Short Term Community Development Internship In Ghana
Short Term Community Development Internship In Ghana
Gain invaluable skills related to intercultural competency, advanced communication and leadership, to set you apart and boost your resume and career development.
Program Code: GHTM0491NOur Impact
Location
Volunteer in Accra
Program Information
Remote-Working Friendly
Reliable WIFI
Part-Time Options
Core Internship
Travel with ambition and purpose. Make a positive environmental or social impact and gain experience in an impact-focused role or sector.
Other Internship Options
Interested in doing research for your academic studies, or working with in-field partners? View our research internship and career internship for more information.
Core Internship
Travel with ambition and purpose. Make a positive environmental or social impact and gain hands-on, impact-focused experience in the field.
Gain practical experience in the field while receiving support from a supervisor throughout. As a core intern, you’ll take part in project work with local partners while also taking on extra responsibilities on base, giving you opportunities for leadership experience. This means you could lead workshops and surveys or organise fundraising events and beach cleanups, for example.
- Designed for students, new graduates and working professionals
- Get field experience in real-world conservation and community development work
- Gain insight into careers within the sustainable development sector
- Receive direction from an internship supervisor
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Overview
Program details, highlights and videos.
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Dates & Prices
Choose your start dates and durations.
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Life On Base
What's a GVI base really like?
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Covid-19 Response
Read up on the response measures we have in place to keep you safe.
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What's It like?
Search for and chat to alumni who've been there and done it.
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Live Updates
Follow us live on Facebook!
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Arrivals
Information on your airport arrival and pick up.
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Flights
Search for flights via our partner, Student Universe.
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Meet The Team
Our staff introduce themselves on video.
- Your Supervisor
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Your Impact
Our short, mid and long term objectives.
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Our Ethics
Read about GVI's Ten Ethical Commitments.
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Program Ethics
Our ethical practices and policies.
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Training
All the training you'll complete on this program.
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Qualifications
The various qualifications and certificates you'll receive.
- Career Services
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Free time
Where you can explore in your free time and at weekends.
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Cultural Immersion
Immerse yourself in local and cultural practices.
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Parent Info
Information for parents and guardians.
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Support & Safety
GVI's detailed health, safety and support protocols.
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What's Included?
What's included and excluded on this program.
Overview
A typical day on this internship will include working with local community schools with early years students, supporting in the class room, designing extra-curricular activities, or conducting vocational training workshops covering topics like healthcare, gender equality, or professional skills development. From Monday to Friday you will work on the internship projects and weekends are yours to explore the surrounding area or simply relax at base with your fellow interns.Projects are varied and will be decided by assessing the needs on the ground at the time. Typical project activities might include designing and delivering arts and crafts sessions with kindergarten and junior school students, coordinating computing skills workshops with women from the local community, and delivering presentations on professional skills, healthcare, gender equality or international development to community members and GVI partners. All GVI internships are geared at developing your leadership skills and allowing you to develop a variety of key soft and hard skills that will put you a step ahead of the pack.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Contribute towards meaningful and sustainable community development initiatives in West Africa.
- Gain hands-on experience in community education, gender studies or international development to boost your resume.
- Meet participants from across the world, developing your cross cultural skills.
- Explore all that Ghana has to offer, and be immersed in the Ghanaian culture.
Program Details
Flexibility
Payment Plans
Cancellation Waiver
Life On Base
The natural beauty of Kokrobite's golden beach makes it a popular destination for visitors to Ghana. Experience West African culture by visiting the rural suburban areas and traditional fishing communities surrounding the capital city of Accra. Known for its coastal landscapes, palm-strewn beaches, and beautiful rivers, you’ll enjoy breathtaking scenery in a communal environment – sharing a once-in-a-lifetime experience with fellow participants from all over the world, as well as the dedicated GVI team on the ground.
The base is walking distance from the schools GVI is partnered with. It’s easy to be independent in your working day, and you’ll get to know Kokrobite very quickly. Within walking distance of the base you can find local street food. Many team members visit here and buy food in their free time.
