also to make my wish come true, which was to teach the Ghanaian children and at the same time learn from them. I learnt people should try to share everything they have, life is warmer and more agreeable if you offer what you have, to those not only you most love but also to the ones that have nothing to live on.
I also learnt customs I was never taught at home such as praying at assembly and before meals, etc. Their culture was something that made me think as it was very different from mine but nonetheless important.
I think volunteering with all such generous and non-prejudice people has made me open my mind and reaffirm the saying "Money can help towards happiness but does not guarantee it 100%".
The showing of affection, respect, friendship, generosity, just to mention a few was so widespread that it was hard to believe that all these things could be found altogether in one place at the same time.
Volunteering in Koforidua for Ghana uVolunteer has been a memorable experience thanks to the organization that planned my vacation but also thanks to the people that live here and make it easier for the "brownies" to feel as they were at home.

I arrived in Accra December 24th and was greeted by my coordinators of uVolunteer. The city was in frenzy as i was Christmas Eve. The sights, sounds and smell were overwhelming. There was so much to take in just going thru Accra. Upon my arrival we settle in for a few hours and headed downtown to celebrate Christmas.

What would you improve about this program?

The importance of faith, love, not to take anything for granted and the value of a smile are just a few lessons that I have learned this past month. Fred introduced me the Queen mother and her family and during my stay I have become a member of their family and their love, kindness and generosity will never be forgotten. I attended the wedding of her son and mourned a loss with them, ate fufu (of which is my understanding am the present record holder, 3 fufu meals), celebrated and danced with them. Their door was always open to me and their spirit of kindness and hospitality will always be treasured. They are my family now. My passion for photography was more than fulfilled and I was able to extend my interest of photography with the older children at the orphanage. My young friend Bryce certainly took a liking to my cameras and I happily gave a few pointers to this young man's new found interest. Market days were certainly a favorite day of mine as there were many interesting subjects to be found and photograph.
My introduction to the Chief of Adweso and his family has allowed me to have some insight in the everyday activities of a Ghanaian family. My friendship with Chief Nana has given me the opportunity to meet some very interesting people and to witness the responsibilities that come with this position. I also had the opportunity to befriend a man whose life purpose is to eradicate some of the customs of the Trokosi Tribe. Stephen Awudi Gadri is the founder of Trokosi Abolition Fellowship International and author of the book: The Revealed Myths about Trokosi Slavery: Human Rights Violation.
This kind and gentle man has helped save and free over 3800 girls and women from a life of slavery within the Trokosi community. I consider myself truly honored to have met this man. Last but not least my new found friends, Annette my compass, Fred my dance partner and Naomi my care taker. There are not enough words to describe how you have made this opportunity one of my life's most amazing experiences and journeys. Your friendship, insight and guidance have been more than helpful and you have helped me deal with some of the difficulties and comprehending some of the challenges of being immersed in a new culture. Believe me that at the end of each and every day as I washed my feet of the Ghanaian dust I counted my blessings and even though I washed away the dust I will never wash away the lessons of my 28 days here. Again I am truly blessed to have met such wonderful people and I am definitely planning on coming back to Ghana as now I have family.

My time in Ghana has been life changing, I have made lifelong friends and I encourage everyone to leave the comfort of their homes and I will cherish these memories forever. I encourage everyone to leave the comfort of the children of Ghana. You will not regret it.

What would you improve about this program?

