Health & SafetyGhana is generally a very peaceful and stable country. In the Global Peace Index it is ranked above both the United Kingdom and the US. It is the perfect introduction for first time volunteers to Africa.  Most visits to Ghana are trouble-free, provided sensible precautions are taken, like anywhere else in the world.You should avoid carrying large sums of money or valuables as these may attract unwanted attention. You should exercise vigilance, particularly after dark and avoid traveling around alone. If possible, you should avoid traveling alone in taxis after dark because of attempted robberies.
You will have a named in-country volunteer co-ordinator and a named contact within your host organisation, both of whom will be contactable 24 hours a day by mobile telephone. Your contact will not be a travel rep arranging daily entertainment (sorry!) but someone who will meet with you regularly, as required by you the volunteer, to ‘health check’ your placement. Your AYIAG co-ordinator will be happy to discuss any concerns and to give advice should you want to travel outside of your placement. While in placement you will also have be shown to the nearest place when you can access both the telephone and the internet, enabling you to maintain contact with home. All AYIAG staff will be at your disposal to help you have a great experience. We currently have 10 members of staff in Ghana who will be your extended family for the duration of your stay. We do not expect anything to go wrong while you are in placement, with our research and the AYIAG support network in place to ensure your trip is as successful as possible. However, should something go wrong, you will have coordinators both from AYIAG and from your host organisation who are contactable 24 hours a day. Before arrival you will be provided with an orientation package including mobile telephone contact details for your AYIAG co-ordinator, and for your nominated liaison within your host organisation. These people can be contacted 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to answer any queries or discuss concerns. You will have regular ‘health check’ visits at the start of your placement, you will also be visited by your AYIAG co-ordinator where any concerns can be discussed. The orientation package will also include contact details for the nearest 24-hour emergency health care to your placement. It is essential that you have fully comprehensive health insurance and we would highly recommend that you bring a basic first aid kit with you. HealthWe advise you to contact your doctor 4-8 weeks before departure to consult on which vaccinations and boosters you will need for Ghana. Courses or boosters usually advised: diphtheria; tetanus; poliomyelitis; hepatitis A; typhoid; yellow fever.
Vaccines sometimes advised: hepatitis B; rabies; tuberculosis; meningococcal meningitis; cholera For more information on travel health issues to Ghana please visit Fit For Travel. Here are our six golden rules on how to avoid being bitten and more importantly avoid getting malaria: - Visit your doctor 4–6 weeks before travel for an anti malarial drug. (There are no vaccines against malaria.)
- Take your anti malarial drug exactly on schedule without missing doses.
- Apply insect repellent to prevent mosquito and other insect bites. Your insect repellent should contain DEET as its active ingredient. To prevent malaria, apply insect repellent if out of doors between dusk and dawn when the mosquito that transmits malaria is biting.
- Wear long pants, long-sleeved clothing and socks (our managing director swears by socks!)
- Sleep under a mosquito bed net (preferably one that has been treated with DEET).
- Spray your bedroom 30 minutes before you sleep with Raid (easily available in Ghana).
WHAT IS A VOLUNTARY WORK?
Voluntary works are community-building projects in which both Ghanaians and international volunteers come together to build a school, teach in deprive schools ,organize an HIV/AIDS awareness campaign, help replenish the local rainforest, or work on similar such projects. Volunteers live and learn together in simple conditions. They work voluntarily, mainly by manual labor, for the benefit of the community. ARE VOLUNTARY WORKS ORGANIZED THROUGHOUT THE YEAR? Yes, every week, month and throughout the years. The work starts at the beginning of every month and ends at the end of every month. We also have workcamps which starts from the second week of December to the end of January.
WHAT KIND OF WORK DO THE VOLUNTEERS DO?
AYIAG organizes a variety of projects, including the construction of primary or secondary schools, roads, hospitals, pear education, Teaching and work at the orphanage homes, as well as reforestation, cocoa plantation, literacy projects, community development, oil palm production, and AIDS awareness campaigns. The function of a volunteer, however, is not to do the work for the various communities, but rather to assist them in "helping themselves" by working with them on the projects.
WHAT HAPPENS AFTER WORK?