Base Tour
Highlights
You’ll live in a guest house that was built to accommodate our participants. With a garden full of colourful flowers and tropical plants, the house is a two-minute walk from the beach, and sits within an attractive walled compound located in a quiet part of Kokrobite. You’ll stay in shared gender-specific dorms (between two and six people per dorm), with en-suite or shared bathroom facilities. There’s also a fully functioning kitchen, office, and outdoor dining/meeting area.
While GVI provides bedding and mosquito nets to cover your bed, you may want to bring a travel mosquito net for weekend travelling. There is unheated, running water available. There is no air conditioning but ceiling fans are fitted. Drinking water is provided by GVI. We have dogs and cats living at the base, so please inform GVI if you have any allergies.
The GVI team provides transfers from Kotoka International airport in Accra to the base. Participants are able to walk the short distance between the base and the project and partner sites. If the distance is further, we provide daily transport. If you’d like to sightsee, visit markets, and enjoy trips and excursions during your free time, you’re welcome to use local taxis. Most participants take one or two weekend excursions per month – alternating between staying in and around Kokrobite and travelling through wider Ghana. This cost is covered by the participant.
While in Ghana, you may find yourself fully engrossed in the program, with little time for long-distance communications with friends and family. Communication can be a little intermittent, so be sure to let your friends and family at home know that you’ll be in touch when possible. While on base, you’ll have daily access to the internet, but power outages can make contact somewhat unreliable. We recommend that you contact your mobile phone operator and subscribe to an international call and data package that will work in Ghana (it can be very difficult to purchase Ghanaian SIM cards).
Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are provided by GVI at the base. Food on our Ghanaian base is a combination of traditional local and international dishes, utilising locally available ingredients that vary throughout the seasons. The base provides a set continental breakfast, lunch and varied dinner that is mostly vegetarian, and combines local Ghanian flavours with staple international classics. Local food is simple, often spicy, and typically consists of fresh fruit, bread, eggs, root vegetables or starchy sourdoughs, served with rice, stews or soup. International dishes include noodles, pastas, salads, wraps and pizza night! Please make GVI aware of any dietary requirements you may have, including food allergies. We can cater to most requirements, although gluten-free options can be limited. During project days, team members help themselves to breakfast and lunch, and all team members take turns to cook dinner and wash the dishes afterwards.
Near the base you’ll find local street food as well as local and international restaurants which you are welcome to enjoy at your own expense. Most dishes range from £2 GBP– £10 GBP ($3 USD–$13 USD).
Ghana enjoys a year-round tropical climate and most of the time it’s hot and humid. During the so-called “rainy season”, which is from April to November, it can rain heavily once or twice per week. Ghana enjoys warm weather and an average of more than five hours of sunshine a day. Average temperatures along the coast are usually in the range of 26ºC – 32ºC (79ºF – 90ºF), but always feel warmer due to the humidity. There are approximately 12 hours of sunlight each day.
Our GVI staff are first-aid trained, and always on hand to assist with any medical concerns. There are community health clinics in Kokrobite, and the nearest emergency medical facilities are around a 15-minute drive from the GVI base.
COVID-19 Safety
Enhanced cleaning and social-distancing measures in place. Learn more.
Covid-19 Response
Health and Hygiene
For over 20 years, GVI has prioritised the health and safety of our staff, participants, partners and local community members. In response to the global COVID-19 pandemic, GVI has created the GVI health and hygiene team to put in place new standards of cleanliness, norms and behaviours that meet or exceed international recommendations to ensure the ongoing safety of GVI’s participants, staff and communities around the world. Internationally recommended practices, such as advice from the World Health Organization (WHO), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the governments Australia, UK and US, continue to be monitored and the standards are likely to change if and when international advice changes.
The work GVI is contributing to across the globe remains important and the following measures allow our participants to continue to join GVI’s programs and continue impacting positively on their world and the communities we work with. The following changes to our existing protocols have been made by the GVI health and hygiene team to strengthen our health and hygiene protocols and ensure that international standard safeguards are in place to protect our participants, staff and host communities.
Essential information you need to travel safely during the COVID-19
pandemic – including destination ratings, flight bookings, and tests.
What's It like?
