Projects Abroad Volunteer Programs in Ghana

My time with WildLife ACT was incredible, and beyond what I was hoping for. We woke up early every day to head out and track the painted dogs in the back of our open 4x4, and spent the mornings trying to find them to monitor their health and numbers. We discovered quickly how important this was, as our dogs were dening in a highly poached area and could have easily been caught in snares. Two of the dogs had already lost a leg to snares, and it is thanks to the monitors and volunteers vigilant efforts that their lives were saved. In my time in the iMfolozi reserve, the volunteers captured a photo of a snared dog that would have gone unnoticed otherwise, and we were able to make a successful ID. I definitely think that the extra sets of eyes, cameras, and helping hands the volunteers provide is crucial to the conservation efforts at hand.

The experience was also made more incredible by the phenomenal staff at WildLife ACT. I spent my time with 3 different monitors, all of whom were amazing. They all have so much knowledge of the area, the animals, the vegetation, and tracking. I learned so much in my 4 weeks thanks to them. They made sure we were all well versed on bush safety, and while they were able to get us extremely close to the wildlife, there was never a time I felt unsafe or worried. We also had a great time relaxing with the monitors on our breaks or at night, having fires, playing cards, or cooking delicious meals together.

Going to Africa was a dream of mine for many years, and choosing WildLife ACT was a great decision. I had so much fun with both the people and the animals, and I was so happy to be a part of the conservation efforts. Though the mornings were cold, the water sometimes stopped running, and my clothes were never fully clean, I would not change a single thing about my trip. If you enjoy nature, animals, and are looking for a truly unforgettable experience, this is the place to go!

It is important to note that I was one of the first participants of this program, so I'm sure it has matured since my participation.

I was fortunate enough to travel to Ghana to volunteer under the HIV/AIDS program offered by Projects Abroad. I wasn't fully sure what to expect, but hoped that I would get a thorough understanding of the virus, treatments, and its social, cultural, economic, and personal impact on the people of Ghana. The Projects Abroad staff helped deliver in most of these arenas and exceeded expectations in others.

My one month placement brought me to the Police Hospital in Accra where we were to be rotating through different departments, such as the lab, pre-natal care, counseling, and the anti-retro treatment team. The lab exceeded expectations as the staff was very open to sharing as much info as they could while still managing the lab operations. However, that rotation carried on a bit too long considering my short timeline here. Same thing with the pre-natal care; it took about 2 days to cover the material and truly see everything the department had to offer- yet I was scheduled a week in the dept. Moving to the counseling team, I felt as though I was not taken very seriously by the hospital staff- my general curiosity about the impact of the virus was taken as being a "nosey" individual and was shunned. I had words with the program staff about this and they worked their best to accomodate... in the end, they ended up looking to other hospitals for the experience. I think that says something about their commitment to the program's success. All in all, I'm glad I participated in this program, but hope they can work the kinks out and offer the flexibilty of transferring departments when you've maxed out on your experience.

As for the social aspect of Projects Abroad, it was fantastic and exceeded expectations. The staff is fully committed to making your experience a safe and memorable one and I felt that the social aspect of the trip was the best part.

Having volunteered with other companies out there, the best thing Projects Abroad has to offer is the number of other volunteers out there. Chances are if you are in or near a big city, there are many volunteers around you and it is a fantastic social opportunity. However, it is easy to then shift your focus from the volunteering to just socializing... but that's a personal issue. I would highly recommend Projects Abroad, especially if you are looking for a social volunteering experience. If you are truly looking to go make a solid impact and change the world, commit yourself to the cause when abroad... but I warn it is hard to ignore the fun.

I spent 3 months living in Koforidua and working at the local hospital, and can without a doubt look back at this time as the best 3 months of my life. The work at the hospital was challenging, and so different from anything I would be allowed to experience back home, but I definetly learned a lot. Besides that I lived with the best hostfamily, u can possible imagine, and they definetly made me feel like part of the family. And meeting all the other volunteers and traveling all around Ghana with them, is something I will always remember. Furthermore I have to mention that the local staff was the best, they quickly became your friends and would do anything for their volunteers as well as being available 24 hours/day. Definetly a country I can recommend to anyone.

This was an amazing experience. You meet great friends all over the world and get a better understanding of not only the west african culture but the culture of many different countries as well. Throughout the week you will go to your placement with weekends off, which gives you a great opportunity to travel around the country and see more of the sights.

Going with a program gives you the security to live in a forign country, I personally was very glad that I did not try to travel there myself as the customs are very different and the culture takes some getting used to.

