Volunteer in Ghana

With breathtaking beaches along its stunning coastline, lush tropical forests in its interior and dusty savannah to its north, Ghana has a fascinating mix of landscapes. The eerie colonial forts on the coast, the canopy walkway of the forest belt and dusty game reserve of the northern region are a must for anyone travelling to this golden country.   

So why volunteer in Ghana with Madventurer? Well, its where Madventurer's founded, John Lawler, did his gap year - the orginal gap year student!  Its also one of our most popular and friendliest destinations and places can get booked up pretty quickly throughout the year.

Community Teaching and Building Projects in Ghana

Madventurer community teaching and building projects in Ghana work in partnership with village development committees to build much needed facilities including schools, sanitation blocks, clinics, water storage tanks and basic housing. Our Projects are all based in the Volta Region of Ghana (when Madventurer first started taking out volunteers over 10 years ago) and over the years we have helped build over 100 classrooms and public latrines amongst many other development projects.

Orphanage, Teaching, Medic, Sports Coaching Placements in Ghana

Volunteer Orphanage Placements - Save the Widows and Orphans Development Centre (SWODC) is a small centre which is privately owned. This is a drop-in centre where orphaned children come to be re-homed or fostered. This is where orphaned children come to spend time with other kids in the same situation. The centre offers them an opportunity to forget about their troubles and spend some quality time in a fun and educational environment.

Volunteer Teaching Placements - On arrival to the school the headmaster will introduce you to the school and together you can decide on your timetable and the most appropriate programme for you. In general if you have more experience you can launch straight into taking lessons and if less experienced you can find yourself working as a classroom assistant or helping those who need extra attention.

Volunteer Medic Placements - The extent to which you can get involved will depend on your level of experience. You may find yourself accompanying doctors on ward rounds, assisting nurses with the daily care of patients or helping with OPD consultations. Depending on the length of your placement there may also be an opportunity to experience rural healthcare with outreach visits to rural clinics.  We work in the Municipal and the Miracle Life Clinic.

Volunteer Sports Coaching Placements (Football/Netball) - Your role as a Madventurer coach will be to pass on your knowledge and enthusiasm for your particular sport to the kids you teach. There will be approx 1 coaching sessions per day with the possibility to train with a local team in the evenings depending on level of play, sport type, experience and clubs & school time tables.  You can also help to coach P.E lessons at local schools in the area.

 Volunteer Special Needs Rehabilitation Centre- Your role as an assistant will involve doing activites that you have some level of expertise in like organising business management classes, teaching the trainees English and maths, helping them design and make things. You will also play a role in setting up initiatives (which may involve practical or building work) and assist in running and maintaining the centres trade workshops and equipment. Therefore, the project can be very flexible, utilising the volunteers' skills and knowledge.

Ghana Project Information

Age: Min of 17 years and most volunteers are GAP year students and career breakers

Food: Breakfast usually consists of Bread with Jam, Fruit and hot drinks. Lunch and Dinner are both big meals to keep the energy levels up, these can be anything from Red Red (mildly spiced beans) usually served with fried plantain, Chicken and rice, Jollof Rice - volunteer's favourite! ( tomato and chicken rice), Yam chips, Rice balls in peanut sauce, to name a few! For the more adventurous Fufu, Banku and Kenkey are there to be sampled, however have an acquired taste!

Accomodation: If you are on an urban placement in Ho you will be staying in our Madventurer House. This has a large lounge, 4 big bedrooms with bunkbeds and with  fans to keep you cool, 2 bathrooms and a big garden. On the Teaching and Building projects you will be staying in more basic accomodation such as one of the houses in the village. You will most likely have a mattress on the floor and your mosquito net up. You can also enjoy a refreshing bucket shower and be prepared for a squat toilet.  Accomodation is nearly always boys in one room, girls in the other!

Weekend Travel: Hang out in Ho, where there's internet, markets, bars and restaurants. Go and visit West Africa's biggest waterfall; Wli, visit a monkey sanctuary,  go hiking in the jungles, take a walk to Togo, venture further afield and visit the old slave forts such as Cape Coast and Elmina, travel to the beach!

Weather: Ghana tends to be hot all year round. The average temperature can range between 21c and 32c. In the rainy season they usually have a big torrential downpour (usually very much appreciated) for up to an hour and then it clears up.

Activities: Take part in either an urban placement in Ho, this could be a teaching placement at a school, a medic placement, a football or netball placement or at an orphanage. Or, you can take part in our Community Teaching and Building Volunteer Project in rural villages.

Location: The Volta Region in eastern Ghana, not far from the Togo border. Our urban placements are based in the town of Ho and the community projects in villages also in the Volta Region, close to the towns of Ho and Hohoe.

Highlights: The amazing welcome and leaving ceremonies given by the communities, the friendliness and generosity of the local people, how the kids in the villages are so overwelmed and excited for you to be there, the beautiful surroundings, sitting out in the warm evening having a cool drink after a hard days work.

"I have had an unbelievable time filled with many experiences that I shall never forget. I have so many great memories here" Danielle Brotherston

"I loved staying in the village, the people were really friendly and very concerned for our well-being."  Rhiannon Clement

"A Brilliant way to spend the summer, a real eye opener" Hannah Cooper

"The tribe gave their time, support,friendship and love so willingly. Nothing was a problem and I always felt welcomed and part of their family." Donna McColl

"Immensely grateful to Madventurer, I have come back enlightened and satisfied, thank you. My trip has uncovered an intrepid gene in myself that I never knew I had. I also enjoyed the company of my housemates and particularly the crew leaders." Matthew Tata

"All the experiences together has made a summer that will never been forgotten." Katherine Turner

Madventurer Contacts

If you have any questions on our Ghana community projects then just get in touch on 0845 121 1996, 01434 633137,  request a call back, or email team@madventurer.com