If you’d like to find out what the experience of joining a GVI project is really like, simply contact us and we’ll put you in touch with one of our many Alumni.
We’ll try to match you to an Alum based on your location, nationality, age, stage of academic career, gender, and program interests. This allows you to gain insights into the experience that is most relevant to you.
Depending on your location you might be able to speak to an Alum over the phone or online, or meet up with them face-to-face at a coffee shop nearby. We also run a series of small events around the world where you can speak to GVI Alumni, Ambassadors and staff members.
Live Updates
Arrivals
When it comes to support, we ensure that each participant is provided with unparalleled, 360 degree support, from your initial contact with the GVI Family, all the way through your program, and even after, as you become part of the GVI Alumni Team.
As part of this promise, we will ensure, whenever possible, that one of our dedicated staff will be available to meet you at the airport. In most locations, we also set up a Whatsapp group to help with managing airport arrivals. We will arrange with you prior to your departure that, should you arrive in the agreed upon pick up window, a member of our staff will be there to welcome you, easily identifiable in a GVI t-shirt or holding a GVI sign and wearing a friendly smile. This means there will be someone there to greet you as you land, and from there you will be transported to your GVI base to start your adventure and meet the rest of your team.
COVID-19 Safety
Please note that the above images were taken pre COVID-19. All airport pick-ups and program operations now run with enhanced cleaning and social-distancing measures in place. Learn more.
Flights
Please note that if you use this service delivered by Student Universe and / or if you buy your ticket through this portal you are agreeing to the Student Universe Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions. Your agreement regarding flights will be between you and Student Universe or as per their terms and conditions.
As GVI is providing this portal as a service we are not responsible for the accuracy of this site.
We are also not responsible for any loss, damage (including loss of profits or consequential damages), injury, illness, harm or death in relation to your flight and travel arrangements.
Essential information you need to travel safely during the COVID-19
pandemic – including destination ratings, flight bookings, and tests.
Meet the team - Senior Field Management
Matt Craig
Program Manager
This is Matt, the Program Manager for GVI’s base in Accra, Ghana. Matt has a vast array of experience in Ghana, having lived there for over 11 years. He considers his beachside village to be his new home, as he is originally from the UK.
Matt completed his Masters Degree in International Development, back in 2008. He has since put it to good work, working with a variety of NGO’s before finding GVI. He loves Ghana, its music, dance, beaches as well as the cats and dogs at the base!
Meet the team - In-Country Staff
Ash
Volunteer Coordinator
Naa
Base Manager
Thom
Volunteer Coordinator
Zen
Project Manager
Your Supervisor
We’re of the belief that internships are learning experiences and that a great supervisor is absolutely essential to the success of any internship program. Our supervisors will assist you in familiarising yourself with your environment and provide the guidance you need to meet your goals and solve problems. They’re remote, so that location and travel restrictions don’t affect us in choosing the supervisor that best suits your needs.
Research Supervisor
If you choose our research internship package, you’ll be assigned an research supervisor. Your research supervisor will provide guidance for you in achieving your data collection and analysis goals. They’ll also help you to navigate the complex challenges of collecting and analysing data within the context of international field research.
Internship Supervisor
When you choose our core internship package, you’ll be assigned an internship supervisor. They’ll help you to navigate day-to-day challenges involved in completing learning and tasks related to your internship program. They’ll provide guidance throughout your internship so that you can get your work done successfully and maximise the benefits of your experience.
Career Supervisor
If you choose our career internship package, you’ll be assigned a career supervisor. Your career supervisor will help you to navigate the professional relationship with the international organisation for which you’ll be completing a project. They’ll also help you to master skills necessary for successfully making the transition from full-time student to full-time employee.
Your Impact
All of our programs have short, mid and long-term objectives that fit with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals or UN SDGs. This enables us to report on our collaborative impact across the world in a streamlined manner, measuring which UN SDGs we are making a substantial contribution to. Furthermore, this will help our local partners and communities measure and visualise their contribution to the UN SDGs.
