• Qualifications required:There are no special qualification for this program but applicants must be in good health condition for hiking
• Placement settings:2 wks. Local community projects and 1 wk. Tours
• Program duration:Volunteer for 21 Days, programs start on 1st -15th JUNE and July 15^th 30^th and 1^st -15^thAugust every year.
• Age :13yrs to 50yrs
• Accommodation:Volunteers live as a group with any of our well trained hostfamilies near the project during volunteering and in a hotel during tours.
• Program fees:$999 USD which includes airport pick-up, Program orientation and supervision, accommodation, utility bills, Local SIM card, Official Africa at Heart T-Shirt ,Last days tours in Accra ,Last day airport drop off, 3x daily meals and 24/7 in-country support
• What Fees doesn’t included:Airfare from your home to Ghana, Entrance fee to tourist centers, Travelling Insurance, buying of souvenirs to families and friends back home ,drinks .

Our uniquely designed 2 weeks Summer Community Voluntary Work and 1 week Travel program enables people to travel to beautiful, peaceful and exotic Ghana during summer to do a 2 weeks community  volunteer work which includes: (support to vulnerable children/orphans, building new orphanage /school construction as community development in Ghana), cultural immersion, Teaching, Care giving and Hiv aids community education / presentation and 1 week travels to some selected unique tourist attractions in Ghana for sightseeing.

This program offers people a unique opportunity to meet new friends and interact with them as it doesn’t happen back home. Participants would be offered the following:
Orientation about the local culture, history/religious issues. Community Volunteer Work and African Drumming and Dancing Lessons program during evenings of volunteering.

1^st and 2nd WEEKS:  ORPHANAGE, SCHOOL TEACHING AND HIV AIDS OUTREACH PROJECT INFORMATION  DAYS 2-13)

Participants  main responsibilities at Orphanage  :
• Develop creative programs such as dance, arts, music, etc.
•  Clean, cook and serve food
•  Organize physical and sports activities
•  Assist the staff in counseling the children
• Teach Basic English
A typical day of a volunteer in the Project
Morning: Help the children to brush their teeth and get them dressed. Serve breakfast and tidy their beds. Teach the children about health and hygiene
Day: Serve Lunch. Take care of the children in the orphanage. Help them to learn some basic conversational English in fun and playful manner. Arrange for activities like games, music, drawing, etc. Bring children back from school and help them in their homework

Evening: Serve dinner to the children. Help in the kitchen and also in washing dishes, clothes and cleaning of the orphanage premises, put them to bed.

Participants main responsibilities at School Teaching :
This includes:

Teaching English, Math’s, Sporting activities and Creative art.
Helping them to learn their lessons
Check their dresses, and check the neatness and the cleanliness of the kids when they report at school every morning..
Play games (educational and environmental)

Participants main responsibilities at HIV AIDS outreach Presentation:

Participants would be working with AHFOG, you will be expected to work with HIV/AIDS educationist/experts to reach out prostitutes at hotels, Red light areas and deliver the message of abstinence and protection etc. In addition to this, participants would be engaging in various local level demonstration and presentation activities at the following places:
• Community education
• Churches education
• Schools education
• Hairdresser’s education
• Shoemakers education
• Markets/ Shopping centers education
• Lorry parks demonstration activities to increase the awareness campaign in the Ghanaian communities.
• You will also engage in house-to-house education
• You  will sometimes spend time with those affected by the disease, by helping them to take their medicines regularly as well as giving them care and comfort.
• Community education through drama.

 

1^ST  AND 2^ND  WEEKS  EVENINGS DRUMMING / DANCING AND CULTURE LESSONS.

Africa is well-known for their music and the dancing that accompanies it. You can participate in these wonderful arts that have been performed for centuries. Learn how villages use “talking drums” to communicate within the village and between different villages—a technique that is still in use today. Learn a traditional song and dance that is performed at funerals and weddings.

Participants would be taking through some African drumming and dancing techniques organized by the GyeNyame Cultural Troup, registered under the cultural centre of Ghana, Kumasi Branch.

