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Agape Volunteers, 36 Westaway Heights, Barnstaple, Devon, United Kingdom, EX31 1NY

08450 519 8469 www.agape-volunteers.com [email protected]

volunteeringin Ghana

0845 519 8469www.agape-volunteers.com [email protected]

the agape volunteer information book

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Dear Volunteer,

Thank you for your interest in Agape Volunteers! This booklet provides all the information you need about

volunteering with us in Ghana. We hope to make you feel completely comfortable with your volunteering

experience, prepare you for your orientation and minimise any culture shock on arrival. If you have any

questions that are not addressed in this booklet please email us on [email protected].

Guillaume Lefevre

CEO and founder, Agape Volunteers

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If you have not already done so, the first step in the booking process is to fill out a

registration form on our website. We will process your application, check if there is space

on your chosen programme and send you a welcome letter, usually within 24 hours. You

will be assigned a personal trip advisor who will answer any remaining questions you might

have and guide you through every step of your preparation.

We do not charge a registration fee, and we will ask you to pay your programme fee to

secure your space on your chosen placement. You will be directed to our online payment

site, which is powered and secured by PayPal, and your payment will be confirmed as

soon as possible. All of your payments are refundable up to 30 days before you travel,

minus a small transfer charge, so you can make sure you are completely happy with your

arrangements. After this date, your fee will have been

distributed to your host family in order for them to provideyour food and accommodation.

Once you receive your payment confirmation email, your

trip advisor will provide you with details about your host

family, the address of your placement and the names of any

other volunteers you will be working with. They will help you book flights, arrange a safari

or any other trips you might want to take, and support you in your preparation. Your trip

advisor will ask you for your airline details, arrival time, flight number and other journey

information, to arrange someone to pick you up from the airport. They will also send you

information about acquiring a visa in Accra Kotoka, which normally costs about 20. You

will also receive a list of emergency contact numbers and a final email wishing you the

best of luck!

the booking processyou can complete the online booking form & you

will usuallly get a responce within 24 hours.

you will be assigned apersonal trip advisor

who will answer any of

your questions

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A member of Agape staff will be there to collect you as soon as you arrive, and it is likely that

there will be other volunteers with you on your flight. If your placement is in the city, you will be

taken straight to your host family to begin settling in. If you will be volunteering further afield,

you may spend the first night in the city

before continuing your journey the next day.

Your first day will be an orientation day. This

is very important to ensure a smooth start to

your volunteering experience, and you will

be given key information about the area you

are working in, receive guidance on safety

during your project, and be briefed on any

house rules whilst living with your host family.You will meet the staff responsible for you

whilst volunteering, discuss your goals and

aims for your trip, and get to know the other

volunteers you will be working with.

your arrivalyou will meet the staff responsible for you whilst

volunteering, discuss your goals and aims for your trip,

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You will be living in volunteer groups of between 4 and 8 in homes near your placement.

Your host family will provide bunk beds, a mattress, pillows and usually a mosquito net, but

you should bring your own sleeping bag. In line with the Christian values in most Ghanian

households, all rooms are single-sex. If you wish to

volunteer as a couple, please inform your trip advisor and

they will be able to make the necessary arrangements.

All of our home-stays have electricity but very few have

running water, instead using drainage pipes and water tanks

stored inside the house. It is unlikely that you will be able

to shower as often as you are used to, so please be prepared for this! Your family may also

have certain house rules, such as not leaving the house after dark, which are in place for your

safety. Please respect their concern, as your wellbeing is of the utmost importance. You will beliving closely with other volunteers and family members, so please be understanding of their

needs.