Prior to your arrival on base, you will be educated about the history of the UN SDGs. Then, once on base you’ll learn about the specific goals of your location, the long-, mid- and short-term objectives, and also clarification of how your personal, shorter-term involvement contributes to these goals on a global level.
Our aim is to educate you on local and global issues, so that you continue to act as active global citizens after your program, helping to fulfil our mission of building a global network of people united by their passion to make a difference.
GVI’s base in Ghana was set up as a result of an invitation to support education, gender equality, and community development programs in the region.
Participants will assist local partners by teaching English to primary and secondary school children or working with gender equality organisations that promote women’s social and economic advancement through educational workshops. Public health also plays a huge role in educating the local community about how simple lifestyle changes can benefit their well-being in the long run.
Our Partners In Accra
Project Objectives
GVI Ghana’s Long-term Objectives:
1. To enrich and improve the extracurricular education and learning environment of early years students at community schools in Ghana.
2. To empower local women to achieve economic independence, flexibility of career paths, and an improved standard of living.
3. To empower women and girls from the local community to achieve an improved standard of health & well being and to become more confident in gender equality issues.
Our Ethics
Below is a list of core ethics and best practices we believe are essential to the operation of high quality, ethical volunteer and sustainable development programs. We believe that all responsible volunteer and sustainable development operations should focus upon these principles. If you are considering volunteering, these are some of the key considerations you should question, to ensure that your time and money contributes towards positive change.
We want to constantly develop our own understanding of ethical best practice. In so doing, we aim to provide an exemplary industry standard for other education institutions, international development organisations, and social enterprises. Our Badge of Ethics stands for the drive to always do good, better. Find out more, click on the Badge below.
Our 10 Ethical Commitments
Locally Driven, Collaborative Projects
We aim to design all our projects in collaboration with local organizations and communities and ensure that they are locally driven.
Clear Objectives & Sustainable Outcomes
We aim to clearly define short-, mid-, and long-term objectives with sustainable outcomes for all our projects.
Impact Reporting
We aim to track, record, and publish the impact of each of our projects.
Working Against Dependency
We aim to build in-country capacity by assisting local organizations in becoming self-sustaining.
Responsible Exit Strategies
For each local organization we work with, we aim to have a plan in place for withdrawing support responsibly.
Clear Roles & Specialized Training
We aim to ensure that every participant is assigned a clear role and that they are fully trained and supported to carry out their work by specialized staff.
Respect for all
In all our actions we aim to respect the skills and efforts of all and seek to protect the rights, culture and dignity of everyone who engages with GVI.
Local Ownership
We work to ensure that credit for the results of any project, along with any data collected, research conducted, or Intellectual Property developed, remains the property of local organizations.
Transitioning from the Orphanage Model
We do not condone and aim to withdraw support of orphanages and residential care centers.
Child and Vulnerable adult policies
We will live by our Child Protection and Vulnerable Adult policies.
Continual Development
As an organization, GVI is committed to striving toward best practice, and to educating both our potential participants, our partners, and the world at large about them. Both the volunteering and sustainable development sectors are increasingly, and rightly, under scrutiny. Many recent local and global articles highlight poor practices and questionable ethics. GVI is widely recognized for striving to apply global best practice in the volunteering, education and sustainable development sectors throughout our operations by reputable organizations such as ChildSafe.
However, global best practice is always evolving and we dedicate both time and resources to engage with internationally respected experts and learn from the latest research to ensure our programs both fulfil their potential to create maximum positive impact, and minimise their potential to create unintentional negative impact. Along with and as part of the sustainable development and volunteering community, we are constantly learning and applying this learning to practice. We do not always get everything right, but we seek feedback from our community members, partners, participants and our staff, and react accordingly. We know are already doing a great job, and feedback we have received confirms this, but we aim to do even better and are continuously refining our operations to improve upon our already excellent reputation.
Program Ethics
NO ORPHANAGE PROGRAMS
We don’t support or allow participants to work in institutional residential care facilities, also known as orphanages. We partner with ReThink Orphanages and Freedom United.
CHILD AND VULNERABLE ADULT PROTECTION POLICY
Our Child and Vulnerable Adult Protection Policy requires all our staff and participants to complete a criminal background check and to learn why you shouldn’t reveal a child’s identifying factors in photographs. We support the ChildSafe Movement.
