Community Building Projects in Ghana with Projects Abroad

  Ghana

Rural Areas

Term: Throughout the year 
Durations of Program: 2-4 weeks, 5-8 weeks, 9-12 weeks, 3-6 months and 7-12 months
Typical Duration of Program: 9-12 weeks
Dates: Year-Round/Rolling-Starts

Description: Whether you are on a gap year, summer placement or career break, if you want to get your hands dirty and see physical results from your placement overseas, our Community Building Project may suit you. Based in the Akuapem Hills just over an hour north of Accra you would be joining a team of Projects Abroad volunteers and local people constructing simple buildings in the hill-village of Kwamoso and five other nearby communities.

Volunteering on the Community Building Project in Ghana with Projects Abroad

Within the village and surrounding areas many families live in inadequate accommodation. Our housing project allows them to move to new, better-quality homes. Local people and volunteers help with the construction, and then the family repays the loan over time by buying construction materials which can be used to build future houses for other families needing help.

The houses are all made from mud bricks that are produced using a press, some mud and water, then left to set hard in the sun. Volunteers help with this process and also with building the walls, plastering and painting the houses. Each house takes an average of one month to construct.

In addition to the basic project, you may also help with landscaping the surrounding area, painting local schools and renovating classrooms in the village school. Volunteers have also been involved in the building of new classrooms for local schools and have even built a library for the Kwamoso village school.

Experiences on the Community Building Project in Ghana

Supervised by the village priest and working with local people who will ultimately benefit from the buildings, this is a great opportunity to get involved in a rural project and become an integral part of an African community. Our full-time regional coordinator lives nearby and visits the placement nearly every day so you'll always have full support from Projects Abroad too.

Building work takes place early in the morning and late in the afternoon to avoid the hot midday sun, so you'll have plenty of time to get involved in village life. Many volunteers get involved within the village community by helping in the kindergarten class or playing soccer with some of the school children once the building work has finished for the day.

Highlights: Ghana is an exciting and popular place to spend some time on a volunteer project or internship. Ghana is an intensely colorful land on the West coast of Africa. Once the British colony known as the 'Gold Coast', it is renowned for the friendliness and warmth of its people. Ghana has great beaches, wild savannah and dense rainforests. This English-speaking country provides volunteers with a wonderful introduction to Africa; it is politically-stable, safe, affordable and rewarding to visit.

All accommodation is organized, paid for and monitored by Projects Abroad. All project placements are regularly visited and checked. We require high standards of supervision and accommodation, which are verified before you arrive in Ghana.

This project offers the opportunity to become fully immersed in the culture in a manner which even the most hardened of backpackers could never hope to do.

Qualifications: none

Cost in US$: From US$2,345 Up

Experience Required: no

Typical Volunteer: Open-minded with a willingness to travel.

Age Range: 16-80

This Program is open to Worldwide Participants. This Program is also open to Families, Couples and Individuals

Participants Travel to Ghana Independently

Typically Participants Work Independently or in Groups of 2-5

Application Process Involves:

• Letters of Reference
• Online Application plus Application Assessment

Post Services Include:

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

Projects Abroad's Mission Statement: As part of the global economy, Projects Abroad helps create local employment wherever we send volunteers. Employing local staff overseas and using their talents and knowledge is important to us. This local knowledge and support enables the organization to channel the skills of the volunteers from more affluent countries to regions around the world where they are needed. Volunteers also learn from their placements and the people they meet, and they gain experience in a chosen field. In the 21st century, we believe this mutual respect is what cultural exchange is all about.

Year Founded: 1992