Kindergarten and Pre School Volunteer Program in Ghana

Overview

Being a volunteer for the Kindergarten and Teaching Volunteer Program in Ghana, you'll mostly work with the little ones attending nursery school and support them with basic education. Education is very important in Ghana and in 2013, 70% of the adult population was educated. However, many of the underprivileged education centers in Ghana suffer from lack of resources, poor facilities and staff shortages. As a volunteer, you'll get to play an important role in the lives of the little ones attending kindergarten school, where the stepping stones of a good future are laid.

Volunteers play a crucial role in schools by contributing to various aspects of the educational process. They provide personalized attention to students, assist teachers with administrative duties, and support extracurricular activities. By bringing diverse skills and perspectives, volunteers enrich the learning experience and contribute to a positive, supportive school environment. Their involvement helps alleviate resource shortages by adding extra manpower and expertise. Ultimately, volunteers are essential in creating a collaborative and dynamic educational setting, helping teachers shape the future of their students.

There are several schools that take accept our volunteers. All of the schools are within walking distance from the volunteer house. Most of the schools have the same principles that volunteers follow.

Volunteers are assigned classes where they assist the teacher to go about the daily assignments. Assignments range from teaching , bathing, cleaning , feeding amongst other stuff. Volunteers can also stay after school, which ends at 2:30 or 3pm , to help the kids with their homework and also play some games with them.

Volunteers can also take classes on their own depending on their comfort and adaptability. Teaching of the native languages of volunteers is also encouraged as some kids are eager to learn.

Sample Placement Profile - De Kings Academy
The school, established in 2001, has encountered numerous challenges over the years. Patronage has been particularly low in recent years, impacting its growth and development. However, the school is gradually making progress and working hard to regain its footing. Despite these efforts, the school remains sub-standard and is severely deprived of resources. It is in dire need of infrastructure improvements, learning materials, and basic educational resources such as a library and textbooks. The lack of these essentials continues to hinder its ability to provide quality education to students.

The school has classes from Nursery to Primary school grade 5. Volunteers work along with the teachers mostly. The placement is only at a 10 minute walking distance from the volunteer house accommodation.

Volunteer Work Schedule

Volunteers mainly work from Mondays to Fridays from around 8am - 3pm. Weekends are free for volunteers to explore Accra and other parts of Ghana.

Volunteer Roles & Responsibilities

As a volunteer for the Kindergarten and Teaching Program in Ghana, your main tasks would be:

Assist the local staff in the classroom, managing the kids and focus on each one
Teach the kids how to write their name, numbers, as well as nursery rhymes and songs
Focus on the development of fine motor skills as well as social skills
Play around with them, and keep them physically active
Teaching in primary classes and assisting the teaching staff in teaching and admin work

Project Requirement

Volunteers must be 17 years or older at the time of joining the project. Participants should have an open mind and flexible attitude for working in a new and different environment. Volunteers need to be flexible, open-minded and have a passion for working with children. You should also be proactive and have the ability to take initiative. All volunteers must provide a clean criminal background check report prior to joining the program. A parental consent form shall be required for Under 18 participants joining the program.

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Living

Volunteering Solutions strives to provide best of the living and other arrangements to its volunteers. Like we keep saying, just pack your bags and arrive at your placement destination. From your airport pickup, stay, meals, weekend tours and other nitty gritties, VolSol manages everything for you.

Arrival & Orientation

You will meet our representative at Kotoka International Airport in Accra from where you'll be transferred to the Volunteer house. Later, you'll travel to the project site after the orientation program.

Your project site will always be close to your accommodation. Every project office has different working hours (5-6 days a week), which will be discussed with you right at the beginning of your program.

Accommodation

You'll get to live in the volunteer house along with your fellow mates while working at the program. The volunteer house is located in Teshie Nungua estate and is a short drive from the Junction Mall in Accra. There are a total of 4 bedrooms in the volunteer house along with toilets and showers and a fully-equipped communal kitchen. There is also a big living room with a satellite TV. There's a cook to take care of the meals. There's a spacious porch for the volunteers to chill during their free time. The house also has two balconies and a big garden. Utilities such as refrigerator with water dispenser, washing machine, kettle, gas burner as well as wardrobe/lockers are available for volunteer use.

Meals

Volunteers are provided with 2 meals (breakfast and dinner) at the accommodation. Ghanaian cuisine consists primarily of starches, soups, beans, meat, and fish. The Starches consist mainly of rice and doughy balls made from mashed cassava, plantain or yams. Famous Ghanaian dishes include Banku and Fufu. Participants are given a mix of local and western meals.

During your Free Time

There is also a lot to discover and explore in Accra. After work you can do a relaxed stroll in a shopping mall not far away and experience the vibrant Ghanaian Capital Accra in all its facets.