NO MEDICAL VOLUNTEERING
We don’t offer any programs where our participants engage in medical treatment. This is because our participants aren’t typically qualified to do this work and would therefore not be able to do this work in their home country. Our participants only assist with public health programs.
NO DISABILITY SUPPORT PROGRAMS
We don’t offer any programs where our participants work directly with people with disabilities. This is because our participants aren’t typically qualified to do this work and would therefore not be able to do this work in their home country.
Training
A GVI program is an investment in your career. No matter which you choose, you will be working toward improving your employability by mastering new social skills, gaining further technical expertise and earning qualifications in many cases. Most of our staff are, in fact, GVI Alumni, and we have helped many of our Alumni discover, move toward, and earn their own personal dream jobs. Each program includes introductory workshops, ongoing presentations, as well as on-the-ground professional support provided by our very own trained staff members. In addition, our training programs are critical for helping us to ensure the long-term impact of our sustainable development projects around the world.
For All GVI Participants
Orientation: Your Health, Safety and Wellbeing
Learn about COVID-19 pre-departure guidelines, base expectations, personal and area hygiene practices and what we are doing to keep you safe.
Orientation: Travelling Responsibly and Ethically
Learn about the importance of child and vulnerable adult protection best practices and how to apply them while on project.
Orientation: UN Sustainable Development Goals
Introduction to the history and evolution of sustainable development, the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) and how these related to your project work.
Orientation: Further Opportunities for Impact
Learn about our country locations and further opportunities available to you during or after your program.
For All Participants at Accra
Community: Women’s Empowerment
Community: Human Empowerment
Qualifications
University of Richmond Certificate Careers in Sustainability
Career paths in social and environmental impact are not as well-established as in other fields. That’s why we’ll provide our interns who have successfully completed their program with our Careers in Sustainable Development course. In this course, you’ll learn about current and emerging opportunities in a range of sectors, allowing you to make the best decision about your future.
This online course, valued at £295, is included in all internships. Full course details can be found here.
University of Richmond Certificate Leading Teams for Impact
Leadership is a critical skill set for anyone looking to make an impact or drive sustainable development. Develop your own leadership style and learn how to set achievable objectives, give effective feedback and manage conflict successfully. After successfully completing the course, which you have the option of doing prior to your in-country program, you’ll receive a certificate from the University of Richmond.
This online course, valued at £295, is included in all volunteering programs. Full course details can be found here.
University of Richmond Certificate Community Development
In this course, you’ll explore the most common pitfalls of community development initiatives so that you can avoid them. You’ll also learn how to carry out community development work effectively and ethically and how local context impacts program development. After successfully completing the course, which you have the option of doing prior to your in-country program, you’ll receive a certificate from the University of Richmond.
This online course, valued at £295, is included in all volunteering programs. Full course details can be found here.
References and Recommendations
Professional Reference
Once you’ve successfully completed your internship, you’ll receive a digital professional reference signed by your program manager. It’ll include a description of the topics covered and the experience gained on your program. Add this to your job applications to boost your chances of securing the position of your choice.
LinkedIn Recommendation and Skills Endorsement
This is only included in the research and career internships.
If you’ve fulfilled the requirements of your internship, your supervisor will complete a LinkedIn recommendation for you. This’ll summarise the most impactful points of your professional reference. They’ll also endorse skills they’ve seen you demonstrate during your internship.
Career Services
After successfully completing your internship you’ll have a host of new skills, specialised knowledge and work experience. You’ll also have a professional reference and, possibly, new qualifications. Our post-program career services will help you leverage what you’ve gained throughout your internship to take the next step on your chosen career path.
Careers in Sustainability
Career paths in social and environmental impact are not as well-established as other fields. That’s why we provide all of our interns with a Careers in Sustainable Development course in partnership by the University of Richmond. In this course, you’ll learn about current and emerging opportunities in a range of sectors, allowing you to make the best decision about your future.
This online course is valued at £295 and is included in all internships.
Course details can be found here.
