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info@ideasghana.org.gh
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When you volunteer in Ghana with IDEAS Ghana, you support programs that empower women, children and their families in rural towns, villages and schools. Your volunteer project makes a meaningful and measurable difference to their lives, and to yours. During your volunteer placement, you will work together with IDEAS Ghana staff and with local IDEAS Ghana community volunteers who support you every step of the way.
There are many ways your volunteer project will benefit women and their communities in Ghana. Your skills will directly help increase household income, improve leadership for women and girls, improve hygiene and health, improve nutrition, improve climate change resilience, improve monitoring and evaluation, improve agricultural practices, facilitate more equitable access to land for women, increase the number of trained land access advocates, improve computer and English language skills, improve learning disability supports, enhance eco-tourism capacity, and improve small business practices, depending on what project areas you choose and your educational and work/life experience.
Traveling abroad to volunteer is a life-changing experience both for you and the communities in which you volunteer your expertise.
One of the ways in which IDEAS Ghana sets itself apart from other volunteer programs is that your volunteer project is designed for you, personally. IDEAS Ghana assesses your skills, experience and education and designs your project to align with your background and IDEAS Ghana’s women, families and community empowerment programs.
We design your volunteer project to support current IDEAS Ghana programs in line with your skills, work/life experience, aspirations, and hobbies, so you can get the most out of your volunteer program and maximise your skills and things you love to do to make a difference in a hard-working, experienced and grass-roots non-profit organisation in Ghana.
Here are some example volunteer projects to give you an idea of what is possible for you.
If, for example, you are an accounting professional or student, we may design a project in which you train small women agricultural producer businesses already working with IDEAS Ghana in sustainable, actionable book-keeping practices. If you are an artist hobbyist, besides being an accounting professional, we may add a project element where you run art classes in the schools participating in tree planting, in which you create climate change arts and crafts, and talk about climate change in English to help raise English language ability and reinforce key messages about climate change.
We develop your project in several parts so you can keep busy and contribute as much as you like. On some days you may be busy training small businesses in the morning and then head off to school in the afternoon. Other days you may be out in the field meeting women producers in the community and running informal workshops in a family compound with the support of IDEAS Ghana staff or community volunteers. The work will be varied and challenging so you can experience a diverse range of activities as a volunteer in Ghana.
If, for example, you are an agricultural studies student or agriculture professional who may also happen to have family who are dyslexic and have experience being around people who are dyslexic as part of your daily life, we may design a project that includes working with farmers to improve their agricultural production practices, such as consistent soil testing and verification to ensure the soil is free of pesticides, or improved, climate resilient, productive farming practices. And we would also welcome you to spend time at schools supporting IDEAS Ghana’s school dyslexia intervention and support programs. Dyslexia is almost unheard of in Ghana, especially among educators, and it is our hope that we can mainstream awareness and supports on a long-term basis. Anyone with personal life experience or trained experience can participate in this program.
If you also happen to enjoy soccer/football, we include soccer in tree planting clubs activities, or dyslexia support activities, as being part of a soccer team is proven to be beneficial for attendance and inclusivity, especially for people with learning disabilities.
You can read a story about some program work here which you may support as a volunteer: inclusive land access for women farmers. Don’t forget to return to this page.
If, for example, you are a dyslexia or learning disability specialist who also happens to enjoy gardening or growing vegetables, you can work on both dyslexia intervention programs, tree planting and helping women organic producers in some aspect of their planting and harvesting processes.
If, while at IDEAS Ghana, some other project or program catches your attention and you would like to try it, we encourage you to let us know and we are flexible in being able to adapt your project so you can work on this new area, too.
Perhaps you are a conflict transformation or peace building student who aspires to work in the field to undertake mediation and capacity building in communities in which conflict transformation intervention is necessary. Or perhaps you are part-way through your working life and considering this as a career change. Maybe you enjoy drama, acting, performing, art or sports.
