You are about to discover a new culture, accomplish something unforgettable, and explore the best Ghana has to offer!

Ghana is a vibrant and alluring country, steeped in rich tradition and a frequently tragic history. Free from the trappings of mass tourism, this former British colony has much to offer the visitor. Tropical beaches abound but there's so much more: feed the sacred crocodiles at Paga, plunge into the waterfalls of the eastern highlands, marvel at the game-rich savannah of Mole National Park, or relive the chilling story of the coastal slave forts. For more information we suggest that you purchase the Bradt Travel Guide to Ghana.

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Since Ghana is only a few degrees north of the equator, the only seasonal changes are distinct wet and dry seasons. The best time to visit is during September and October when the weather is relatively cooler and it rains only occasionally. From December to February it is the dry season, when day temperatures are in the 80s-90s Farenheit (27-36 degree Celcius) and nights in the 70s Farenheit (18-26 Celcius). Another dry season occurs from July to August. A dry northeast wind known as the Harmattan blows for about 10 days in January. The eastern coastal belt is warm and comparatively dry; the southwest corner has the highest humidity and rainfall, while the north is frequently hot and dry. Don't forget to take along an umbrella during the rainy season.

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Ghana has several holidays and festivals throughout the year. Some of these will interrupt project schedules and some will not. One thing about Africa is that schedules are never written in stone. You should use the break from the regular work schedule to soak up the culture and get to know the people you are living among.

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It is helpful if you speak English; it is also fine if English is your second language. While there are many local languages spoken in Ghana, the majority of people speak English.

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You must be between 18 and 60 years old to volunteer in this program.

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• Diphtheria and tetanus
• Polio
• Hepatitis A & B
• Typhoid
• Yellow fever - a certificate proving you have had this should be shown at the airport on arrival.
• Rabies
• Tuberculosis
• Malaria (needs to be closely discussed with doctor)

Some of these can be taken in oral form so please do discuss all options with your doctor to see what is best for you. Some people can be affected quite differently to others by medication. Malaria is prevalent in Ghana so we strongly recommend medication for this. A yellow fever vaccination is legally required to enter Ghana and you will need to provide a certificate to prove you have had it to obtain a visa.

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Volunteers in the Teaching, Children or Farming programs will be placed either in a volunteer house or in a home-stay situation within the community they are working in, or in a neighbouring community. All of our caretakers and host families have been trained to provide a warm, safe, and clean environment for volunteers. Your host family will truly adopt you as one of their own, and you are encouraged to feel at ease with them. Volunteers in the Village program will live in a volunteer house. All living quarters have a bed, mosquito netting, bath and facilities, and a lock on the door. You will have drinking (unfiltered) and bathing water, a kerosene lamp, soap, and toilet paper available. You may want to purchase bottled water. You should plan on bringing a flashlight as well. You will be fed three meals a day, and if there are any problems with the meals (too spicy, for example) please discuss it with your counterpart so that the menu can be changed.

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After a brief orientation in Ho, volunteers are typically driven to their placements by a member of staff later that day or the next day, depending on the distance to be travelled.

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Volunteers are welcome to bring their family members with them on the program. Each application will be considered on a case by case basis and there will be a minimum additional cost per family member. Partners will need to apply separately if they wish to take part in the program. Things to keep in mind include the additional costs for accommodating your family and how your children will be supervised while you are at the worksite.

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Each GVN program has different criteria depending on our partner's requirements. Every application is reviewed to ensure that the minimum requirements (as set out on the program page) are met. Next we look to see what skills or experience you have that relate specifically to the program. We are also interested in any previous volunteer experience you may have (either local or international), travel experience, and your particular interest in the program.

After reviewing your application, should we require any further information from you, we will email you to request this.

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The in-country fee covers food and home-stay accommodation during your placement. If you arrive early or intend on staying on in Ghana for longer than you are volunteering then you will need to have spare money for this time. Since most flights from the U.S. and Europe arrive in Accra late in the day it is often necessary for volunteers to spend their first night in Accra. Volunteers are asked to cover the cost of their accommodation and meals for the first night; this will be approximately US$25 in total. Other costs include buying bottled water and any shopping you want to do personally. Also some money may be required for your days off, depending on what you intend doing.

