Care and Community Volunteer Stories, Ghana

Allie Fetherston - Care in Ghana My name is Adjoa Allie and I live in Canada. I am currently majoring in a programme that is part of the Geography department at my school, while also working part-time for a pharmaceutical company. Recently I was looking for a new volunteering adventure, as I had already done so in the past, and finally decided on my lifelong dream of volunteering in Africa. After much research, I chose to work on the garden and farm that is situated in Akropong, Ghana, while also working at a day care centre.

Care in Ghana - Katy Aggus During my University course (Primary Education), between the 3rd and 4th year, they offer us a 2 week gap to work with children outside of a British primary school setting. I’ve always wanted to volunteer in Africa and with the help of funding I was given that opportunity.

2 Week Special Care & Community in Ghana - Hannah Simmons After a year of preparation, I arrived in Ghana with two of my best friends, Anna and Catriona, with extremely vague expectations. I was hit first by the humidity and chaos of Accra but found I felt extremely welcomed by the Ghanaians the moment I got off the plane. We were met at the airport by Nyame who was the first of many friendly and enthusiastic Projects Abroad staff who we were to meet during our two weeks in Ghana and we spent the first night in Accra. When I was first offered a sachet of water, I mistook it for an ice pack! The idea of drinking from a plastic bag seemed quite bizarre but we soon got used to it, along with our daily snacks of corn and sugar cane. I never imagined that I would miss such insignificant things in the months after I returned.

Care & Teaching in Ghana - Isobel Towse It was quite an experience. As we were staying in a small village, there was no host family house as such, just lone standing huts for bedrooms dotted around the village. Our family was more the other volunteers and village kids who came and sat outside with us each day. I actually preferred this as we were much more independent and got to know all the volunteers like they were our own family.

Care in Ghana - Dorothy Appleyard Ghanaians are renowned for being some of the friendliest people in the world, and it is most definitely true. From the moment I got on the plane to Accra everyone spoke to me and was interested to find out more about me, and this friendliness didn’t stop once I arrived.

Ansh Johri - 2 Week Specials, Care and Community in Ghana It was a cold winter day and I was at home surfing the web, as usual. When I say surf, I mean about the most random things imaginable. The seconds ticked away, and soon became minutes, and before I knew it, I spent three hours doing almost nothing. Man, I thought, I definitely need to get out and do something. I remember that I was daydreaming about eating pie that day and could hear my mom talking what seemed like a mile away, discussing with my dad what our plans for that summer would be. As my thoughts drifted, I got an idea. I felt my fingers automatically typing on Google, "volunteering projects abroad" and clicking the second link.

Anna Marianetti - 2 Week Specials, Care and Community in Ghana I began thinking about travelling to Africa a year before I stepped onto Ghanaian land. I knew that I wanted to volunteer abroad, and I have always had a passion for Africa, and Projects Abroad allowed my curiosity for the two to turn into an experience that will be forever treasured.

Care in Ghana - Victoria Murray I had always dreamt of taking a gap year in Africa so the 6 months I spent in Ghana are definitely my best yet! When I arrived in Ghana I was welcomed by a very cheerful Nyame! After spending the night in Accra at the office, Henry came to take me to the Akuapem Hills at 5am. I found my first day very overwhelming: lots of emotions, hectic Accra, the heat, bumpy tro rides and the completely different culture. But once I arrived in the Hills my supervisor Emmanuel welcomed me with open arms and took me to my host family.

Care in Ghana - Oliver Birch It was January 2009, I was in England and it was New Years. I was spending valuable time with my family and friends when the idea struck me of volunteering abroad, despite never having heard of Projects Abroad I wanted to try something new, an experience that would both enhance me and my abilities. My idea was vague and in need of a solution but I just couldn't find insight at the time.

Care in Ghana - Natalie Raperport At the beach Landing at 10 o'clock at night, my first impression of Ghana was that it was hot, dry, and lively. Walking through the arrivals gate, I was met by hundreds of men, mainly taxi drivers, shouting out and waving their hands, trying to get the attention of the few bewildered tourists. As a result I was hugely grateful when I spotted the Projects Abroad sign and was whisked away to my host family.

Care in Ghana - Alice Wang I never considered myself a humanitarian. Nor had I believed I possessed the patience for teaching. I had never been particularly good with kids. And the last time I held a hammer.well, I'm not even sure if I own a hammer. So, really, what possessed me to sign myself up for 2 weeks of Care & Community with Projects Abroad? I really have no clue. It's still a mystery to me even now. Yet it was this baseless, thoughtless decision of mine that has me eternally grateful, because my two weeks in Ghana were a truly memorable experience-one that I would repeat in a heartbeat if I could.