IDEAS Ghana will design a project that allows you to help our conflict transformation capacity building programs that build the capacities of communities in this region who have experienced the impacts of conflict, especially women and children. Your project might involve helping to develop workshops and workshop materials, helping to facilitate workshops, helping to facilitate focus group discussions, helping in face-to-face community surveys, capturing workshop notes, reporting from the field, writing up field trip notes, and helping write proposals for new projects in this area. You might conduct drama activities or develop performances relating to conflict transformation. Maybe you will conduct creative or sporting activities with the groups affected, like arts and crafts or sports like soccer.
When you apply to IDEAS Ghana, you select any or all of the program areas you would like to volunteer in. These programs include:
* Agriculture and economic empowerment
* Advocacy for women’s empowerment
* Climate change mitigation
* Education and youth empowerment
* Community development
* Peace and conflict transformation
* Tree planting and youth mentorship
* Learning disability capacity building training for teachers, students + family support, including dyslexia
* Culture and eco-tourism
Our staff are all college or university graduates. IDEAS Ghana Executive Director and founder, Dr Joseph Ayembilla, has
an extensive career in development. He is very approachable and hands-on and welcomes chatting with all staff and volunteers at any time. He will share his experience with you and will invite you to join him or other staff in field work if you wish to join, as will other staff.
The degrees among staff include Bas, MAs and PhDs in development studies, accounting and various specialisations in agricultural studies from universities in Ghana and abroad. They are all experienced, friendly, helpful and here to support you through your volunteer project.
IDEAS Ghana is located in Bolgatanga, the capital of the Upper East Region of Ghana, which is 161 kms north of Tamale. While Ghana is almost on the equator, enjoying a tropical, humid climate on the coast, Bolgatanga is in the dry Sahelian region. The climate is cool and lush during the wet season from June – October, and the post-rainy season from November to December. It gets hotter and drier, with no humidity, during the hot season that runs from February to May. June sees the first rains and the planting of crops begins.
Bolgatanga is one of the most peaceful, genuinely friendly, and laid-back towns in Ghana. It is a rare find as far as international volunteer destinations go. It provides an authentic African savannah experience, while being very safe, easy to navigate, and inexpensive. It boasts a wide range of healthy foods, which are widely available at stalls all along the roads, and has good transport to the rest of Ghana. Watch some clips over on our Ghana Travel page to experience Bolgatanga right now.
It is a part of the world that Lonely Planet might tell you is “yet to be discovered”, where visitors are travellers, not tourists, and you are welcomed at least once a day by someone you’ve never met before as if you are a long-lost relative. Right now is the best time to visit so you have a chance to experience authentic African life and culture while it is still unspoilt.
In Bolgatanga you might meet another foreigner occasionally, but you get the entire town and region to yourself most of the time, and whichever volunteers are here with IDEAS Ghana during your placement. You could not ask for a better town in which to experience unspoilt, authentic people, culture, travel, and rural life in an African town and village, whilst being safe and welcomed.
Because English is the national language, communication is relatively easy for speakers of English and those who speak English as a second language. You can also learn the basics of the local language, Frafra, if you wish.
IDEAS Ghana works from 8 am to 5 pm Monday to Friday, whether we are in the office or the field. Most volunteers work 6-7
hours a day and you are welcome to join us during these hours and work at your own pace.
You will be challenged, you will step outside of your comfort zones and achieve goals you never imagined possible. You will experience new cultures, meet lots of new, friendly faces and get to know people as friends and fellow volunteers.
One of the most rewarding aspects of volunteering abroad that volunteers mention in their final review of the program is getting to know other volunteers from all over the world. They usually become lifelong friends and even visit each other back in their home countries.
Your evenings and weekends are yours to sightsee, relax, explore your local community or town. Most of the time there will be at least one other volunteer here, if not more, and you can head off together to explore.
If you like football/soccer, there are games in the afternoon/evening. There is a kickaround 5 minutes walk down the road from the office and you will be welcome to join.
Eating together and exchanging stories from the day is one of the nicest ways to wind down and a highlight of the day for many volunteers. This is where you get to know each other, laugh, tell stories and discuss your projects and brainstorm ideas.