Most of our home stays have a vibrant evening atmosphere that means you will never be short

of entertainment! There will often be games and activities, including African poker, a particular

favourite of the Agape staff. There will be singing and dancing and playing with the children of

the family, and the local people will always be keen to talk with you about your life at home.

food:

Breakfast and dinner will be provided for you with your host family. Breakfast will be bread,butter, jam, eggs and chai, a type of African tea. Ghanian food often has an Indian influence,

and dinner consists of rice, beans, mixed vegetables, chapatis, ugali and stewed meat. You

are encouraged to try out the local vendors and stalls near your placement for lunch; they

provide food very cheaply and you will be promoting Agapes support for the community, as

well as having the opportunity to sample local cooking. However, your host mum will provide

you with a packed lunch if you prefer. You will get the chance to practise authentic Ghanian

cooking for yourself, with traditional ingredients and utensils. It is recommended that you drink

only bottled water during your stay, which is available in most shops. If you have any special

dietary requirements, do let us know and your host family will be informed.

accommodationyou will be living in volunteer groups of between

4 and 8 in homes near your placement.

You will be living

closely with other

volunteers and

family members

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African schools teach on Saturdays, and although this is optional for teaching volunteers,

it usually involves lots of games rather than serious lessons. Even volunteers who are not

teaching find it enjoyable and worth attending at least once. Families traditionally attend church

on Sundays and this is optional for volunteers, although you may find your host family ask

you to try it. Weekends are also times for volunteers to pursue their own activities. You can

work with the street children of Mansek, or

take part in hiking or sports trips. You are

welcome to visit the other volunteers and

there is plenty to see and do across the city.

Your host family will give you advice about

the best places to visit and how to get there.

Sports are very popular at the weekend,with huge varieties of sports played in the

different communities. You are welcome to

bring your own equipment and teach new

sports to the children in the community, but

any participation is greatly appreciated!

weekendsweekends are available for volunteers to

pursue their own activities.

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Many of our volunteers, especially those on extended stays, choose to take a longer trip

during their time in Ghana. You will receive more detailed information on this when you sign up

to a project and again when you reach your host family. However, some suggestions are listed

here to enable you to budget effectively.

There are plenty of optional extras you can choose to include in your trip. At the weekends,

you can get involved with lots of activities taking place in and around the city. Teaching at

Saturday school is optional for volunteers, and usually

involves lots of games rather than serious lessons. You

can spend the weekends working with the street children

of Mansek, or at a local orphanage. Your host family will

also have good recommendations for places you can visit.

Most families will attend church on Sundays, and whilst thisis optional, they may invite you to try it. Most of our volunteers also choose to take a safari,

which is an unparalleled experience in some of Africas most beautiful parks. It is available

to our volunteers at a reduced rate from the tourist prices. The town of Takoradi, where you

will be placed is a lively, bustling yet laid back town. The market circle is always heaving and

definitely something that needs to be experienced. From Takoradi it is easy to travel to good

beaches such as The Green Turtle or to the Elmina and Cape Coast Forts.

longer tripsmany of our volunteers, choose to take a longer

trip during their time in Ghana,

As a volunteer you are

entitled to reduced

rates on safaris

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We strongly recommend that you seek medical advice before your placement begins, to make

sure you receive all the correct vaccinations. Your doctor will be able to give you personal

advice about the extra immunisations you may require, but the vaccinations we

recommend are:

malaria

We strongly recommend taking a course of anti-malaria tablets during your placement.

Malarone is the most popular form of treatment thanks to the limited side effects, which

can be minimised further by taking the drug with food or milky drinks. Other options such

as Doxycycline or Proguanil are also widely available. Please bear in mind that Ghana is

a chloroquine-resistant malaria zone. It is important that you remember to continue your

medication after you return home to cover the incubation period of the disease.

As with all diseases you may encounter, prevention is extremely important. Please bring astrong insect repellent and a good-quality mosquito net, and your chances of becoming ill will

be greatly reduced. Again, we recommend that you speak with your doctor before travelling to

arrange prevention and treatment specific to your requirements.

your preparationswe strongly recommend that you seek medical

advice before your placement begins

Yellow Fever

mandatory

Tuberculosis

Hepatitis A

Hepatitis B

Typhoid

Tetanus

Meningitis

strongly recommend

Cholera

Rabies

recommended

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During your orientation you will be made familiar with our safety procedures, and our in-

country staff will always be on hand to give you guidance and make sure no major issues

occur. However, we have included a section on safety to acquaint you with scenarios which

might arise and ensure you are as well-prepared as possible for life in Africa.