On the weekends you can do a variety of trips to places such as Cape Coast, Kumasi, Canopy Walk and many more options to choose from.

Dates

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

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March

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December

Available

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Booked Out

Costs

Duration	Program Fee	Choose your currency
2 Weeks	$550
3 Weeks	$750
4 Weeks	$950
5 Weeks	$1150
6 Weeks	$1350
7 Weeks	$1550
8 Weeks	$1750
Extra Week	$200

Please Note: An application fee of is charged over and above the program fee as an application payment. A 5% international banking fee is charged for credit card payments of program fee in USD/AUD.

What are you Paying for?

Airport pick-up & Drop off at the airport
Comprehensive Pre- Departure Information
Support from long term experienced staff
Welcome meeting and Orientation
All necessary project training by experienced staff
24-hour in-country support
Accommodations
Donation to our ongoing work
Meals: Breakfast, and Dinner
Travel & Medical Insurance (Available at an extra cost)

What's NOT included?

Flights
Cost of the daily traveling to the project
Public transport and extra transfers
Private expenses on site
Visa and vaccinations

FAQ's

Health and Safety

Do I need to buy a health insurance?: Yes, for all volunteers it is mandatory to have a travel medical insurance. To provide the best option to our participants, we offer comprehensive insurance coverage in collaboration with a leading insurance provider.
What immunizations/vaccinations will I need?: We recommend you to consult your physician or travel doctor before traveling to Ghana. All travelers are required to carry an International Certificate of Vaccination (Yellow Card) to show proof of yellow fever immunization.

The recommended vaccinations for volunteers traveling to Ghana are as follows:

Yellow Fever

Hepatitis A and B

Typhoid

Rabies
How safe is Ghana in general?: Ghana is a safe and stable country with relatively low crime levels compared to other West African countries. You’ll meet some of the friendliest people in Ghana and their culture is a fascinating blend of traditional and modern.

However, as in any country around the world, you need to take certain precautions for safety. You will be given safety precautions and instructions by your coordinator during the orientation.

Application and Program Details

Can I volunteer as part of a group?: We encourage our participants to volunteer in a group. We take special care in providing you a placement and also customize your itinerary to make sure you get exactly what you are looking for. Also, we can design special group programs for groups of 5 or more. Our programs are designed to be safe, affordable and offer a great group volunteering experience to the volunteers.

In our experience of more than 6+ years we have enabled and facilitated volunteer program placements for student groups- college groups, university groups, high school groups, group of families, group of couples as well as groups of colleagues.

Ghana is one of our popular destination among student groups and is highly recommended for family volunteering as well.
When should I apply for the volunteer programs in Ghana?: As we have limited spots available in our programs and we serve on first come first basis, it is recommended that potential volunteers book their programs well in advance to get confirmed placements. You can book your slot by filling the application form online and pay the application fee.You can pay your program fee later and also, in installments, however, the complete payment should be made 45 days prior the start of the program. If you are volunteering in a group, you can also fill a group application form.
What are the Program Locations in Ghana?: Volunteering Solutions offers projects in the capital city of Accra as well as in Tamale in Northern Ghana. Tamale is the fourth largest city in Ghana and one of the the fastest growing cities in West Africa.The Beach Conservation Project is located in Axim, which is a six hour drive from Accra.
For how many hours will I volunteer every day?: Volunteers usually work for 5 to 6 hours a day for 5 days a week depending on their program needs. You will have the weekend off to explore in and around the city. However, volunteers need to be flexible, open minded and understand that work requirements can change as well on certain occasions.
How long will it take to process my application? Will my application be accepted?: After you complete your application, your personalized ‘My Account’ will be active.You will need to upload your CV/Resume along with your photo in the same. Our backend team and the placement site takes around 10-12 days to review your application. After we review your CV and documents, your booking is confirmed and booking confirmation is updated in your ‘My Account’. Some projects need a mandatory criminal background check and the same is mentioned in the project info of your program. Approval of your application depends on your qualification and eligibility criteria for each project.
Does VolSol provides with a reference or a certificate after program completion?: Yes, we will provide you with the Certificate after successful completion of your program. The certificate is provided on request.
Are there any necessary requirements to participate in the Ghana volunteer programs?: Every program has certain and prerequisites that are required to be fulfulled by the volunteers. Please refer to the respective program page for the detailed requirements.
Does VolSol provides discount if I choose more than one program or if I am a returning volunteer?: If you are planning to come for multiple programs in your trip, you will have to pay the application fees just once. Your application fee is valid for a year's time (from the date of application). You will not have to pay the application fees again if you come within the mentioned time frame.

For our returning volunteers, $50 discount is provided for the application fee for their next Vol Sol program.

