Community School Teaching, Ghana

Overview

Volunteers are needed to work in community schools across Ghana (West Africa) teaching children various educational skills. This African volunteer programme allows volunteers to use whatever skills they have to change the lives of African children. Even if it is just simple one-to-one classroom interaction, English classes, or basic maths – this programme ensures that both the volunteers and the children gain from the experience.

You will be allocated your school before leaving the UK. You may give preferences and we will do our best to place you near to your choice, but this cannot be guaranteed as we send volunteers where the need is greatest.

There is a one-week orientation in Accra before you travel to your school. Volunteers will observe Ghanaian teachers for a week before they start teaching in the second week. Maths and English are the two most popular subjects that volunteers like to teach.

 

What's included?

• Pre-departure briefing in London
• Pre-departure information and advice
• In-country assistance and support
• 24-hour emergency contacts in Ghana, Africa 
• Six-day orientation (i.e induction) in Accra - this is reduced to two days if volunteering in Ghana for 4 weeks or less. This orientation includes hostel accommodation with breakfast (dinner at the hostel will be provided only on your first night in Accra).
• Sightseeing activities in Accra, Ghana
• Visa processing and extension for one month
• Transportation: airport pick-up and transfer to hostel for orientation. Transfer to host family after orientation.
• Food: During your teaching volunteer placement, you will be given 2 meals at weekdays and 3 meals at weekends and holidays
• Accommodation: Hostel accommodation during the orientation week
• Homestay with Ghanaian family during cultural workshop (see 'Optional Extras' below)
• Homestay with Ghanaian family during your teaching placement

What's NOT included?

• Flights
• Insurance
• Visas
• Monthly stipend
• Transportation: airport drop-off

Optional Extras ... Two-week Twi, Drumming & Dancing workshop - Monday to Friday Four-week Intensive Cultural, Drumming & Dancing workshop - Monday to Friday    The above two optional extras take place after the orientation week in Accra. Here, volunteers will be taken to stay with host families in Accra - with bed and breakfast during weekdays, and full board at weekends. Your weekends during these workshop sessions will be free for you to explore Accra.

Drumming & Dance - Join skilled drummers in learning five popular African drumbeats and cultural dances - Kpacha, Gahu, Bamaya, Kete and Fume beats. After learning each beat pattern, and 'feeling' the rhythm of Africa, participants will be taught how to move to the sounds of the drum. The lessons vary from 1 to 8 hours per day depending on your needs. Participants can also get a drum specifically made for them.

Language & Cultural Immersion - Learning the local language gives participants the confidence to interact with Ghanaians. This course allows participants to learn the major languages spoken in Ghana - Ga, Ewe, Hausa, Twi and Dogomba. Experience Africa by learning the basics of these languages with a selection of games and interactive language techniques.

Location

A peaceful and welcoming country, Ghana offers a modern, yet traditional life experience. With its wide valleys, low-lying coastal plains, and thick rainforests resounding with the beat of traditional life and the hustle and bustle of its cities Ghana has something to offer everyone.

View Larger Map  

Ghanaians are the friendliest people in West Africa: warm, proud yet humble with a contagious and calming sense of humour. Just by observing life in Ghana, you will learn a great deal. An old cliche, but it really does apply to this programme is, "What you put in, is what you get out". If you make an effort to get closer to Ghanaians, they can teach you so many things. Take any opportunity that comes your way, even if it is something you do not particularly want to do; for example, going to church and funerals. These are the times when you see the real Ghana and learn the most about the people and the country.

Project life and Photos

Induction week:

An orientation programme for the first 6 days is included in the programme followed by a placement matching your specific requirements. The programme begins with a six-day arrival orientation that includes airport pickup, accommodation and food on the first day of arrival. The six-day orientation will be given in Accra and the participant's host region (1 day). 

During the orientation, the participant is introduced to the Ghanaian culture including language lessons, host family issues, safety, culture and workplace expectations, immigration and visa issues, health, money, transportation, and food matters. A city tour of Accra is included in the orientation and another tour of your placement area upon arrival there. Below are some photos taken during an induction week in Accra.

Please note that during your induction week, you will be responsible for your own food after the first day. We suggest £50 will be more than enough for this week.

Pre Schools:
You may teach kindergarten or primary school children from the ages of 3 - 6 years. Volunteers will assist in the day to day activities of the children, e.g. constructive play, singing etc.

Primary Schools:
Teaching in primary schools, especially classes 1-3 requires patience. Most of the children cannot speak English and are always pleased to see volunteers. They may, at first be very excitable and not listen to what volunteers say or try to teach them. Class 4-6 pupils are more mature and ready to learn.