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Volunteers in the Teaching program should not plan to begin placements in March, April, July, August, or December as teaching placements are not available during school holidays which are generally:

(a)    25th March to 9th May
(b)    25th July to 9th September
(c)    10th December to 9th January

Note: These dates vary slightly from year to year. They also vary from school to school and should be treated as approximate rather than confirmed dates.

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After you have joined the program, you will be sent the program guide with more details about the program and your Volunteer Coordinator will begin making arrangements for your placement. Once you’ve confirmed your placement, you’ll be put in touch with our partner organization.

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Specific placement location is typically confirmed about 4-6 weeks before the term begins, however all placements are in the Greater Accra, Central, Eastern, Volta and Ashanti regions of Ghana.

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This depends on how many people volunteer at any one time. Usually we have between four and ten volunteers arriving in Ghana each month. You will usually be placed with at least one other volunteer, depending on how many volunteers we have at the same time and location as you. Please note that due to variation in volunteer numbers, we are unable to confirm the number of volunteers until closer to your placement start date.

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Volunteers are expected to bring their own skills and experience to the program as no formal training is given. Orientation for the program will include a short language course, introductions to other members of the project staff and a familiarization tour of relevant parts of the volunteer accommodation and village, including the trotro station, worksite, and internet facilities.

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Our partner is a non-profit NGO, whose main goal is to look for short or long term volunteers to assist in teaching, childcare and community based projects.

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Volunteers have the opportunity to teach children from 4-14 yrs, work in orphanage, on a farm or joing the village program.

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Teaching dates are flexible but the school holidays must be taken into consideration.

Village, Children's and Farming all start on the 1st and 15th of each month, you will need to arrive day before your placement begins.

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Absolutely! If volunteers would like a local guide to accompany them on their travels, this can be privately arranged through the project staff. You may also want to spend some time in Ghana after volunteering to see more of the country. You can survive on as little as US $25 a day in Ghana. You can also spend much more if you want a bit of luxury.

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There are very few resources available on the programs - volunteers are encouraged to bring or purchase their own. Anything from paper and pens, to toys, teaching resources, old laptops, etc are welcome.

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Volunteers will work 5 days a week, Monday through to Friday.  Typically you will work 4 to 5 hours per day.

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You will organize your visa through your travel agent before you leave for Ghana. We also provide a detailed program guide which includes links to Ghanaian embassies throughout the world.

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All GVN Volunteers must have insurance. You are free to take out insurance cover through any provider of your choice. However, as some policies do not cover volunteering, we recommend you check you are covered during your volunteer placement.

For your convenience we have arranged a comprehensive package specially designed for volunteering. It includes excellent medical and accident coverage as well as “loss of deposits” cover which covers fees paid to GVN, airlines etc. If you would like to learn more just follow this link: http://www.globalvolunteernetwork.org/insurance/

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There are many cultural festivals, as well as other activities such as informal drumming or dancing. You may also choose to arrange private language classes. Volunteers are free to do as they please on the weekends and after their volunteer activities are done for the day. We encourage volunteers to experience as much of the country as possible since there is a lot to see and do, but we also expect volunteers to take precautions when traveling alone, heed the advice of the locals for where it is safe to travel, be mindful of personal health, and to respect the rules and culture of the country in general.

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Your program fee is payable to Global Volunteer Network 10 weeks prior to the 1st of the month you wish to volunteer.  Please note, your placement is not confirmed (ie secured) until your program fee has been received.  Please note that all charges incurred by the payment of the program fee are at the volunteer’s expense, e.g. if a bank transfer incurs a bank fee at the point of origin, that is at the expense of the volunteer. Seventy percent (70%) of the program fee is refundable until two calendar months before the 1st of the month you are due to begin your program. For example a volunteer with 15 July 2012 as their start date would need to submit their refund request form by the last day of April 2012 to be eligible for a refund. Refer to GVN's legal terms of service for full details.

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Vegetarians and Vegans can be catered for, however in this case the diet will predominantly be beans and vegetables. The program fee covers locally produced food, and therefore the choice is limited. Any special food items purchased will have to be at your own expense. If you have any food allergies please inform your volunteer coordinator as soon as possible, as our partners may require significant time to check whether such dietary needs can be accommodated for.

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