Ordinary People Making Extraordinary Differences!
Volunteering In Ghana
We deal exclusively with volunteering in northern Ghana. Our work is concentrated in the Sissala district near Tumu in the Upper West Region of Ghana. We want visitors to have a unique experience, learn about the rich Ghanaian culture and to make new friends. We want volunteers to help us develop our agricultural projects in the village Pulima, approximately 5 miles from Tumu.
You will be able to participate in community activities and share your skills directly with the local people in Ghana and enjoy the spirit of a different culture and a different way of life. Every volunteering effort is welcome and anyone with good communication skills, patience and a willingness to share and learn would find this experience very rewarding.
Volunteering Project July 2010
Our next volunteering trip will be in July 2010 (10th July - 24th July). During this trip volunteers will help with our Sheanut butter production project in Pulima, a small village near Tumu. Sheanut trees are native to northern Ghana and the nuts are rich in oil that can be used for cooking, skincare, medicine etc. The sheanut butter can also be used to produce local soap. Volunteers will also help to set-up a composting system and establish a vegetable garden.
The physical work will start in the early mornings when the temperatures are cooler. During mid-day you will be able to relax in the shade of a tree, help prepare lunch on an open fire, learn to play the xylophone or take part in other village activities.
Volunteering Programme July 2010
Overnight accommodation in Accra
Early bus journey to north. Overnight in Bolgatanga
Journey to Tumu
Volunteering in Pulima, near Tumu
Opportunity to visit local market, caves, dam and other sites
Return journey. Overnight in Mole Game Reserve
Two nights in Kokrobite, near Accra
End of trip
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Cost of Volunteering Trip July 2010 |
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Accommodation 14 nights |
£210.00 |
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Food 14 days (breakfast, dinner) |
£140.00 |
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Transportation (bus, bicycle hire, taxis) |
£150.00 |
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£150.00 |
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Administration |
£50.00 |
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Total Cost |
£700.00 |
Hotel accommodation will be provided for the 14 nights but you will have the opportunity, if you wish to sleep for one or two nights in a local compound in the village. The hotel rooms will be doubles with ceiling fan and en suite bathroom (toilet, sink and shower).
The food will be of local Ghanaian produce. The breakfast will be porridge, fruits (pineapple, pawpaw, watermelon and mango for example) or bread and egg (omelette, boiled egg, etc). Dinner will be meals such as rice and stew, fufu and light soup, rice balls and groundnut soup and kenkey and bean stew or snacks like yam chips, bean cakes (similar to doughnuts) and kebabs. The majority of meals will involve meat or fish but it will also be possible to cater for vegetarians. There are shops and stalls where you can buy biscuits, peanuts, ice-cream etc to supplement the meals provided.
The main transportation expense will be the bus journey from Accra to Tumu (see map) which is over 500 miles. Bicycles will be supplied for the 10 days in Tumu. The hotel is on the outskirts of the town and bicycles will allow everyone to cycle into town in 10 minutes. Transport will be arranged between Tumu and Pulima for the project work.
The project donation (£150 minimum) is an essential part of the trip to Ghana. You may wish to organise some fundraising activities to raise this money. Any extra money received would be used specifically for our project costs in northern Ghana.
What is included? What is not included?
Project donation Personal travel insurance
Orientation on arrival Flights to/from Ghana
Accommodation Visas
Breakfast and dinner each day Inoculations
Transportation Yellow Fever Certificate
Bicycles hire Bottled Water
Full support and assistance Beverages
Project guide Additional Snacks
Booking Information
To book the volunteering trip in July 2010 please complete the application form and post along with a deposit of £150 to Lasajang Community Project, 80 Stirling Road, Kilsyth, Glasgow, G65 0PT. The deposit is non-refundable and covers the project donation. Payments can be made by cheque or international money order made payable to “Lasajang Community Project”. You will receive a receipt for your deposit and an invoice for the remaining £550 which must be paid before the 1st February 2010. You will also receive further information about flights to Ghana, fundraising and rendezvousing in Accra. Please read our Terms and Conditions before booking. It is also essential that you book your own flight and get travel insurance, Visa for Ghana, yellow fever certificate and malaria prophylactics before travelling to Ghana. You should also visit your GP or travel clinic for up-to-date information on inoculations for Ghana. For further information please read the travel tips below.
Travel Tips to Ghana
Passport: entry to Ghana maybe refused if there is only six months left on your passport before it expires.
Visa: a visa must be obtained before travelling to Ghana. The visa can be obtained from the Ghana High Commission. Please download the form from their website.
Yellow Fever Vaccination Certificate: you must show this certificate to enter Ghana. The yellow fever immunisation takes effect 10 days after the injection and lasts for 10 years. Your local GP or clinic will be able to tell you where the nearest yellow fever clinic is located in your area.
Malaria prophylaxis with Lariam, Malarone, or doxycycline is recommended for all areas of Ghana. Insect repellents containing 20-35% DEET (N,N-diethyl-3-methylbenzamide) or 20% picaridin (Bayrepel) should be used to reduce mosquito bites.
Other vaccinations recommended for Ghana are polio, tetanus, diphtheria, hepatitis A, typhoid, meningococcus, tuberculosis and rabies. You should visit a travel clinic 8 weeks before your departure.
Guide to Ghana (www.bradtguides.com)
Money belt (cotton)
Sun hat/sun glasses
Sheet sleeping bag
Mosquito net
Water bottle
Binoculars/Camera
Shortwave radio or MP3 player (batteries)
Torch with spare batteries
Towel or sheet towel as it is easier to wash and dry
Books
Toilet bag
Toiletries – soap, shampoo, conditioner, tooth brush, toothpaste, deodorant, razor, shaving foam, body lotion (soap, toothpaste and body lotion are easily replaced in Ghana)
Toilet roll
Women should take sanitary towels, tampons, panty liners etc
If you wear contact lenses you should take all the solutions you require and also take spare glasses
If you wear glasses then tinted lenses are more comfortable
Cotton clothes; trousers, T-shirts, long sleeve shirt, cotton underwear, cotton socks. Women; long skirts and dresses. The north of Ghana is mainly Muslim and it is best if women wear skirts below the knee.
Sandals, Training shoes or light walking boots, flip-flops (good for the shower)
Medical Kit – plasters, bandage, adhesive tape, scissors, pocket knife, tweezers, thermometer, tincture of iodine (cleaning wounds), sunblock, paracetamol or aspirin, condoms, oral rehydration salts, insect repellent, women prone to thrush should take vaginal cream or tablets for yeast infections. The project guide will have a full medical kit.
Etiquette in Ghana
Ghanaians greet, shake hands, pass something and eat all with their right hand. It is considered rude if you use your left hand. As a tourist you will easily be forgiven but it would be polite to use your right hand.