My name is Aimee and I’m 19 years old. I recently just got back from doing the education programme in GVI Ghana. I first applied to volunteer in Ghana because volunteering abroad had always been something that I’ve always wanted to do but for some reason it always seemed so daunting to me. When I was 8 myself and my family visited Ethiopia to adopt my younger brother and since then I knew I had to go back and help out. Going to Ethiopia I would have been alone and the daunting thought would have definitely turned into a reality, so when I found gvi I could immediately tell that whichever programme I would pick there was a sense of security and community and that it how I came across Gvi Ghana. I originally booked for 2 weeks thinking that even that would be too much for me but my parents convinced me to book for 4. When I arrived in May 2021 as soon as I walked onto base I was felt completely over the moon excited yet so comfortable. My first day volunteering was so incredible and I remember it so well. I was so nervous but I was brought into one of the local schools and was greeted by the children and I just fell so in love. I worked with this particular class through my whole GVI experience. Everyday I would wake up so excited and go to school , I was getting to know the kids so well and I loved teaching them so much and I started to gain such amazing bonds with the other teachers , volunteers and children by the first few days. Each day after school we had a team meeting with all the volunteers to discuss our days and we would give feedback and run through our days and make a plan for the following. By my second week I knew that 4 weeks would definitely not be enough so I ended up extending for a whole 12 weeks. My class were thrilled and I had such a deep connection wit them. There was this one boy in my class who found it very difficult to read or write and I remember promising him that by the time I left he would be able to and that promise was not broken , by the time I left he was reading full books and won his class spelling test. As well as teaching there was so many other projects I got to take part in. During my time there I participated in 3 beach cleans, a period party with the girl guides and a fay where we walked around planting trees everywhere we could. On the weekends there was also so much to do and myself and the other volunteers visited the many amazing places in Ghana such as Cape coast where we got to learn about Ghana’s history. This is experience has truly changed my life. I have made some of the best friends I have ever had here, some who turned out to live down the road from me in Dublin to some living all the way in California who I still call everyday. GVI made me realise what I wanted to do with my future career and during my stay I actually changed from majoring in Human Resources to NGOs and I could not be happier about it. I fell in love with this programme, the people, the culture and the whole country of Ghana, so much so that I am returning in January 2022 for a whole year.

My time in Ghana was incredible! I was there for 4 weeks which flew by so quickly! I worked in one of the schools helping teach where the teachers had left due to COVID, this was exhausting and challenging but also so fun, lots of smaller highlights are those moments when a kid finally answers a question on their own after I’d worked with them for the lesson helping them get it right. I will never forget one of the girls who really struggled with maths, her face lit up when she finally worked out how to round to the nearest 10 and then she was begging for more questions to try on her own! Other highlights from school are the art classes and the PE lessons we did. The kids went crazy over coloured pencils and some of the Ghanaian teachers were so rough playing football with the kids but the kids loved it and I could never imagine UK teachers being like that! We managed to travel on a couple of weekends when I was there, once to the Volta Region and once to Cape Coast. We only managed to go to the Volta Region because we had a 4 day weekend over Easter and it was so cool! We visited Wli Waterfalls and climbed Mount Afadjato, which was a very steep and sweaty climb, and stayed in an amazing hotel called Maranatha Beach Camp in Ada Foah, it was on a piece of land stuck out between the sea and an estuary and it was really beautiful. Cape Coast was also really fun. A couple of other volunteers and I stayed in the treehouse in Kakum National Park which was definitely a unique experience and we managed to watch the sunrise from the bridges in the canopy which was amazing! Both of these trips and the whole Ghana experience really was so surreal having just left locked down England and when I was on the way to the airport on the way home I couldn’t believe I was leaving so soon!

Around this time 10 years ago, I was getting ready to graduate college. I knew that there was something big that I wanted to do, but I had no idea what that was. All I knew was that anything I did had to be connected to serving others. A few months later, I was working my first job as an adult, but something was missing, the ability to use my gift of serving. I spoke with my mom and made the decision to volunteer overseas; and after googling volunteer organizations, and reading reviews, I applied to volunteer through GVI. Applying, for me, took a big leap of faith because I was working a full-time job. Once I received notice from GVI that I could volunteer as an English Teacher, I told my supervisor about the opportunity. I expressed how much I wanted to go, and that I would leave my position as a Lab Technician so that I could volunteer overseas for a month. I guess my supervisor saw how passionate I was about the opportunity. She said that I didn’t have to quit my job, and my position would still be there when I returned. A few months later, my mom was dropping me off at Dulles and I was on my way to Accra, Ghana. I was nervous, excited, and in awe as the plane landed. A gentleman from the program greeted me and we were on our way to Cape Coast. The drive from Accra to Cape Coast was eye opening. All I could do was thank God for giving me the opportunity to serve; and I also felt a connection that I’d never felt before, I was home. For the very first time, I felt free. Over the next several weeks, I’d spend time with an amazing family in the village of Dwabor. They welcomed me with open arms and made me feel like I belonged. To this day, I still think about that family and all the amazing and brilliant children in my class. I still think about the kindness of strangers, the moments of nervousness eased by friendly banter, and the selflessness of the people I came across. My experience in Ghana cemented that I wanted to work with women and children, that I wanted to be a Health Educator, and that I’m not only to serve in my own backyard in America, but across the globe. It cemented my purpose. To all of my fellow volunteers, and those considering, let your light shine; and don’t let fear keep you trapped in a box. Live outside of the familiar and know that one small kind gesture can make a world of a difference. Best, Tonja Rice 32 years old USA