Care in Ghana - Julia Simone When an opportunity arises to explore new surroundings, don't let it pass you by. That's what Ghana taught me the most and I'm glad that I took that chance; it was worth every minute.

Care in Ghana - Liam Goulding Well where do I start?! I have always wanted to volunteer my own time abroad after volunteering a lot here in England and then I came across the Projects Abroad website on the Internet. I decided to take part in the 2-Week Special Care & Community project in Ghana in July 2009 and it surpassed everything I was expecting. At the age of 16 my main concern (well my parents main concern) was how long to stay for and this project was a great way to put that worry to bed. However, I now know that the 2 weeks I spent in Ghana could have easily become a month, even a year as I just felt so at home!

Care in Ghana - Breanna McGowan My name is Breanna McGowan, and I'm from Centerville, Ohio. I am a senior at Centerville High School there. This summer I had the opportunity to go to Cape Coast in the West African country of Ghana. I participated in the Care & Community project and spent two weeks working at the Outreach Orphanage and Evangelical International Mission, along with other volunteers from Canada, France and the UK. .

Care in Ghana - Netta Beardsmore I had always wanted to travel to Africa and volunteer on my gap year, but before I left to spend three months in Ghana I was unbelievably nervous, having never travelled by myself or even been away from home for more than a few weeks before.

Laura McKenzie-Wynne - Care in Ghana and Conservation in Peru So you're looking for something? Is it incredible experiences? To contribute in aiding the world? Maybe simply to have fun? Or is it deeper than this; possibly self-understanding or soul healing? Well whatever it is, by travelling to any of these wondrous countries, I can hand on my heart say that you will find all of these and so much more.

Teaching and Care in Ghana - Rowena Kuijper In the beginning of 2009 my adventure began: going to Ghana, which has been an awesome time for me! Ghana is a country in which you can walk on the street safely (also for girls and especially in the south). The people are very kind, they like it to help you and try to show you the way. Every day there are children who will call ‘obruni’ (white person) when they see you. People will often want to talk to you.

Care in Ghana - Melody Ambrose Having never taken a year out and knowing I had a two month break in my contract at the BBC I decided it was the perfect opportunity to take myself off and do something that would benefit someone other than myself. So after much deliberation as to which NGO and which country I should go to, I chose to go to the Akuapem Hills in Ghana with Projects Abroad.  A couple of weeks later I was on the plane telling myself that for the next nine weeks this was going to be my life and to accept it with an open heart and open arms.

Care in Ghana - Laura Beagley I arrived in Ghana late at night and feeling a whole flood of emotions - thoughts of "how will I do this" nestled alongside "I'm so glad I'm here"! My first night at the Projects Abroad office and house in Pig Farm wasn't a great one; I was disorientated and felt alone and apprehensive about what the next day would bring. At 4.30 I was woken up, given some breakfast, and sent on my way to The Hills.

Care in Ghana - Sukey Ho During my time in Ghana I combined working in a hospital and in day care placements. I stayed for 2 months in the Akuapem Hills which I thought was ideal as there were friendly villagers in an amazing setting, a cooler climate and being surrounded by breathtaking scenery.

2 Week Special Care in Ghana - Margot Le Neveu My trip to Ghana this past summer was a life-changing experience. Travelling out of North America for the first time, I was anxious about my journey to Africa. I travelled alone, however I met several other young volunteers on my flight, and there was a Projects Abroad Staff member waiting for us as soon as we arrived in Accra. "Culture shock" is a term commonly used to describe the food, atmosphere, and people in an unfamiliar place, and arriving in Accra was truly shocking.

Care in Ghana - Ashleigh Walton So, I'm back. After 9 months of planning, fundraising and working, I left England on the 7th May 2008 prepared for what has been the most hard, yet most amazing and memorable experience of my life. At times it seemed longer than 2 months, but looking back it was just the smallest fraction of my life that meant so much.

Care in Ghana - Akash Dey This summer I embarked on a humanitarian journey to Ghana, Africa through Projects Abroad. This trip was the experience of a lifetime for me because I was able to serve the less fortunate. I was able to immerse myself as a volunteer because of the support and guidance of the Projects Abroad team who gave us the opportunity to participate in valuable service projects.