Career Coaching
When you’ve successfully completed your internship, you’ll have the opportunity to schedule two career coaching sessions with one of GVI’s career mentors.
Use these small group sessions to develop your career goals, personal branding and job-hunting strategies.
Preferential Recruitment
At the end of your internship you’ll be added to our list of potential candidates we’ll consider first for GVI vacancies around the world. Stay up-to-date on positions by checking our Careers Abroad jobs portal. Get in touch if you find that fits you perfectly.
Job Portal Access
Once signed up to a GVI Internship, you’ll receive access to our jobs portal listing thousands of vacancies in social and environmental impact roles around the world. Employers range from non-profits to purpose-driven businesses.
Free time
Joining a program not only allows participants to collaborate with communities or work toward preserving unique ecosystems but it also offers plenty of opportunities to explore the surrounding area or travel further to see what other parts of the region have to offer.
Long term field staff are a great source of advice, and have helped us put together the following information on local travel options. Many decide to travel before or after their experience (subject to immigration restrictions), solidifying the lifetime friendships established on program. Please note that the below suggestions are not included in the program fee, and are for the individual to organise at their own expense.
Weekend Trips
ADDA
THE VOLTA REGION
Kakum National Park
For the nature lovers there’s always Kakum National Park, which is home to an abundance of biodiversity and offers a breathtaking canopy walk.
Elmina
Cape Coast Festival
Cape Coast festival (Fetu Afahye) is an experience not to be missed. It is celebrated on the first Saturday of September every year. It is celebrated by the people and chiefs of Cape Coast, with people traveling from all over Ghana, and abroad, to attend.
National Museum and Centre for Cultural Research
Bojo Beach
Makola Market
Further Travels
Fort san Antonio
Mole National Park
Whitewashed Castle
Cultural Immersion
Engaging intimately with a new context teaches not only global awareness but adaptability and critical thinking, skills highly valued in the modern marketplace. Local and cultural immersion is encouraged on all our programs around the world, and is also one of the most enjoyable aspects of your experience. Luckily, there are many activities you can get involved with in your free time, or before and after your program. On our community programs the focus is on cultural topics, while on marine or wildlife programs the emphasis is more on the environmental element. Use your evenings and weekends to explore diverse and eclectic topics like Theravada Buddhism in Laos or how plastic pollution and climate change affects Indian Ocean coral.
Kokrobite immersion
Situated in the Gulf of Guinea of West Africa, Kokrobite is in the central region of south Ghana. The village has a population of roughly 5,000 people. Sandy beaches and palm trees set the scene for this lively village, which is often frequented by tourists and locals wanting to visit the beach. It’s a great place to relax under a beach hut, listening to the sound of lapping waves.Festivals
Traditionally, Kokrobite is a fishing community. More recently Kokrobite has become a tourist destination, known for its beautiful beaches, live music, celebrations and festivals. Ghana is home to 32 festivals each year, contributing to its status as a culturally rich and diverse nation. Homowo is a harvest festival celebrated by the Ga people from the Greater Accra Region of Ghana. Started by the traditional priests, the festival starts in the month of May with the planting of crops before the rainy season. Homowo is greatly celebrated in all the towns in the Ga state, with celebrations climaxing in Gamashie.Cooking
If you’re a foodie, you’re going to love trying some of the local delicacies, including Jollof rice, Fante Kenkey (boiled maize dough), Fufu, Coco-Yam, or even Banku (which is cooked, fermented corn and cassava dough). Come into your program with an open mind and prepare to be exposed to some of the most interesting dishes you can wrap your head around. Enjoy the fresh seafood, spicy Jollof rice, and tropical fruits that are served at the many beachside stalls and restaurants.Language
Participants are able to fully immerse themselves in Ghanaian culture through learning more about the local languages. More than 50 languages are spoken in the region, but don’t worry, English is primarily used in business and day-to-day exchanges. Many local dialects are spoken in Ghana, with Twi and Ga being the most common in the area in which GVI is based.Parent Info
‘If only every student could do this. It changes your life in all the right ways,’ says Chris Heritage, parent of Luke Heritage, one of our teen volunteers who has participated on two GVI programs, one in Costa Rica and another in South Africa.