In general, we advise that no volunteer should be out

alone after dark, and that volunteers should stay indoors

after 9pm. Exceptions are made when volunteers are

with Agape or project staff. Africans are friendly people

by nature, especially towards volunteers who are helping

their community. People might stop you and say hello,

and it is polite to respond, but they will understand if you

are busy and cant chat for long. However, a stereotype

of westerners and volunteers is that they are rich, and it isbest to apologise and leave if you are asked for money. Giving money outside established

programmes can be counterproductive and even dangerous as it may draw unwanted

attention to you. Never agree to visit a strangers home.

Many children live on the streets around all our placement areas. There are enough projects

in circulation to cater for nearly all street children. Begging children are often already enrolled

in a support program, or they may have made the decision not to enter care if they do not like

regimented regime. Giving money only encourages this. We understand it can be difficult to

refuse a child help, but if you are concerned, make a note of where they were and tell your

host family.

safetya section on safety to acquaint you with scenarios which

might arise and ensure you are well-prepared

Africans are friendly

people by nature,

especially towards

volunteers who

are helping their

community.

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Transport in Ghana is also very different from western transport systems. Matatus are the

most common form of African transport, and are a cross between a minibus and a taxi. They

are often pimped, with neon lights, TV screens and speakers, and they are a cheap and

entertaining way to travel. A 5 mile journey will cost around 20p. However, due to the cramped

conditions there is a risk of pickpocketing. Never take any valuables or large amounts of

money with you on one.

HIV is also a risk, particularly for volunteers working on medical related placements. HIV can

spread through an exchange of bodily fluid, through unprotected sex, sharing needles or

exposing an open wound to another persons blood, among other routes. To avoid infection,

always wear gloves when dealing with blood injuries, even if you have no cuts yourself. Further

precautions are discussed in orientation.

Support during your placement and emergency measures

Agape Volunteers has a 100% safety record and we have every intention to keep this intact.

In order to achieve this we provide you with huge amounts of support both before, during

and after your stay. It all starts with this very booklet which is geared towards preparing you

as much as is possible for your stay in Africa. The use of personal trip advisers means that

whenever you contact Agape, you always talk to the same person, who knows you and any

special needs or requests you have. Once in Africa the orientation we provide you with then

prepares you fully for your stay and we cover safety in much greater detail at this point, once

we are able to demonstrate some of the things that we must warn you about. Fully qualified

members of Agapes team conduct all transport around Africa and there will be at least two

members of staff with you on airport trips and long journeys. If you wish to be escorted from

your home-stay to your placement, we can make arrangements for this to happen for as long

as you wish. All of our home-stays are compound based and are guarded at night.

safety cont.Matatus are the most common form of African transport,

and are a cross between a minibus and a taxi.

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Should you fall ill during your stay, you must ensure that your travel insurance; that is

mandatory with Agape Volunteers, covers all medical expenses. We will take you to a doctor

or a hospital if you require this and make every effort to assist your recovery. Should you have

to return home early, in accordance with our terms and conditions, we cannot be liable for

your extra travel costs, however, we will support you as much as possible both from the UK

and Africa to get your flight changed as soon as is possible.

We do not envisage ever having to deal with a situation where all volunteers must leave

a country. However, it would be naive of us to make contingency plans for this. On the

volunteering policy that you fill out before you leave, we collect contact information and

passport details. This allows us to make embassy contact in the event of any emergency. Rest

assured full contingency plans are in place for any evacuation procedure, if you wish to view

these, please contact Guillaume Lefevre on [email protected].

safety cont.Should you fall ill during your stay, you must ensure that

your travel insurance; that is mandatory with Agape

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Many of our volunteers fundraise before they leave for Africa, either to fund their trip or

to donate to a project they feel is particularly worthwhile. Agape supports both of these

processes and we are happy to help where we can. If you would like any further information or

fundraising ideas please contact [email protected].

