Community Volunteering
Ghana

Live in the heart of an African village and help build a brighter future for some of the world’s poorest communities. You will join the local team and get directly involved in life changing development work. To read more about the charity click here.

Depending on the needs of the charity while you are there and what you would to help with, there are a range of exciting and diverse roles you can take part in which are outlined below (you are not expected to do all the roles). You don’t need any previous experience, just a positive attitude and lots of enthusiasm!

Tech2Teach (during term time*)

You will be involved in an innovative educational programme, using tablets provided by the charity to help children in their first 3 years of primary school learn in new ways. Alongside the local team you will travel to different village schools where the children don’t normally have access to any computers, it’s very popular!

Sessions take place for 2-3 hours during the school day, with 1 or 2 classes involved at a time. The tablets are pre-loaded with interactive educational apps, which are organised by class level and cover English and Maths as well as some games too! In addition to numeracy and literacy development, it develops their IT, problem solving and concentration skills.

You will help run the sessions, distributing the tablets for the lesson and monitoring the children as they use them. It helps if you sit alongside the children to help guide them through the apps.

Construction and Maintenance

You can help with the building or maintenance work at schools and clinics in remote villages, working with the local team. The building projects depend on what funding is available, so whilst there may not always be building work, there is normally some maintenance to be done!  

You may also help to maintain eco-handwashing stations (using collected rain water), which have been installed by the charity.

Creche / Nursery (during term time*)

The charity runs and staffs several creches at schools in different villages, providing valuable early years education. A free lunch is also provided by the charity for the children so it’s a great way to boost both young minds and bodies!

You can assist the teacher with the day to day running of the creche. There are normally 25-45 children aged 2-4 years and volunteers are greatly appreciated as an extra resource. You should come prepared with ideas for activities suitable for young children with limited language skills – such as learning the alphabet and numbers, nursery rhymes and arts & crafts sessions!

Sports Coaching (after school during term time*)

Sport lovers can share their passion by organising after school outdoor sports sessions (normally around 4-6pm) for children and members of the local community, improving health, concentration, team work and confidence. The most popular sports are football, netball and volleyball but you are welcome to introduce new activities!

Clean Hands Save Lives (during term time*)

A handwashing program has been established to teach children to wash their hands correctly to help to reduce illness and create a culture of hygiene. If a workshop is being run while you are there, you will go with the local team to a school and run activities to promote hand washing, such as using ultraviolet light and gels to show children how germs can live on their hands.

Baby Weighing

Travel with the community nurse to local villages to help with drop-in clinics for mothers with children who are under 5 years old. The nurses weigh the children and give free vaccinations. This normally takes place around twice a month and takes 3-5 hours.

* Term times are normally mid-January to early-April, early-May to late-July, September to mid-November.

Other roles

The charity also needs Social Media, Video & Photography volunteers and it's possible to combine the two roles.

If you have specialist skills, the team can create a bespoke volunteering placement for you and maximise your impact. This includes builders, carpenters, mechanics, electricians, doctors, nurses, healthcare professionals, teachers, project managers and marketing specialists. Just get in touch to find out more.

Typical day

In your first couple of days in the village you will have a village tour and welcome ceremony with the Chief of the community as well as an induction for your role and living in Ghana.

Volunteers normally work 5 days a week (Monday-Friday) with 2 days off. Working days generally start at 8am and finish at 4pm. You may be working across different villages and will transported to the volunteer site each day.

On your days off, there are lots of fun free time activities to do.

Other volunteers

There are usually 1-2 international volunteers who work alongside the local team - this is a perfect opportunity to immerse within a village community. 

Child Protection

Pod is fully committed to safeguarding and promoting the wellbeing of children and vulnerable adults - please see our Child and Vulnerable Adults Protection Policy. All volunteers are required to have a criminal records check, which we will arrange with you.

Local support

You will be supported by the friendly and experienced local team. Aikins is the Operations Director and grew up in the local community so is a great source of advice and help for volunteers.

“We love our volunteers and the community welcomes them with open arms! They help the local team assist and reach more communities by giving their time and energy” Neil, Charity Director

Volunteers stay in shared dormitories in the heart of a rural village community just across from the local school, with stunning views of the surrounding hills. Immerse yourself in Ghanaian culture as chickens act as your morning alarm call or take time out and relax in the hammocks.

There is a separate covered outside area with basic kitchen where volunteers cook and eat. There is also an indoor lounge / relaxation room which has a fridge. 

There is Wifi which you can pay to access, but it’s generally best to use a mobile phone to access the internet (there is intermittent 3/4G).

Meals

Volunteers take it in turns to cook lunch and dinner and wash up. Ingredients and water for cooking will be provided for you and a member of the local team is available to offer any help you might need.

For evening meals, there is also an option to hire a friendly local cook if preferred, which is a nice way to support the community and try some Ghanaian dishes!