I arrived in Accra and the volunteer coordinators were waiting for me at the airport; they have been helpful and kind since then. My experience was wonderful because of their guidance and support.
Saturday's orientation provided useful cultural information and helped me to navigate through the busy town of Koforidua. Every sight and smell was a new experience for me; the community was welcoming and made me feel right at home.
On Monday I met the amazing children of the Orphanage. Their smiles and kindness exceeded my expectations. Brenda, one of the volunteers, introduced me to the volunteer room filled with medical supplies. I quickly learned to nurse a wound and care for the children. The rest of the week went by quickly; I kept busy teaching the third grade class lessons. Each day we reviewed math, English, and science. Teaching this class has been the most rewarding experience. My students greeted me each morning without a complaint, eager to learn.
I spent the following weekend in Accra. My roommate Katie and I took a tro-tro ride into the capital on Friday. We dined at a beautiful outdoor restaurant and toured the city. We had a chance to see the Nyame Memorial, Independence Square, and the local beaches. On Saturday we walked through the Art Center and local markets. My African mask will be proudly hung on my wall when I get back to the United States. The fun continued on Sunday. Fred, Annette, Katie, and I hiked to Akaa falls and had lunch on top of Umbrella Rock. The scenery was breath taking. It was great to get away from town and experience the outdoors.
My final week at the orphanage was better than the first. I formed close bonds with the children and took in each moment with them. I was the assigned teacher, but I found that my students taught me just as much each day. I purchased a pencil and sharpener for each of my students because I noticed their lack of supplies. This small gift made their day and mine.
Also, we ventured to Shia Hills Resource Reserve. Our tour guide had a gift. After meeting the ostriches, we went deeper into the reserve in hopes of seeing the baboons. Within a few minutes several baboons emerged from the forest. We feed them bread and learned interested facts about the group dynamic. The lands of the reserve are beautiful; I highly recommend taking this trip.

Arriving in Ghana, I was excited to immerse in a new country and continent. My month stay in Koforidua was one to remember!
The volunteer coordinators prepared me to be engulfed into the Ghanaian lifestyle.
I was dancing, eating and smiling are the three actions that I will remember the most of my stay. The experience I gained from this trip is indescribable, which makes it hard to write a volunteer story. I think to whomever is reading my story, I guarantee you, you will not regret this experience. Two tips to keep in mind while you are in Ghana: Keep an open mind and be happy!

What would you improve about this program?

Better imposible

When I first arrived in Ghana I was really nervous and excited all at the same time. As soon as I received my luggage, Annete was right there to meet me. .

What would you improve about this program?

We then drove to the dorm that was approximately an hour and a half away. I really enjoyed this car ride because I got the chance to observe everything.
My first month in Ghana I taught at Hour of Grace Orphanage. I didn't have much experience teaching before so I was really nervous on my first day. I taught the Kindergarten class (ages 6-7). After my first day I was really comfortable because all of the children are willing to learn whatever I could teach them. On an average day, in the mornings I would teach mathematics and in the afternoons I would teach spelling and grammar. I really loved my class, every morning they would greet me, and after classes were done they always gave hugs goodbye. Also, at the orphanage I was able to play with the little kids (aged 2-4), which was a lot of fun. All of the kids were so welcoming and loved to be around all of the volunteers.
During my second month, the other volunteers and I ran a sports and English camp because the schools were on vacation. The first week of camp was held at a local community and it was really interesting to see how the level of education differed from the children at the Orphanage. In this camp, I taught children that were aged 13-15. At first this class was really quite and did not want to speak up about anything, after our few warm up activities the morning the class quickly became comfortable and it was really enjoyable. In the mornings we would teach mathematics and English until lunch and then after we would play a variety of sports (soccer, sack races, etc). The second camp was held at the Hour of Grace Orphanage and we had a very similar routine with these children.
One the weekends and when there wasn't a camp running, I was able to travel quite a bit to different places, such as Mole National Park, which was awesome to walk through the safari and see the animals really close up. Also, I travelled to Accra, which was really fun to go out and see the big city. I spent a few days on the beautiful Labadi Beach, and the Accra Art Center where I bought lots of souvenirs for my friends and family back home.
Overall, my trip in Ghana was absolutely amazing and I don't think I could have had a better time. Over the two months of my volunteer I had the chance to meet some really awesome other volunteers and local Ghanians as well. I became really good friends with some of the neighbors around the dorm, I always had fun with the local people and they really showed me a lot about the culture and the country.
Laura

I arrived to the airport in Accra, afther two long days of travel, and was greeted to meet my volunteer coordinator Annette. After meeting up with two other volunteers, we made our way to Koforidua .

What would you improve about this program?