fundraisingvolunteers often fundraise to either fund their trip or to

donate to a project they feel is particularly worthwhile.

kit listbelow is a receommended kit list for all volunteers to

pack for there trip to Ghana

Sleeping bag

Mosquito net

Clothing

T -shirts

Shorts

Lightweight trousers and tops

Jumper and jeans for evenings

Sports clothing

Smart clothes for church

Trainers

Sandals

Day shoes

Hat

Plenty of underwear

Towel

Toiletries

Medicines

Malaria tablets

Immodium

Aspirin

Ibuprofen/Paracetamol

Any other medication

First aid kit

Insect repellent

Water bottle

Cards and games

Penknife

Music

Books

Teaching aids (if required)

Sports equipment (if required)

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In Ghana, most volunteers find around 30 a week sufficient for spending money. You should

leave around 5 a week to buy drinking water when you are out and about, and the same

again for a weeks worth of lunches, if you want to buy from vendors. Matatu rides cost around

10 pence a trip and are not a major expense. You may wish to bring money for gifts and

shopping in markets.

your departure

Your transport back to the airport is covered by your program fee. If you inform your host

family of your flight time they will arrange your transport with one of the drivers. As with all air

travel, it is a good idea to leave an extra 2 hours before your flight departs.

Accra Kotoka airport sometimes practises departure tax, whereby departing passengers are

subject to a 20 fee before leaving the country. Most airlines include this in your return ticket

price. You can check this with your airline in advance or have a spare 20 just in case.It is polite to give your host family a small gift before you leave, and many volunteers like to

bring something from their own country so it is more personal. Another option is to ask your

family if there is anything they need whilst you are there and then buy a gift locally.

spending moneyin Ghana, most volunteers find around 30 a week

sufficient for spending money

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teaching - typical day

School starts at 9am with an assembly and prayers, and then you will usually teach two

lessons before morning break at 11am. During breaks, youll be helping the teachers serve

porridge and joining in with the childrens games. At 12 you will teach one more lesson before

lunch.

Lunch runs from 1pm until 2pm, and again you might be asked to help serve the childrens

lunch before heading out to meet other volunteers for your own lunch. Children tend to be

harder to teach in the afternoons, so afternoon lessons from 2pm until 4pm are used for PE

and games up to three times a week.

After school you can choose to help out with sports practices or continue the childrens

games, and this is often the most rewarding part of the day. Dinner is usually at about 7pmback with your host family, before games among the volunteers and then bed around 10pm.

teaching - project advice

You will be placed in a primary school which teaches children aged between 2 and 14 years.

The curriculum is therefore quite straightforward, but all children sit state exams which check

the progress of both the pupils and the school as a whole. You will be teaching classes such

as English, Maths, Science, Religion, Social Studies and Games. A local teacher will teach the

pupils first language, but if you learn a few basic phrases to use (included in this booklet) then

the children will respond to you very quickly and respect you as a teacher.

appendix: teaching specific infobelow you will find specific information related to the

programmes run in Ghana

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Games are a fantastic way to teach children of all ages. Word games such as hangman

have proved particular favourites in the past, as they develop the childrens spelling and

concentration. These games can be quite challenging in a second language, so giving the

children words to guess from a particular theme is often helpful. Dictation is a very effective

if slightly less engaging method of teaching which significantly aids the development of the

childrens English. Hearing a native voice is the best way for them to learn how words are

pronounced and sentences are structured. In Maths, you can try teaching the times tables

in competition format, with sweets as prizes. Dont be afraid to use your imagination and

initiative when teaching; the more exciting you can make your classes, the more information

your pupils will retain. If you are volunteering for a while, you can make your classroom your

own by getting the children to make posters and decorating the room with their work. During

your orientation you will receive much more detailed advice on how and what to teach, so

dont worry if you feel underprepared at this stage.

appendix teaching cont.below you will find specific information related to the


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appendix orphanage specific infobelow you will find specific information related to the


typical day

In the morning, your duties will be based around the school, making sure the orphans who

attend school elsewhere are there on time. Then you will be assisting with morning lessons,

which begin at 9am. At 11am, you will be handing out porridge for break time, as well as

playing with the children. At 12 you can either return to the classroom, or help prepare lunch.

