Building

Volunteers live in the heart of an African village and play a vital role in the charity’s life changing development work.

You will be working in a team on projects which may be building a school, a health clinic, rain water harvesting, improving sanitation by building a toilet block or hand dug wells. Depending on the current building stage it may involve digging foundations, mixing mortar, cutting, moving and treating timber, fixing window mesh, laying cement, building walls, plastering or painting. You may also be involved in the maintenance and repairs of previous builds.

You don’t need to have any specialist experience, just enthusiasm, energy, an open mind and patience! Experienced local masons, carpenters and craftsmen will lead the group, teaching you the required skills and supervising your work. The building techniques and tools available are very different in Ghana so the team will ensure you have the necessary skills to work safely on the construction site.

If you have specialist experience then you can pass this onto the local team, who have limited access to additional training within Ghana, but are eager to learn and develop their trade.

Working days and hours

Volunteers normally work 5 days a week with 2 days off. Generally volunteers start at 8am and finish at 4pm, however this can vary. The building projects take place across villages in the local region and volunteers will be transported to the building site by a four-wheel-drive vehicle each day. There are lots of fun free time activities to get involved in on your days off.

Other volunteers

Building, Early Learning, Sports Coaching, Teaching and Photography volunteers in Ghana all live together. Some volunteers choose to combine the different volunteer roles. There are usually 1-5 volunteers with a maximum of 20 when there are larger groups but this varies considerably throughout the year.

Duke of Edinburgh’s (DofE) award

This placement has been approved by the DofE as meeting the requirements for the Residential section of the Gold Award.

Child Protection

Pod is fully committed to safeguarding and promoting the wellbeing of children and vulnerable adults - please see our Child and Vulnerable Adults Protection Policy.

All volunteers are required to have a criminal records check, which we will arrange with you.

Volunteer Reviews

Read about volunteer experiences and challenges in our Ghana volunteer reviews.

Why are volunteers needed?

Volunteers provide essential assistance that enables the charity to achieve both long and short term development goals. Volunteers work alongside the building team to improve access to education and health resources by giving more people access to schools and clinics.

Since the projects began, new school buildings and resources have led to the children having an increased pride and enthusiasm to attend schools. The children are achieving better results at school and have brighter futures ahead of them.

Without funding from volunteers, the community would not be able to afford the local building developments which have improved the local standard of living through access to safe drinking water, toilets and much needed health clinics.

“We love our volunteers and the community welcomes them with open arms! They are a key part of the charity and the team in Ghana. They help the local team assist and reach more communities by giving their time and energy”
Neil, Charity Director

Start Dates

2019

5 Jan, 19 Jan, 2 Feb, 16 Feb, 2 Mar, 16 Mar, 30 Mar, 13 Apr, 27 Apr, 11 May, 25 May, 8 Jun, 22 June, 6 Jul, 20 Jul, 3 Aug, 17 Aug, 31 Aug, 14 Sep, 28 Sep, 12 Oct, 26 Oct, 9 Nov, 23 Nov

Closure Dates

8 Dec 2018 - 5 Jan 2019

Ghana

Ghana is widely regarded as one of the most friendly and safe destinations in western Africa. It is an ideal destination for first-time visitors to Africa. In the heart of West Africa, it is an exciting country to volunteer in and experience traditional life in a beautiful relaxed environment. Popular activities in Ghana include:

• Shopping at the vibrant local markets
• Exploring the fascinating local sights such as Umbrella Rock
• Visiting Accra and learning about the history of the city

To find out more see Lonely Planet Ghana

Local area and free time

The projects are based in a friendly village in the heart of rural, tropical Africa. The village is 2.5 hours’ drive from Accra, the capital city. The village is home to 400 members of the community and most are subsistence farmers. It is a very welcoming community and they love having volunteers helping in the village. Culturally it is very important to take time to greet the members of community and talk to them.

Volunteers usually spend afternoons reading in the hammocks and evenings relaxing playing card games, enjoying a weekly meal with a local family, visiting the vibrant local market or making a trip to a local bar once a week.