Getting to know the town as well as the other volunteers was really fun throughout the weekend, and it was packed with fun things to do. During my first two weeks in Ghana, we held two different camps English and Sports Camps, Teaching English and Mathematics in the mornings, and playing sports each afternoon. The Kids were awesome, they were so kind and respectful, and although teaching was a challenge, it was well worth it to see their faces as they received their certificate at the end of the camp.
I was surprised that after only a four-day camp I was so sad to see them go! Between the two camps, we took a trip to Mole National Park. It was a long 12-hour trek to get there, but we made it! We saw tons of Elephants, and went on two different Safaris.
This past weekend, we drove down to Cape Coast to visit Cape Coast Castle, which was used in the Slave Trade. On our way home, we did Kakum Canopy Walk, and did a little bit of shopping in Accra. Shopping was fun, a lot of bargaining was done and in the end I got a lot of good deals.
This last week was spent at the orphanage, getting to know the orphans well was really great, but it made saying goodbye really tough. I'll miss them all so much.
Overall, my time in Ghana was an amazing, eye-opening experience that I wouldn't take back for anything. Being with uVolunteer was the perfect way to see a new country, and although there were a lot of things to get used to like being stared at wherever I went and being woken up by a rooster every morning, they were there with me every step of my way.
Sophie

I stumbled upon uVolunteer, the price was great, and the response I received from the program when I made my initial enquiries was also fast and detailed

My name is Austin Ikechi, I am an Pre-Medical student from Maryland, USA. As a premed, getting the required amount of community service and volunteer exposure at the hospital is an important step in medical school application.

What would you improve about this program?

Having volunteer at a hospital in Maryland, I opted for a program in a developing country because I feel I can better utilize my skills, while gaining valuable knowledge on health care in developing countries.

My program started my first Monday; I was introduced to the HR department at Koforidua general hospital where I was scheduled to volunteer. My first placement was in the surgical ward, it was hands on, I started learning right way because the doctors explained the cases and treatment plan to me. I was let to draw blood and set up IV lines under the supervision of a doctor and with the permission of the patient. There were also lecture series that I attended. Attending theater was the best part, I was able to watch and ask question on the procedures being done. After the first week, I went to pediatrics ward; this ward was very challenging. The doctors and PA's had review sections that I sat in for, they went over several diseases and their causes and how to diagnosis them. After sitting in for most of these reviews, I was let to see patients one on one under adoctor's supervision. This felt like a crash course in medicine.

My last week was in internal Medicine, the learning process was the similar with the other wards I rotated, doctors taught every step and approach they took on the patients. Every doctor had time to explain questions I asked. At the end of my three weeks, I can say I really appreciate the jobs being done by doctors in developing countries, without state of the art facilities in these hospitals; they do their best to save the lives of people whom they treat. Ghana has been a wonderful place, and I loved every bit of it, from traveling to Accra, to Labadi beach and travelling to Nigeria as well. My advice to future volunteers is, prioritize what you want to do, because there is so much to do.

Always ask questions when you feel lost and people will gladly help you. Have fun and get a sun cream, lastly visit the beaches you would love it and most of all come prepared to learn.

Austin

I arrived at the airport in Accra August 3rd, after two long days of travel, and was greeted my volunteer coordinator Annette. After meeting up with two other volunteers, we made our way to Koforidua.

I was surprised that after only a four-day camp I was so sad to see them go! Between the two camps, we took a trip to Mole National Park. It was a long 12-hour trek to get there, but we made it! We saw tons of Elephants, and went on two different Safaris.

This past weekend, we drove down to Cape Coast to visit Cape Coast Castle, which was used in the Slave Trade. On our way home, we did Kakum Canopy Walk, and did a little bit of shopping in Accra. Shopping was fun, a lot of bargaining was done and in the end I got a lot of good deals.

Overall, my time in Ghana was an amazing, eye-opening experience that I wouldn't take back for anything. Being with uVolunteer was the perfect way to see a new country, and although there were a lot of things to get used to like being stared at wherever I went and being woken up by a rooster every morning, they were there with me every step of my way.

Questions & Answers

Staff Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with program leaders.

What position do you hold at uVolunteer? What has been your career path so far?