Lunch runs from 1pm until 2pm, and after serving the orphans, you are free to meet the other

volunteers. In the afternoon, youll be looking after the younger children in the orphanage,

reading stories, playing games and watching over naptime. At around 4pm the older orphans

will begin to return from school, and youll be helping them with homework, cooking dinner

and assisting with other chores. They might also go to sports practices or to meet friends, and

the volunteers are encouraged to go along. Dinner is usually at about 7pm back with your host

family, before games with the other volunteers and then bed around 10pm.

project advice

Your teaching-based duties will be very similar to those described in the teaching placement

supplement, so you might find those suggestions about this aspect of your work useful for

planning lessons and ordering your ideas. As with all placements, learning a little Kiswahili will

quickly gain you the respect of the children you are working with. Aside from teaching, the

most valuable work you do will simply be spending time with the orphans, playing with them,

helping with homework and getting to know them. Forming friendships and helping to foster

a sense of family and community is hugely beneficial, as it is something that many of these

children will have lacked throughout their lives. As well as spending time with the children on

an informal basis, you may also be asked to organise games or other evening activities. You

will also be carrying out more practical work including cooking, cleaning and other domestic

chores, so plenty of enthusiasm and energy is a must!

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appendix music specific infobelow you will find specific information related to the


Volunteering in the music programme in Ghana focuses around the Mansek region of the

country. This music service in Mansek started ten years ago as a very small music school

teaching students of all ages to play organ for their church. They paid for the lessons but they

hoped to be able to earn money playing for their church services.) The lessons were given

on half a dozen old keyboards using enthusiasm and very outdated books, this continued

for many years until Agape became involved in 2011. In order to volunteer in the music

programme you must be competent on your instrument and also confident with making

music. You must also have a good understanding of musical theory as this will be essential

for teaching and some score knowledge would be very useful indeed. As with all teaching

programmes, no teaching experience is necessary, as long as you are enthusiastic and willing

to learn then you will be fine.

As a music volunteer you will be responsible taking music lessons to children of all ages inthe local community. You will work out of a set school, however, as the Mansek music service

is a community project, the children will come from all over the region. The children will be

of all abilities but extremely enthusiastic to learn. The instrument that you play is not hugely

important, however, it is essential that you bring it with you. Your lessons will vary between

one to one tuition for children who are experienced with music to more general classes for

younger children who may be being introduced to playing music for the first time. You must

also be prepared to teach some non-musical classes as well, as music must fit around the rest

of the curriculum, for details on this please go to the teaching section of this website.

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appendix medical specific infobelow you will find specific information related to the

programmes run in Kenya

typical day

Your day will begin at the clinic at 9am. After discussing the day ahead with the local staff,

you will be assisting with rounds, assessing new patients and checking the conditions of the

overnight patients. Any treatment will be done by the local doctors or under their supervision

at first, but as you progress you will increasingly be allowed to work unaccompanied.

After getting lunch with the other volunteers, you may be asked to assist on major procedures

which take place in the afternoon. It is unlikely that you will play a major role in these, but if a

doctor thinks you are capable, he will ask for your help.

The clinics usually close around 5pm, and medical volunteers usually either help out with

games at another Agape project or return to their host families. Dinner is at about 7pm, before

games with the other volunteers and then bed around 10pm. If you are assisting with a birth,these shifts will usually start at around 9pm.

project advice

Medicine is practised very differently in Kenya from westernised countries. No matter what

your level of experience is, you will spend your first few days shadowing an African duty

doctor and learning African techniques, before gaining the confidence to practise on your own.

You will not be asked to perform any procedure you do not feel comfortable with. Observing

the techniques closely will be invaluable, and please do not hesitate to ask if you need

something repeated. If you are asked to assist with surgery or with a birth, then do take it as

a compliment! Despite the physical and emotional effort involved, it is an incredibly rewarding

and valuable experience.

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Ghana (1)