In their free time, volunteers can explore more of vibrant and friendly Ghana. Whether that’s Shai Hills nature reserve, historical Cape Coast and Elmina Castle or the tropical Volta Region – there is plenty to see! The nearby city of Koforidua has a weekly bead market that draws bead buyers and sellers from all over the region and is a popular place for volunteers to visit on a day off. Boti falls and Umbrella Rock in the Yilo Krobo District of Ghana and Aburi Botanic Gardens are also popular destinations, or for the more adventurous, Kakum National Park has a canopy walk through the treetops. These activities are best booked locally once you are at the project.

Accommodation

The accommodation is clean but very simple, volunteers sleep in bunk-bed dormitories with shared bathrooms and there is a traditional mud hut available for couples. At the volunteer base there is a common room and simple kitchen area. There is intermittent 3G internet access in the village.

Ronan

“I really enjoyed my time in Ghana and feel like I made a second home in the village. When I researched volunteering I wanted to really do some hard work to help a community less advantaged than mine - not just a token day or two helping out here and there. I definitely received that opportunity in Ghana, some days I came home from the building site absolutely exhausted but feeling great about what I had accomplished!

The atmosphere created at the base and in the village is incredibly welcoming and supportive and I feel like I really got to know the volunteers and staff. Travelling to Ghana and opening my eyes to local perspectives has been humbling. Life for locals is far more difficult yet they always seem to have a smile on their faces and I hope what I learnt from the experiences there will stay with me for a long time.”

Zita

“My time in Ghana was absolutely amazing. I was involved in the construction of a Health Clinic and a Creche. The team there is fantastic and very welcoming. I loved working with the builders there as they were fun and very inspiring. For me, it didn’t take long to get used to the village life though it was strange waking up to natural noises instead of cars and sirens.

I would highly recommend anyone who would like to take a break and would like a challenge in his/her life. You get to know great characters and a beautiful country with its breathtaking treasures. Most rewarding was the people I’ve met and that I was part of something great for two weeks which will go on to make great impact on the village life.”

Dave

“Overall I had a fantastic experience and would recommend this to anyone. The Team in Ghana we excellent - they had everything organised, even the social events! I worked on 2 building projects along with another UK guy and a group of American Students. I couldn’t have asked for a better bunch of comrades! It was hard work at times, but I felt very rewarding.

The greatest reward was meeting the people. Both Ghanaian’s and volunteers. Also experiencing their culture and feeling in some very small way - I actually helped. The Ghanaian people are so welcoming and friendly. Go on…take the plunge!! I did and feel great for the experience.”

James

“Well where do I start, it was a life changing experience that everyone should do! I only went for two weeks but I could of easily stayed for another three. The people of Ghana are some of the friendliest and polite people in the world.

I was doing building work during the day and the odd football coaching during the evening, you don’t even notice working such a long day as it’s so rewarding. Brendon and Aikins make you feel very welcome, you can have a great laugh with them and facilities are great, having a cold shower really gets the blood pumping, I can’t wait to go back next year!”

Read more reviews

Before you go:

• Carefully selected and vetted volunteer project
• Support from our friendly and highly experienced Pod UK team
• Single point of contact - a dedicated Pod Volunteer Specialist
• In-depth volunteering and planning your trip guides
• Travel information - visa, health and safety advice
• Help arranging criminal record checks
• Discounted online TEFL course
• Access to specialist travel insurance at exclusive rates
• Recommended travel agency for flights and tours
• Access to special deals and resources
• Fundraising guide and support
• Financial protection for monies paid to Pod

On your placement:

• Community volunteering placement
• Airport pick up (Accra)
• Accommodation - shared
• Food - all main meals
• Induction and training, including health & safety and culture
• Local introductions and tours
• Local language lessons given by the Headmaster of the school
• Onsite support from local team
• Support from Pod UK office by phone and email
• 24/7 emergency back up
• Incident Management and Emergency Response Plans

On your return:

• Contact from your Pod Volunteer Specialist
• Feedback scheme
• Volunteering certificate (on request)
• References (on request)
• Member of the Pod community

Not included: Flights, travel insurance, visa, criminal records check, transfer off the project. Budgeting guidance is provided in our Volunteering Guide which we will email you when you apply.