I'm the Founder/Managing Director. I have an educational background as an industrial designer (BA), then moved over to study interactive media design (MA). Both of these programs were done in London, England where I was born (not raised, I was raised in Ghana). I then entered work as a interactive designer for the BBC in London for 9 years. I resigned from corporate in 2006 to travel to Costa Rica and start uVolunteer.

Did YOU take volunteer abroad?! If so, where and what inspired you to go?

To cut a long story short... I volunteered abroad in Thailand. I took an unpaid leave form the corporate job in 2004 to backpack South East Asia. The reason for doing this trip was that I always dreaded Sunday evenings when I had to start preparing mentally for work on Mondays.

I thought this was not a good way to live life so I decided to do something I had always wanted to do as a student but never had the money or time. To travel alone abroad to South East Asia. As a student, I had been fascinated about the secret and not so secret wars in Indochina.

I knew I'd get bored of partying and traveling for 3 months and I was also considering retraining as a technology teacher upon my return to the UK, after the break. So I considered doing some volunteer work as part of my trip. Test out if I could really teach!

The period I spent volunteering in Thailand lead me to return to work in Thailand for my volunteer agency. After that experience, I returned to London, quit the day job and moved to Costa Rica without knowing anyone to start uVolunteer. By then, I had caught the volunteering fever.

View Entire Interview

What does the future hold for uVolunteer - any exciting new programs to share?

The future of uVolunteer holds many exciting new things. We are growing very different from other organization in our industry. We have capped our yearly recruitment to a 1000 volunteers and want to focus in providing a great program to these 1000 participants.

We are a small company that likes being small but we have big ideas. We are not trying to be Cross-Cultural Solutions or Projects Abroad, we are looking to specialize, further niche , and introduce some really exciting services in the coming year. I can't give details yet.

What about the future of the industry? How do you think volunteer abroad will change over the next 10 years?

Future of the industry? Though one! The sector is growing.... there are more organizations each year. I'd say 1% of the volunteer travelers are prospective volunteer companies. There are many people who come through our program seeking something meaningful to do in life.

Also technology is becoming easier and easier for the masses. It is only a matter of time before the local receiving organization start to really challenge and compete on-line with the global international sending organizations. When this happens the industry will go through a bit of a shift.

Which volunteer abroad destination is most underrated? Conversely, which is most overrated?

Most underrated volunteer destination is Thailand. Thailand still has a lot to offer. Most overrated????? Ecuador!!!!

Location

Location:

Ghana

Currency:

Ghanaian Cedi

Weather:

Jan-Mar

102 F / 66 F

Apr-Jun

100 F / 72 F

Jul-Sep

88 F / 72 F

Oct-Dec

90 F / 66 F

Airports:

Kotoka International Airport

( ACC )

Kumasi International

( KMS )

Ghana is considered one of the most peaceful places in Africa, due to there longstanding stability in their economy and politics. This country is rich in history, which you can see in their UNESCO world heritage site that displays the effects of the slave trade and gold reserves. If you are looking to relax here, there is 335 miles of coastline that is ready to be explored.

About uVolunteer

uVolunteer specializes in providing volunteer work placements in Costa Rica, Ghana and Thailand. Our service learning projects include Teaching, Care & Community, Construction, Environment and Animal Conservation. Our program promotes change and provides direction and purpose for our participants. Additional benefits are cultural insight, adventure...

Volunteer in Ghana with uVolunteer

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Comfortable and pleasant

Ghana on Christmas

Life Changing!

You will not regret this experience.

Ghana Grace Orphanage

Ghana was an amazing, eye-opening experience

A Fast and Detailed Organization

I was surprised that after only a four-day camp I was so sad to see them go! Between the two camps, we took a trip to Mole National Park. It was a long 12-hour trek to get there, but we made it! We saw tons of Elephants, and went on two different Safaris.

Questions & Answers

Staff Interviews

Nathaniel Amponsah

What position do you hold at uVolunteer? What has been your career path so far?

Did YOU take volunteer abroad?! If so, where and what inspired you to go?

What does the future hold for uVolunteer - any exciting new programs to share?

What about the future of the industry? How do you think volunteer abroad will change over the next 10 years?

Which volunteer abroad destination is most underrated? Conversely, which is most overrated?

Location

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