DAY 2-13  EVENINGS  AFRICAN  DRUMMING  LESSONS:

	PROGRAM	DESCRIPTIONS
DAY 2 -DAY 6 TIME :  5:00 PM – 7:00 PM	AFRICAN DRUMMING LESSONS	Participants would be taking through 2 hours intensive learning of African drumming techniques and the method of using talking drums to communicate between people and towns.

DAY 7-13 EVENINGS AFRICAN DANCING LESSONS:

	PROGRAM	DESCRIPTIONS
DAY 7 -DAY 13 TIME :  5:00 PM – 7:00 PM	AFRICAN DANCING LESSONS	Participants would be taking through 2 hours intensive learning of African songs and dances that have being passed down through generations. Performing the dances in various African costumes and other related activities.

 

3^rd  WEEK TRAVEL ITNERY  DAYS 14-21)

ASHANTI TOUR: 
Participants will visit some unique and popular tourist attraction centre of the Ashanti region. A visit to Bonwire the famous historical town of Kente colorful clothes.

A visit to the Ashanti palace museum, Ntonso Adinkra village, Ahwiaa Craft village, Military museum, the national Cultural Center, the central market, Owabi bamboo forest, Bobbie forest and Lake Bosomtwe,One of the biggest and natural lakes in the world. Participants may spend a night at the luxurious hotel near the lake.

TAMALE TOUR:
Depart for Mole National Park/Elephant Dome
Mole is a wildlife observatory. Here you can watch creatures in their natural habitat from observation centers.
Meal(s) Included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Overnight at Game Reserve Hotel or Similar

CAPE COAST TOUR:
Cape Coast, formerly known as the Gold Coast, used to be the capital city of Ghana.
Tour Elmina Castle and Slave Dungeons, visiting shopping centers/markets and the exotic beaches of Cape coast

A visit to the Kakum Forest has one of the few remaining canopy walks in the world. The bridges overlook Kakum Forest and its wildlife. The walks, hanging over 100m in the air may test the bravery of the group, as they cross 7 bridges total. Make a stop over at the Hans Cottage crocodile pond.
A visit to the Cape Coat castle.

 

TRAVEL TO ACCRA, TOUR, PROGRAM ENDS AND DEPARTURE.
Participants will be transferred to Accra the next morning, day tour of Accra. Visits to the National art center, cultural center, and National museum and trekking through the big markets of Accra/shopping, visit the Kwame Nkrumah memorial park.  Program ends at 2pm and report writing.

What Did You Bring with You? What Will You Take With You?” How will this experience impact your interactions when you return home?
Say formal good-bye to RVO staffs

 

What are the requirements to join the community work and Tours in Ghana?

RVO offers affordable trips for students and non students from worldwide. All volunteers are supervised by our local staffs and under instruction from project authorities during community volunteering work, so regardless of your level of qualification or experience, you can feel confident that you will be well supported to make a valuable contribution on your mission trip.

 

How long can I go on a community volunteer work and tours trip for ?

RVO runs volunteer programs year-round but this summer community volunteer and tours program is for 21 Days, programs start on 1st -15th JUNE and   15^th 30^th July and 1^st  -15^thAugust every year during summer  . Groups can choose to participate in this program with their own durations and date of availability.

How do I apply for a community work and tours in Ghana ?

• Complete the free online application form with the details of your chosen program and dates, as well as details of your qualifications, skills and experience. You will then receive an email from RVO that we have received your application. Within 24 hours (1 working day), you will receive an email from our Programs Manager acknowledging your application and confirming, project and dates of your volunteer program. In this email, you will receive instructions on how to pay the deposit of your Registration/program Fee in order to confirm your booking with the RVO
• As soon as your deposit payment of Registration/program Fee has been received by RVO, you will be provided with all the information and support you need to prepare for your upcoming volunteer program. Your RVO Program Manager will be your point of contact throughout your preparations up until you finish your volunteer program.

Contact our office if you are looking to travel abroad as a group, so we can customize a trip for you.

SUGGESTED ITINERARY: 

Day 1: Travel to Ghana Kotoka International Airport in Accra, transfer to hotel and meeting to coordinate the day-to-day scheduling for the week.