Assist Community Development in Ghana!

  Ghana

Durations of Program: 1-2 weeks and 2-4 weeks
Typical Duration of Program: 2-4 weeks
Dates: year round

Description: Global Volunteers has been asked to assist with education, health care and community infrastructure in the Akrade region of Ghana. Volunteers may teach elementary- and secondary-school subjects such as English, basic sciences and math or assist at a vocational school where women ages 18 to 25 learn catering, nutrition and home management. Volunteers with teaching experience will be very helpful. However, you don't need to be a certified teacher to be of service. Virtually any native English speaker can assist with English classes. And if you have an area of expertise in science or math and you can explain concepts to elementary- and secondary-age students, you can use those skills on this project.

In addition, health care professionals of various specialties, particularly those with public health backgrounds, are needed at the small village clinic. The working conditions may not be what you are used to - the equipment is quite basic and the amount and variety of medicines are really limited. But nevertheless, if you are an internist, family physician, gynecologist or other specialist, you are needed to perform patient examinations, provide prenatal care and make referrals to the regional hospital. Also, nurses are needed to help vaccinate children and to assist at the well-baby clinic, dentists can extract teeth, and eye-care specialists can conduct exams.

Highlights: Volunteer in Africa! Teach English and work on construction, health care and other village development projects alongside local people. Local leaders believe that the hope for their villages' future rests on education, so our projects focus on making education available to all. Volunteers may teach elementary- and secondary-school subjects such as English, basic sciences and math or assist at a vocational school. Volunteers who can do physical labor are also needed. Several basic village buildings are scheduled to be constructed over the next couple of years, including an elementary school, preschool and a community center.

Qualifications: If you have energy, an open mind, and are willing to serve as part of a team and take direction from local leaders, you will make a positive contribution to this exciting volunteer program.

Cost in US$: USD2,395- USD2,795/1-3wks - negotiable

Experience Required: no

Typical Volunteer: Our volunteers are culturally curious and open-minded people looking to contribute to a community development project and to improve their understanding of different ways of life, and the social struggles in developing communities. They are all ages, from various ethnic backgrounds, and of all different professions, such as educators, students, laborers, medical professionals, full-time parents, computer professionals, artists, lawyers and the like.

Age Range: all adults and minors with parent

This Program is open to Families, Couples and Individuals

Participants Travel to Ghana Independently

Typically Participants Work in Groups of 10-15

Application Process Involves:

• Letters of Reference
• Phone Interview
• Written Application

Post-Program Services Include:

• Alumni Network
• Exit Debriefing Abroad
• Re-Entry Debriefing at Home

Global Volunteers's Mission Statement: "Partners in Development". Founded to help advance peace, rehabilitate improverished communities, and promote mutual international understanding between peoples of diverse cultures through short-term volunteer service on long-term community development programs. We maintain on-going partnerships with local leaders and indigenous host organizations worldwide. Each year, we mobilize up to 300 teams of volunteers to work alongside local people on work projects central to their advancement. We also raise funds to support our international and domestic partners and to provide child sponsorships for educational, social and medical assistance. Global Volunteers is in special consultative status with the United Nations and UNICEF.

Year Founded: 1984