We are a parent-run organisation that is incredibly serious about health and safety, and increasing the impact, as well as the long-term career benefits of our programs. Our programs help young people develop the skills to select a career path that is personally fulfilling, and live a life aligned to the well-being of our planet and the global community.
Ken and Linda Jeffrey, whose son Sam volunteered with GVI in Thailand, talk about how the experience affected Sam. He also went on to volunteer with GVI again in South Africa. ‘I know it sounds like a cliche but in a sense, he did go away as a boy and he came back as a young man. Both of us could recommend GVI without any hesitation to any other parent thinking about exploring an opportunity for their children to explore the world and to see different parts of it.’
Parent Info Pack
Download the Parent Pack and learn more about:
Our staff: All our projects are run by staff, selected, vetted, trained, and managed by our central office.
Health and safety: Our safety practices include a child and vulnerable adult protection policy and high participant ratios.
Staying in touch: See what’s happening on base, by following a hub’s dedicated Facebook page.
Free parent consultations: We would love to talk to you about exciting opportunities available for your child.
Support & Safety
We won’t sugarcoat it — traveling abroad is usually a complex process that carries an element of risk. But this is exactly why we’re passionate about providing extensive support throughout the process as well as the highest safety standards during the in-country phase. We believe that volunteering abroad should not only be impactful, but an enjoyable experience that carries as little risk as possible. This is exactly how we’ve been able to maintain our reputation as the most highly respected volunteering organisations in the sector over the past two decades.
COVID-19 Safety
Enhanced cleaning and social-distancing measures are in place throughout each GVI program. Learn more.
Support
Once a participant books, they will be assigned a personal support coordinator who will oversee their pre-departure journey. The support coordinator helps to bridge the gap between program enrolment and arrival at one of our field bases. Your personal support coordinator will ensure that you are provided with all the necessary information required to apply for visas, background checks, and any other documentation.
Safety
Upon arrival at the airport, participants will be greeted by a GVI staff member. All GVI staff are our own and all our programs around the world are run by our staff. All GVI field staff are background checked, Emergency First Response and safety trained. The minimum staff to participant ratio on GVI’s programs is one to six, although on several bases we have a ratio of one to three. When finishing the experience, participants will provide feedback on all aspects of their program.
Essential information you need to travel safely during the COVID-19
pandemic – including destination ratings, flight bookings, and tests.
Health & Safety Case Studies
HOW GVI UPHOLDS HEALTH AND SAFETY
It takes courage to book a GVI program, get on a flight, and head off to somewhere new. Volunteering offers a level of cultural immersion that typical backpacking or holidays just can’t achieve. This is why thousands of people around the world participate in paid GVI programs.
GVI’S COMMITMENT TO SAFETY AND SECURITY
As the saying goes: ‘Expect the best, plan for the worst’. Cliched or not, we take it to heart. This tenet is at the core of how GVI operates when it comes to promoting the health and safety of our participants, staff, and local community members at all of our 20+ bases around the world.
HOW GVI REMAINS PREPARED FOR NATURAL DISASTERS
The weather isn’t just a topic for polite small-talk here at GVI. We have emergency action plans in place for all scenarios. So when the weather, or other natural forces, takes a nasty turn, we are prepared to respond to stormy situations.
HOW GVI MANAGES PARTICIPANTS EXPECTATIONS
Once GVI has matched a participant to a program that suits their passions and goals, our team aims to set the right expectations for them. In the event that false expectations around a program are created, the GVI team takes immediate action to ensure that the situation rectified.
What's Included
24-hour emergency desk
24-hour in-country support
Airport pick-up (unless otherwise stated)
All project equipment
Food (except on long-term internship placements)
Safe and basic accommodation (usually shared)
Group introductory call
Welcome presentation
Endorsed GVI Specialisation Course
Endorsed Leadership Course
Sustainable project work
Leadership responsibilities
Remote Internship Supervisor
Preferential recruitment on GVI positions
Job portal access
Endorsed Careers Course
Career coaching sessions
PDF reference - upon request
