Why Care & Community in Ghana?

Home to Africa's friendliest and most welcoming people, Ghana is an intensely colourful land of dense forests, wild savannah and great beaches. Formerly called the "Gold Coast," Ghana is famous for its gold mines, rich fabrics and ancient social traditions. Mixed with a British colonial legacy and other more recent Western influences, Ghana has Africa's most open and exciting modern culture.

Volunteering in Ghana

In Ghana volunteers make a real difference to the lives of orphans and disadvantaged children. We work in several orphanages near Accra and Cape Coast helping the staff to provide the attention, interaction and play that children need. For those with a specialist interest, we have a placement working at a centre for children with hearing impairments. You could also work on our Community Housing Project in the Akaupem Hills. This is a great opportunity to work in an Africa village, helping to build mud brick homes for families. You really do get to be part of the local community.

Why Volunteer in a Care and Community Placement?

Voluntary care work is extremely beneficial to all those involved, whether it is in a developed or a developing country. Throughout the world, there are vast numbers of children who are orphaned or neglected, and in need of love, care and affection. These are things which you do not need to be trained or qualified to give. The only qualities that the volunteer needs to possess are a care for fellow human beings and a desire to improve the lives of those with domestic or physical circumstances less fortunate than their own.

People are often unaware of the impact they can have on another person's life, with even the smallest gesture. Spending as little as one month working in an orphanage, a volunteer can have a hugely significant and positive impact on the lives of underprivileged children.

While the input of the volunteer is beneficial to the placement, in turn the placement proves beneficial to the volunteer. Volunteers are in a privileged position to be able to work in an environment culturally different from their own, where they can have unique experiences and develop a greater understanding of how other groups of people think and live. They go home with more self-confidence and a greater knowledge of the world.