On the weekends, you might like to head off traveling with other volunteers.
Ghana boasts “the best of Africa” in one small nation, including “the world’s cheapest wild game safari” in Mole National Park.
Mole (pronounced Mol-lay) is a 3-day weekend trip from IDEAS Ghana. If you travel with another volunteer, it will cost you each roughly US$160 in total for everything, including: 2 nights in Mole National Park hotel with a swimming pool on an escarpment; all buses to/from IDEAS Ghana to Mole; all food and drinks for the weekend; park fees and the guided walking bush safari itself to see elephants in the wild, antelope, baboons, and maybe even leopards. Since there are 3 beds in each room, this price can be reduced further if you bring a third person to share the cost of the room. Ghana charges by the room, not the number of people.
The photo above is taken from Mole Motel swimming pool deck.
You can head over to SWOPA (above clip) in Sirigu, 40 minutes from IDEAS Ghana, which costs $20/night for a lovely painted Sirigu-style room with shower and toilet, which can be halved if you share it with another person. The trip each way costs $2. Meals cost about $5. The clip above shows you inside one of those rooms.
You also might like to rest and spend all day reading a book, cooking, doing a cultural basket weaving workshop or shea butter making workshop, shopping, or communicating with family back home. It’s up to you!
Read about a Typical Volunteer Day here to get an immersive feel for daily life in Bolga as a volunteer. And, head over to our Ghana Travel page to see Bolga life and travel clips.
IDEAS Ghana staff, board members, or volunteer assistant, will meet you at Kotoka International airport arrivals terminal. We will inform you which person will meet you nearer to your departure and we will provide all contact details so you can stay connected to staff when you arrive. We are all on WhatsApp and will help you through any point of your travels.
When you exit the terminal, we will head to a FOREX and exchange money.
If you happen to come in on an early flight, we can meet a coach heading to Bolgatanga the same day and we will see you off to your coach and ensure you board the coach without hassle, while giving you an introduction to traveling. The coach is luxury, airconditioned, clean and safe.
The coach stops every few hours, including for toilet stops. You can also buy water and food, such as plantain chips, yam chips, fried rice, oranges, and bread, all along the way. You will see the landscape of Ghana change from coastal and then flattening out to rolling hills and the Savannah grasslands.
IDEAS Ghana staff meet you in Bolgatanga when you coach arrives and bring you to your volunteer lodging.
If you come in on a later flight, we stay overnight at Mary Immaculate Lodge run by an order of Catholic sisters and considered one of the safest and most convenient lodges in Accra, the capital. You have your own room, shower and toilet. It is located about 10 minutes from the airport. You may rest, if you feel like it, or we can have a mini tour around Accra before heading up north the following day. We will pick you up at the lodge the next morning and take you to the coach terminal for your coach to Bolgatanga. We show you to your volunteer quarters where you have a chance to refresh, rest and sleep. You let us know and we will work with you.
Your volunteer fees cover all of this.
Orientation starts the day of arrival, after you have had a few hours to rest. We give you your welcome pack in a traditional Bolga basket. We conduct your Welcome to Ghana orientation session during the day. During the session we give you an introduction to life in Bolgatanga and Ghana, we cover all aspects of life such as banking, money, negotiating prices, food, culture, “how tos”, transport, and we explain the house rules for volunteer accommodation and expectations of the project placement. We show you around the house, how everything works, and the area.
If you like, we can also conduct our cultural orientation tour this day, by visiting town and the market, or we can conduct it the following day.
Day 1 starts the following day. We come and pick you up and head to the office together. In the office, we conduct an in-depth introduction to IDEAS Ghana. We talk you through your volunteer projects and we introduce you to all the staff present this day. You ask questions and we help you through any overnight challenges.
We show you around the area where the office is, where you can buy food, and any other things.
We help you get started on your projects and you start work at your own pace.
This first week is about feeling at home, becoming familiar with the environment, forming friendships with colleagues and the community, and beginning your project work.