As for the work placement its self the work is very challenging but rewarding. I worked in a care placement in the orphanage and found the children difficult because they are not used to time outs and the only form of punishment that they recieve is the cane. That being said this is the custom in Ghana and although it took some getting used to we showed the teachers different ways of discipline and convinced them to be open to other methods. The children are fun and great to work with, many people think that they will volunteer and "Change Africa" but as a volunteer you need to understand that the rewards come from teaching one child on one day to say please and thank you, or helping a child with their math homework and watching them get excited because they got the answer right. As a single volunteer in Ghana you will not make a world of difference, or change the whole country, but you are the buliding blocks that collectivly over time will help to change the country.

Going to Ghana after high school was probably the best decision that I could make for myself. It was beautiful and great fun, and opened my eyes to all of the different opportunities that the world has to offer.

My time teaching in Cape Coast, Ghana was a wonderful experience. The Projects Abroad staff were always available and extremely helpful. For example, I got sick during my first week and they immediately brought me a doctor and took care of contacting my placement. When I did start volunteering, it was at a wonderful school close to where I was living. Teaching the children was an exciting challenge and the Projects Abroad office had some great resources for me to use in my lessons. They also had weekly events to put me in touch with other volunteers and I made a bunch of great friends who were always up for traveling on the weekend. Overall, Cape Coast was a lovely city where I always felt safe and was greeted by people. My only regret was that I didn't stay longer!

My placement with Projects Aborad was at Central Regional Hospital in Cape Coast and my first day was awesome. I got the tour around the hospital like everyone does. The fun part of my day happened when we got to the operating room during my tour. I got sucked in with some medical school students and got to watch an appendectomy! The surgeon was a Bulgarian doctor who has been in Ghana for more than 4 years. He explained everything about the procedure and let me come in close to see the perforation of the appendix. That was my first day and it just got better from there.

I was in Ghana for a total of 4 months and I chose to spend most of my time in the Surgery Department. A doctor on ward duty basically had to stay in the surgical wards and do anything that was needed from putting in catheters and NG tubes to washing burn victims. This is when I got my most hands-on experience because less people were around. I got to do many awesome things, as odd as some of it may sound. I helped bath burn victims, dressed wounds, gave a rectal exam, put in IV lines, drew blood for analysis, and assisted in a minor surgical procedure. For example, one time a doctor that was supposed to assist could not be reached so Dr. C asked the nurse to get me a gown and gloves. We had to put in a suprapubic catheter into an old man who had an obstruction that wasn’t allowing him to release the urine from his bladder. He was too old to have an operation so they decided to put a catheter directly into his bladder through the abdomen. Dr. C made a small incision and then clamped the catheter tube with a forcep. He handed it to me and told me to push down as hard as I can until I felt a rip. Skeptical, but definitely willing, I did as I was told. I pushed and urine began to flow out through the tube and into the bag, much to Dr. C’s satisfaction. He showed me how to do a proper stitch then allowed me to do the remaining few stitches. This was probably the most hands-on, doctor-like experience I had while I was in Ghana and it definitely confirmed my desires to go into surgery.

Aside from the hospital, I also went on medical outreaches to villages and schools about once a week. We provided minor health services by treating ringworm, small infections, cuts and wounds, etc. This weekly experience helped me to apply a lot of the things I learned while at the hospital, and one weekend, a bunch of volunteers went to a rural village in Assin Praso to have our own one-day health clinic where almost 200 village people came.

Every week I also got a chance to do something outside of the medical-related area. On Tuesdays we took the kids from New Life Orphanage to Han’s Cottage to swim in the pool and see crocodiles in the nearby lake. They were the sweetest kids ever and they even gave me a tearful goodbye ceremony on my last day with drumming, dancing, poem-reading, and singing.

Needless to say, my experience in Ghana is one that can’t be fully expressed in mere words. All I can say is that I gained so much from this trip. Educationally, I learned a tremendous amount about medicine and the practice of human care. However, my gains were not limited to the educational benefits, because I also created so many memories that have changed me in some way through the different people, culture, and ideas that really defined my experience and every time I think back to my time in Ghana, that’s what I remember. And I thank Projects Abroad for giving me that experience.

This was a great experience meeting other volunteers with the same goals, to help the people. My day to do was go to work at the hospital for 3-4 hours then we have the rest of the day to go to the bead market, do laundry, local bar, or just visit shops or the people. It was so great, food was delicious and my host family was great.

Most amazing trip of my life. I learned so much and it gave me a new perspective on the world. going with projects abroad is a must! The staff was very friendly and i felt safe the whole time. An experiance that i will never forget