Here are typical examples of the food you will have: 

• Breakfast – toast, spreads, porridge, fruit
• Lunch and dinner – you will be provided with basic ingredients to use such as pasta, rice, potatoes, beans, noodles, sauces, fresh local fruits and vegetables. Meat is a luxury in the village and is not eaten regularly

Vegetarians and vegans are welcomed and can be catered for.

Volunteers buy bottled drinking water.  

You will need to fly into Accra (ACC).

You will be met on arrival at Accra Airport and stay one night in Accra at a friendly homestay, before being driven to the village which takes about 2.5 hours.

Location and free time

The projects are based in a friendly village in the heart of rural, tropical Ghana. The village is home to 400 members of the community and most are subsistence farmers. It is a very welcoming community and they love having volunteers helping in the village. Culturally it is very important to take time to greet the members of community and talk to them.

Volunteers usually spend free time relaxing in the hammocks, reading, playing games, and enjoying life in the village. There is a small town 10 minutes’ drive away which has a bustling food market twice a week, on Tuesdays and Fridays.

In their free time, volunteers can explore more of vibrant and friendly Ghana. Whether that’s Shai Hills nature reserve, historical Cape Coast and Elmina Castle or the tropical Volta Region – there is plenty to see! The nearby city of Koforidua has a weekly bead market that draws bead buyers and sellers from all over the region and is a popular place for volunteers to visit on a day off. Boti falls and Umbrella Rock in the Yilo Krobo District of Ghana and Aburi Botanic Gardens are also popular destinations, or for the more adventurous, Kakum National Park has a canopy walk through the treetops. These activities are best booked locally once you are at the project.

Climate

The Eastern region of South Ghana has a year-round tropical climate, being hot and humid throughout the year. The dry months are from November to March and in July and August, with the heaviest rains typically falling from April through to June. Temperatures are typically around 25-30˚C, reaching up to 38˚C on a hot day and lows of 19˚C on a cold night. Even during the rainy season, Ghana can still enjoy averages of 5 hours of sun a day and downpours are usually powerful but shortlived.

Travelling in Ghana before or after your placement

Ghana is widely regarded as one of the most friendly and safe destinations in western Africa. It is an ideal destination for first-time visitors to Africa. In the heart of West Africa, it is an exciting country to volunteer in and experience traditional life in a beautiful relaxed environment. Popular activities in Ghana that you might like to combine with your project include:

• Exploring the fascinating local sights such as Umbrella Rock
• Visiting Accra and learning about the history of the city
• Exploring historic Cape Coast 
• Visiting Larabanga Mosque and Mole National Park 

For more information on Ghana and some of the things we loved when we visited there please see our Ghana country page. 

Erin

“It was my first time volunteering and I’m sure I will volunteer again just because of the great experience I had with Pod. Everything was well organised - the communication was great prior to the trip. They were fantastic at answering any problems I had and equipping me with all the information I needed before I went. 

The project that we worked with in Ghana was amazing! The work they have done and still continuing to do is phenomenal - It was a pleasure to be a part of it! Everything from the food to the accommodation was amazing and I hope one day I can volunteer again because it was a very rewarding experience.”

Scott

“I had an exceptional time in Ghana, and was proud to be a part of such an excellently-run charity with some truly outstanding operational staff. The work is always meaningful and very “bottom up”... so you’re always working with the community to make it stronger, rather than awkwardly imposing ideas from afar. From a social point of view, you will form life-long friends from other like-minded volunteers that you are staying with.

From my first week of coaching, it was clear that my team hadn't received a lot of formal (in spite of a high skill/fitness level!), so it was wonderful to teach some fundamental drills and to watch my players develop on the field."

Lee

“My three weeks in Ghana were an amazing experience and something I will never forget. The team in Ghana made us feel very welcome from day one and were always on hand if we needed any help or support. The local villagers welcomed us with open arms and were some of the friendliest people I have ever met. It was fantastic to live within their community, experience their cultures and really feel like we were playing our small part in making a big difference.

Most rewarding was to see the children, both in the school and at sports coaching, so engaged and eager to learn. Seeing their development during our time there was really great.”

Mabel

“The village which we stayed at, was very friendly and welcoming. We lived as part of the village and children and locals would come round for games and a chat. Coaching football was good fun! It was chaotic at times and you had to be quite flexible but they love football and were always keen to play and learn. Lots of the girls hadn’t played much before but it was great to see them improve! It was nice to meet and work with local people of a similar age to me.

Coaching the girls was extremely challenging, however the girls showed great enthusiasm and were keen to try new things and challenge themselves. They enjoyed playing even with the limited resources and seeing them have lots of fun and improve was very rewarding. I was really impressed by the charity, I think they were very effective in empowering local Ghanaians. Living in the village, you feel part of the community and make lots of friends which I will miss!”

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