Ghana Community Development Program

  Ghana

Ho

Durations of Program: 5-8 weeks, 9-12 weeks and 3-6 months
Typical Duration of Program: 5-8 weeks
Dates: Year Round

Description: The Global Volunteer Network currently has opportunities to help develop communities through our partner organization in Ghana. Volunteers will help our partner strengthen the organizational skills of local groups who are making efforts to reduce poverty in their region. For example, you could assist a small group of Ghanaian seamstresses and tailors in setting up a sewing training program for local youth. The local youth would then provide the labor for an Orphan Fund project that sews new school uniforms for orphans in the region. By helping the group of seamstresses and tailors be more effective, you are actually helping all the youth they come in contact with and giving them the skills to build other projects in the future. In this way you are volunteering for a short time with a long-term effect. The ultimate goal is to help local groups get to the point where they can approach and collaborate with the international development community as solid partners. In order to do that, we need volunteers with a wide range of skills and a strong belief in the value of sustainability.

This is a program for those interested in development projects who wish to play a leadership role and get highly immersed in a local project. Volunteers will bring the most value in their organizational skills, reliability, project and people management, and basic enthusiasm. You will work with one of the various local groups our partner is connected with. These groups each have their own individual goals which include educating orphans, providing vocational training, protecting the local environment through eco-tourism initiatives, or starting a youth center. With the help of volunteers, even more projects can be added over time. Each volunteer is provided with specific assignment objectives, a local Counterpart who will help assist in achieving project goals, access to the regional office for technical support. In addition, weekly stipends are provided for partners attending committee meetings or field trips. These stipends are important as it is so easy to lose hope in areas where poverty and closed doors abound. The stipend provides a further incentive to local community workers to follow through on their initiatives, motivating and inspiring others along the way.

Qualifications: Volunteers for the Ghana Community program must:

    * be between 18 and 60 years of age
    * be able to walk long distances (up to 1 hour continuously) and be able to tolerate heat
    * be available for a minimum of four weeks
    * be able to speak English fluently

Cost in US$: see website

Experience Required: no

Age Range: 18+

This Program is open to American, Australian, Canadian, European, Kiwi and World Wide Participants. This Program is also open to Families, Couples and Individuals

Participants Travel to Ghana Independently

Typically Participants Work Independently

Application Process Involves:

• Online Application plus Application Assessment

Post Services Include:

• Alumni Network

Global Volunteer Network's Mission Statement: The Global Volunteer Network (GVN) is a private, Non Government Organization (NGO) based in Wellington, New Zealand. Our incorporation number is WN/1194442. Our vision is to support the work of local community organizations in developing countries through the placement of international volunteers. We believe that local communities are in the best position to determine their needs, and we provide volunteers to help them achieve their goals.

Year Founded: 2000