Librarian Assistant/Pre-School Attendant:

• See to the distribution and collection of Library books and other relevant school textbooks
• Assist the pre-school attendants
• Work at the pre-school to teach them songs and music and any other
• Extra curricular activities related to children

Elligbility & sills required:

• There are no specific teaching skills required to participate in this volunteer teaching programme, however volunteers with some teaching experience or qualifications (i.e. a TEFL course) can be given a lot more responsibility in classrooms if requested.
• The greatest attribute you can posses is flexibility and a willingness to get involved with your teaching responsibilities.
• 24-hour support is provided by our local partner.

---

Flights, transportation and visas

• International flights are not included
• Please arrange your flight to arrive at Accra International Airport on a Sunday or Monday
• Transfers to Accra and on to your placement are included

 

CIBT Visa advice... For expert visa advice we advise our volunteer, work placement, and internship participants to get in touch with CIBT - a company that we work in partnership with. Our UK, Canadian, and US travellers can use CIBT for visa advice and to get their visa applications processed - with visas returned within a week. UK travellers can contact CIBT for visa advice. Canadian participants can contact CIBT for visa advice or call Toll Free: 888-665-9956 US participants can contact CIBT for visa advice or call Toll Free: 800-577-2428 Canadian citizens should state account number: 57497 US citizens should state account number: 57496

Dates and duration

• This volunteer teaching programme in Ghana (Africa) starts every Monday with arrival in Accra on the Sunday before.
• Volunteers will teach in schools for roughly for 4 - 6 hours a day, Monday to Friday.

Available dates:

Please check availability with a Twin Work & Volunteer travel advisor. Call 0800 80 483 80 or contact us.

Safety and insurance

• All of Twin Work & Volunteer's placements are in partnership with recognised and established local organisations, run by or employing local people. These organisations, depending on the nature of what they do, might be small-scale NGOs, family projects, schools or orphanages, or local initiatives with environmental or social goals.
• We often use local businesses to provide logistical and support services to volunteers such as transfers, pick-ups, accommodation and so on. In this way, we support the local economy through helping independent local businesses to thrive. We take our partnerships very seriously and work extremely closely with all our partners.
• We provide 24-hour emergency support from the UK and our partners provides support locally.
• We have an agreement with the crisis management service Tranquillico, should the very worst situations arise.
• If any wider safety concerns arise in the destination, such as civil disturbances or natural disasters, we seek advice from the Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) and implement their recommendations where appropriate.

 

Insurance options... Comprehensive insurance is available for all programmes. You have no obligation to take up insurance with any of these companies, but insurance of a suitable sort is mandatory on all our programmes. For UK participants: Here are the full details of our partnership with Endsleigh. For American and Canadian participants: We offer insurance options with International Volunteer Card (IVC).

Eligibility

• There are no specific teaching skills required to participate in this volunteer teaching programme, however volunteers with some teaching experience or qualifications (i.e. a TEFL course) can be given a lot more responsibility in classrooms if requested.
• The greatest attribute you can posses is flexibility and a willingness to get involved with your teaching responsibilities.
• 24-hour support is provided by our local partner.

Accommodation and Food

One of the benefits of this teaching volunteer placement in Ghana is that it allows volunteers to experience living in three different Ghanaian establishments.

• Accommodation 1: Orientation week: 
  Hostel in Accra
  During your Orientation week, all volunteers in Ghana (whether or not you're working in orphanages, schools, or taking a work placement), will live together in a hostel in the centre of Accra. Dinner will be provided for participants on arrival (on your first night), the rest of the week you will be given breakfast each morning. Lunch and dinner is bought by volunteers from the many restaurants and chop-bars in the area - allowing volunteers to explore the local eateries in Accra. 
   
• Accommodation 2: Optional workshop session:
  Homestay with Ghanaian family in Accra
  After your orientation week in Accra, volunteers who have chosen to take part in the 2-week or 4-week ‘Twi Language, Culture and Drumming & Dance' workshops will be based with a Ghanaian host family. You will be given your own room, which will be basic but furnished, and you will be given 3 meals a day.
• Accommodation 3: Volunteering placement:
  Homestay with Ghanaian family at your teaching location.
  Accommodation on the teaching placement is in vetted, approved home-stays with local families. The accommodation is basic but clean and comfortable - You will be given your own room, which will be basic but furnished. In some instances there may be no running water or electricity. Volunteers are given two meals on weekdays and three meals at weekends. 
   
• Please note: Volunteers must supply their own drinking water (bottled mineral water or treated water). However, to reduce your daily costs most host families will supply you with treated drinking water. 

You may also like...