Care in Ghana - Melanie Dane I lived in Ghana for 3 months from February to May 2008, and now in August I still can't stop telling stories from my trip every single day. Before arriving at Accra airport I had no idea what to expect as it was the first travelling I'd done and knew no one who had done anything similar before, but when I landed and met Nyame at the airport, I couldn't have been given a warmer welcome. We got to house in Accra at about 11pm, and was absolutely shattered and just expected to fall straight asleep, but there was another girl already in the room.

Care and Community in Ghana - Tracy Maryan Getting on the plane from Heathrow I felt like a character in a chick flick book I may have read but a very nervous, apprehensive, one at that but above all strangely calm. Going out to Ghana for 12 weeks of my life seemed like so the right thing to be doing. Leaving behind a house, car, family, running water and electricity, oh and the cold, going to using tro-tros, (I'd been told about them but knew nothing), an orphanage dormitory, (didn't have a clue what to expect), buckets for showers (so I discovered) and, electricity, (well some of the time!)

Care and Community in Ghana - Rebecca McKeown After spending an incredible two months with Projects Abroad in Romania, I decided to get a taste of Africa. What better place to spend my time than Ghana - in my opinion the most friendly, safe and vibrant African destination. The streets of Accra bustle with humanity - people are everywhere and to be in the midst of all this organised chaos is an exhilarating experience indeed.

Care and Community in Ghana - Rachel Macklin I was working just outside Accra in a place called Adenta (it's actually not that far but once you have negotiated the traffic it is quite a commute!) at Peace and Love Orphanage and Academy. The orphanage is home to about sixty children some of whom attend the school although some are taken to special schools. As school starts early in the morning Peace and Love is also descended on by lots of other children who live in the neighbourhood and whose parents cannot afford the fees at some of the other schools nearby.

Care and Community in Ghana - Alyssa Jones After living in Ghana for one month, I can't go one hour without reflecting back on the trip and thinking about much I benefited from it. Not only did I grow as an individual, but I feel more motivated to make the best of my life. I was placed at Adom Day Care Centre for the full month and while volunteering there I gained experience with young children and teaching.

Care and Community in Ghana - Catherine Hughes When I arrived in Ghana to start my Projects Abroad placement I thought it would just be the physical act of building some classrooms for a local school that would benefit the community. Two months later, as I was coming to the end of my placement, I began to realise that it goes much deeper than that. Yes the volunteers provide welcome helping hands on the building site enabling the projects to reach completion before the rains come and wash any unfinished structures away, but the projects would not be possible in the first place without the money coming from volunteers' fees through Projects Abroad.

Care and Community in Ghana - Sarah Foley On arrival in Ghana everything seemed so surreal, I was suddenly in the middle of crowds of people and being an 'obruni' (white person!) I felt like I was the centre of attention when all I wanted to do was hide! However, within my first few days in Accra I slowly started to get used to all the attention and learnt that Ghanaians are some of the friendliest people and are so interested just to talk to you.

Care and Community in Ghana - Helen Baines I arrived at Accra's International airport 2 hours late on January 5th and was met by a wall of heat (which I tried to resist at first - it doesn't work) and a very excited Nyame. We then waited a few minutes for a couple of other volunteers to arrive, one of which was Sophie - the girl who I would be living and working with for the next 3 months.

Care and Community in Ghana - Sarah Miller In January I arrived in Cape Coast, and was taken to meet my host family. They always made us feel really welcome and we built up good friendships with our host brother and sisters. I was taken around Cape Coast for the first time and remember feeling really excited that I was finally there but wondering whether I would ever fit in - it was completely different to anywhere I'd ever been. After a couple of weeks though I felt really settled - I knew my way around, was used to the cries of "obrunni, where are you going?" in the centre of town and was confident enough to barter and argue with taxi drivers over the cost of a journey.

Care and Community and Sports in Ghana - Peter Gwilliam I arrived in Ghana on the 22nd of March 2006 full of excitement and nerves as I really wasn't too sure what to expect. When I landed, I found a land full of culture; Ghana is everything to the Ghanaian people and they're generally pretty happy whatever their situation might be, everyone is very eager to meet you, just to talk to you, as well as try and sell you the odd T-shirt or two!!

Care and Community and Teaching in Ghana - Susanna Mullard As I first stepped off the plane in Ghana I was met by a wave of hot, humid tropical air. I'd been working to raise money for five months since leaving school, and to have finally arrived in Africa felt incredible - I had to pinch myself to realise the dream had become a reality. There was an indefinable buzz in the air, and as I was swept along by the hustles of people at the airport, I couldn't help but smile.