Volunteers work about 7 hours per day from Monday to Friday, with occasional work being done on Saturdays. The work is usually done before 1 o'clock, so that afternoons are free for various trips, dancing, sports, or other leisure activities. In the evenings, each VOLUNTEER may arrange its own program of leisure activities, including discussions, Ghanaian dances, games, and African singing. Some evenings each week are also left free. On some weekends, excursions are also planned to various local attractions, including Kakum National Park (a rainforest with Africa's only canopy walkway), Kumasi (the capital of the Ashanti kingdom), and various beaches. HOW LONG DO THE VOLUNTARY WORK LAST?
The camps vary in length from around 3 to 4 weeks. Volunteers are encouraged to stay for duration of the work, and most usually do. However, the minimum requirement for volunteers is 7 days. There are also a few weekend activities, in which only 1 or 2 days are spent working. WHO COMES TO THE VOLUNTARY WORKS PLACES?
The background of the volunteers varies from place to place, but the percentages are usually about 40% Ghanaian and 60% international. This includes European, American, Nigerian, Canadian, Japanese Australians and other volunteers. In terms of professional background, many are students , nurses, doctors, engineers and teachers, but the works are certainly not limited to volunteers of these professions.
WHAT QUALIFICATIONS ARE NECESSARY TO BECOME A VOLUNTEER?
Volunteers should be at least 16 years of age, in good health, willing to work at manual, unskilled jobs, and willing to live with others in simple living conditions. Other than these modest requirements, there are no other qualifications necessary to become a VOLUNTEER.
HOW IS PERSONAL SAFETY IN GHANA?
Despite numerous political problems in other West African countries, Ghana is a very safe country. Crime rate is much lower than in other African states, and indeed much lower than in many western countries. Ghanaians are also very friendly toward foreigners, and treat them as welcome guests in their country. Many people will greet you throughout Ghana with the phrase "Akwaaba" - meaning welcome in Twi, the most commonly spoken local language.
WHAT IMMUNIZATIONS DO I NEED BEFORE GOING TO GHANA?
There is one required immunization to come to Ghana. This is against yellow fever, and you will be checked at Kotoko airport to make sure you have had this before entering Ghana. Other than this, it is recommended to get several other immunizations/vaccines, including Hepatitis A + B, typhoid/typhus, meningitis, rabies, and tetanus-diphtheria. There is no vaccine against malaria, which is quite common in Ghana. Therefore certain medicines are recommended against this disease. For further information on these and other health travel guidelines, link to the following website:
U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC)
WHERE CAN I FIND OUT MORE ABOUT GHANA?
There are several books about Ghana in different languages. Some good guides in English include: Guide to Ghana by Philip Briggs (BRADT Publications), Lonely Planet West Africa, Ghana by Patricia Levy, and African Spirituality: On Becoming Ancestors by Anthony Ephirim-Donkor. You might also want to think about reading a Ghanaian novel. A highly popular and recommended one is Changes by Ama Ata Aidoo. Twi is the most commonly spoken language, so it might also be a good idea to buy a Twi dictionary or a Learning Twi book before you come. You can find these books at your local library or bookstore or from amazon.com.
Websites are also good to consult. Some in-depth guides are: Africa Point, Lonely Planet, Studyabroad.com, Africa Online, and The Ghana Information Site,
You should also look at the map of Ghana on our website: Map of Ghana. Interestingly the organization will send some common and basic local language and their meanings in English to you before you arrive in Ghana.
HOW DOES AYIAG WORK WITH OTHER INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS?
AYIAG is connected with several international bodies. It cooperates with the UNESCO Coordinating Committee for International Voluntary Service (CCIVS). Volunteer international ,Go Abroad, volunteer abroad, project project. AYIAG also works with Volunteers for Peace, International Year of Volunteers, and many other internationally renowned voluntary organizations. Volunteers are exchanged between AFRICA YOUTH IN ACTION and other organizations in Europe, North America, and Africa.
WHAT WILL I GET OUT OF MY VOLUNTARY EXPERIENCE?
The answer to this question, of course, depends on how much you put in. If you enter fully into the work and make an effort to understand and make friends with the volunteers from many other cultures, you will have an interesting and enjoyable experience. You will make friends from countries all over the world, you will learn to do work you have never done before, you will learn important organizational and management skills, you will be introduced to a completely different part of the world, and you will learn about different cultures. More than all of this, you will have the satisfaction of having worked with others on a project to help a community in need THUS SERVICE TO HUMANITY
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