This week your aim is to learn about IDEAS Ghana, think about what you can bring to your project, prepare any questions for our weekly check-in, and join any staff in field work if you would like to do so. We will go shopping in the market one of the market days and show you how you find foodstuffs you like, and any other goods you might like, such as fabric to sew your own dresses or outfits.
We do not expect you to produce work immediately. It takes time to get used to the pace of life and work in Ghana, which is slower than many other parts of the world.
There are soccer games everywhere in villages in Bolgatanga in the afternoons and early mornings, and male and females will be welcome to join a kick around or a game anywhere you find them.
Your accommodation is included in your project placement fees. Accommodation can be either the volunteer house or a family homestay, carefully selected by the staff of IDEAS Ghana who themselves have hosted volunteers over the years.
The volunteer house is clean and tidy and includes kitchen and cooking facilities if you would like to prepare your own meals.
Two people of the same gender may share a room, and this is often where lifelong friendships develop. If it is less busy, you will have your room to yourself.
Town is about 10-15 minutes by “can-do” tuk tuks from the volunteer accommodation and the office. In town there are a lot of ATMs and Western Union.
There are several supermarkets with lots of imported and locally produced goods such as cheese, chips/fries, instant coffee, cookies, yoghurt, ice-cream, shampoo, etc. The banks are very close to these shops. And there are any number of small street stalls to buy food.
If you’re at the office, we have a couple of street chop bars within two minutes walk selling rice, beans, egg and tomato stew for $1, or a large bowl of fried yam chips with salty spice for $1.
You can apply and begin your placement at any time. There is no ideal time to volunteer with IDEAS Ghana. However, the peak season is June – September, and this is also the cooler rainy season, so if you are thinking of applying during this time, it is best to do so early. Another busy time is Christmas break time, so please plan for this too.
If you have never volunteered before or never travelled abroad or to a developing country, please do not worry. All first timers can make excellent volunteers in Ghana. Whether you are experienced or not, the main attributes needed to succeed are a “can-do” attitude, flexibility, optimism, and willingness to experience a different culture.
We accept applications from people who will be aged 18 years or over by the time they will begin volunteering in Ghana. In some cases, we can make exceptions to this, so please let us know if you are not yet 18 but would really like to volunteer with IDEAS Ghana. You can email us here.
We assess all applications individually and almost all applications are accepted.
Group Programs
If you wish to volunteer as a group, please do let us know and we will design a specialised plan for your group.
Location: Bolgatanga, Ghana, with some travel to the field, covered by IDEAS Ghana.
Duration: Minimum 2 weeks. Up to 16 weeks. Longer stays may be negotiated—please ask.
Age Requirements: Minimum 18 years of age.
Language: The official language of Ghana is English and we work in English. There are many other languages spoken in this region and our staff speak most of them, as well as English, and will interpret for you in community field work where necessary.
Skills: Attention to detail, can-do attitude, basic MS Office skills, good interpersonal skills, willingness to learn, goals-oriented, good team player.
Work time: 6-7 hours per day, 5 days a week.
Accommodation: Host family or volunteer house.
Transport allowance: A weekly to/from the office allowance of an average ride to/from the office is provided to help cover the cost of transport. This will be given to you at the start of your placement, and weekly after that.
Arrivals: Pickup and transfers by IDEAS Ghana.
Support: Volunteer Planning Toolkit, 24/7 staff support for daily needs and emergencies, travel planning help, and suggested itineraries for short and longer trips around Ghana.
Meals
Your free-time travel in Ghana
Airfare
Visa
Vaccinations
Travel insurance
We are well travelled across all of Ghana, especially the coast, and major attractions, and we have designed mini Ghana itineraries for you specifically designed as:
* Weekend trips from IDEAS Ghana
* Shorter trips from IDEAS Ghana
* Longer trips from IDEAS Ghana
so you don’t have to worry about the unknown.
We will help you plan any travel together with you in-person and give you tips on the best places to stay, how to catch transport everywhere, even which tiny junctions to get on/off at, and much more.
Head over to these pages to learn
* Typical volunteer day
* Volunteer fees
* How to apply
* See programs in action
* Ghana travel videos