Flights and Visa

Does Volunteering Solutions help with Visa?: All participants joining the programs in Ghana need to apply for Visa at the nearest Ghana Embassy. Along with the Visa application, you need to attach the required supporting documents. Volunteers are provided with all the necessary supporting document for their Ghana Visa application. More information shall be provided after you enroll yourself for our programs.
What are the recommended airlines to fly to Ghana?: Kotoka International Airport in Accra has direct connections from North America and Europe. Delta Airlines, KLM Dutch Airlines, TAP Portugal, Turkish Airlines, Ethiopian Airlines, Kenya Airways, British Airways are some of the major airlines that have direct connections to Ghana.
How do I reach Tamale from Accra? Do I need to book a flight to Tamale?: Tamale is well connected to Accra having daily flights between the two cities. You need to book your flight to Accra and the connecting flight thereon from Accra to Tamale. Please get in touch with your program manager for more details.

Accommodation and Living

Can vegetarians be accommodated?: Yes – please do ensure that you inform the local team about your food preference and they can help ensure you are able to order the best food! Also, please do mention your specific food preference in the application form as well.
Where can I change my money in Ghana? Are there ATMs in Ghana?: On arrival in Accra, you can change your currency to Ghanaian Cedis (GHS) at the airport. There are many currency exchange counters at the airport. Also, there are ATMs available throughout the city. Mostly Visa and MasterCard are only accepted in some parts of Ghana.
When do I need to arrive in Ghana for my program? What will happen once I arrive in Ghana?: All volunteers need to arrive in Ghana on the mentioned start dates. Volunteers are picked up from the Kotoka International Airport in Accra (ACC) by the in-country coordinator or representative.

In Accra, the accommodations are provided in a guesthouse or a hotel for a night and on the next day, volunteers take a flight to Tamale. Those who are arriving overland or are already in Ghana will be picked up at a meeting point decided beforehand.

After taking the short flight from Accra, you will be picked up from Tamale airport and taken to your accommodation by our team. You will be given an orientation about the city, placement, safety guidelines and transportation by the in-country coordinator. Depending on your time of arrival, you will be given a tour of the town and nearby amenities on the same day or the next day when you start your project.
How do I get to the program location?: Your country coordinator will take you to your placement and introduce you to everyone after giving you a basic orientation about the program/city/culture etc. You will be given the directions to the project from your accommodation and will also be briefed on the mode of transport.
Would I have free time during my program ? Can I do sightseeing during my program?: Volunteers typically work for 5-6 hours in a day, for 5 days a week. However, depending on the workload every day, working hours can vary. Evenings are free for the volunteers and volunteers usually get together and go out for social gatherings, eat out or watch football games in Tamale stadium.

Weekends are free for the volunteers to explore the city. You can go for short weekend trips to Mole National Park, Monkey Sanctuary or Kintampo Falls.

We encourage our volunteers to travel. We have designed various weekend tours which can be booked under the Add-on Tours section in your ‘My Account’. You in-country coordinator will also help you book and organize the tours once you are in the country.
Can I know more about accommodation and food arrangements?: We provide a wide variety of program options in Ghana and the accommodations vary depending on the program choice.

In Tamale, Volunteers will be staying at a standard Ghanaian volunteer homestay managed by the local program coordinator. In case space is not available in the volunteer home, you will be accommodated with a Ghanaian Host family. Accommodation is either provided in an individual or shared room along with other volunteer.

In Accra, volunteers are provided accommodation in the volunteer house with other volunteers or in a host family depending on the program choice.

In Axim, volunteers stay with other volunteers as well as local staff in the Volunteer & Staff Village! There are bungalows in the village, located by the side of the beach. You'll share a room with one to three other folks. The rooms are basic but you'll be provided with all necessities.

At all project locations, two meals a day are provided to the participants.
Are there more expenses once I arrive in Ghana?: Your program fee covers your accommodation, airport pick-up, orientation, pre-departure booklet and 24x7 in country staff support. You will need to cover your personal expenses, such as traveling, telephone, the internet, shopping, sightseeing, return airport drop, weekend tours etc. You should carry around $50 - $60 per week for your basic personal expenses, such as water, local transport, phone etc.

Connect with Past Volunteers

How can I connect with past Volunteering Solutions Ghana alumni as well as other former and current volunteers?: We encourage volunteers to get in touch with former Volunteering Solutions participants and also other program participants joining our projects. You are recommended to join the Volunteering">https://www.facebook.com/VolunteeringSolutions/">Volunteering Solutions Facebook Page or Facebook">https://www.facebook.com/groups/volunteeringsolutions/">Facebook Group and connect with other participants and our team.

To read alumni interviews from past participants, visit ?thehttps://www.volunteeringsolutions.com/meet-a-volunteer">; Meet a Volunteer section on our website.