Street Girls Aid Project in Ghana

ABOUT YOUR WORK
TEMPORARY RESIDENTIAL FACILITIES FOR YOUNG MOTHERS: The NGO we work with, Street Aid, hopes that by providing support in the various programmes to the girls who live and work on the streets, it will help them achieve their life goals and eventually they will leave the streets with greater opportunities.	Download and print additional information on this project ►in .pdf format ►in Word format
You don't need any qualifications to participate in this project, but any skills that you can contribute would go a long way.
Your help is very much appreciated and the Street Girls Aid centre embrace the volunteers wholeheartedly. Before you leave, you'll be provided with a mountain of information on just about everything to do with Ghana and your placement. We work with two different projects with Street Girls Aid. Volunteers can provide valuable help for the women at the women’s “House of refuge” to provide guidance to the girls through programmes such as life skill classes and educational lessons. Alternatively, volunteers can contribute precious time to the street children’s day care centre where your help would go a long way to give the children a better start in life, assisting with day-to-day care, teaching and social interaction as well as providing a safe environment for the children to be in. Life skills could include hairdressing, cooking, sewing and dressmaking. Any previous experience in health care, social work and sex education would mean that you could help the women broaden their life goals and knowledge and allow them to achieve more. If you have a big heart and a willingness to help others, you will be a treasured addition to this deserving and ongoing project Our Ghana Manager and his team will look after you well. You'll get lots of advice about the do's and don’ts of Ghanaian culture, what to do and where to go. “I am beginning to get used to the lifestyle here, I even got a trotro on my own yesterday! I have tried a few of the foods here and I'm loving the fresh fruit on the streets. I worked at the orphanage today - I worked in the nursery bit which was an experience. Not having dealt with young children before, I found it a challenge feeding and washing them, but they were so sweet and put a smile on my face”. DAY CARE FACILITIES FOR STREET CHILDREN Volunteers are desperately needed to look after these children! You don’t need to be a qualified carer to take part on this project. You will be involved in everyday activities such as general care and assistance, teaching, play time, serving food to the children and providing support for the children. In the day care centre they can be in a safe environment, whilst learning in daily classes to prepare them for school once they are old enough. Children come to the centre from the ages of 6 months to 6 years old. Volunteering on this project not only provides much needed help to the staff of the centre, but it helps the children in leaps and bounds by teaching them conversational English and allowing them to socialise with people from all over the world. This works wonders for their confidence and this can be seen as they progress in the centre with more and more supportive contact. You will be overwhelmed by the smiles and energy that these children show for visitors and each other – you won’t be able to resist a smile back!! I was reading a few of the articles on your website from other volunteers and one guy commented that everyone should do at least one “volunteer experience” in a developing country. Nicely put, I couldn’t agree more, and I will be recommending you to anybody who is thinking about doing this sort of thing”.	SPECIALS, EXTRAS & ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
REQUIREMENTS
Self-reliance, independence and initiative are highly appreciated and a sense of humour when the electricity fails, or buses don't turn up, will help you to make the most of this wonderful opportunity! You don’t need any qualifications to take part on this project. Like all our destination countries, the culture in Ghana is different to what you're used to. For example, the people are exceptionally friendly and helpful, with big smiles and a relaxed attitude. On the other hand, the living standard falls short of UK or Western standards. And Ghanaian time is when someone says, "See you at 10.a.m.," - what he really means is, "I'll see you sometime tomorrow"! And then he may not turn up at all. The pace of life is slower and more relaxed. This must be borne in mind and you are naturally expected to live within local cultural rules. But you'll quickly get involved in the daily life of the local people and pretty soon you'll feel completely at home - Ghana has that effect on you!
ACCOMMODATION
Accommodation will vary, depending on your work location. You may live in comfortable guest house accommodation, but you will most likely live with a host family. This means that you get to eat, sleep, work, socialise and generally live like a Ghanaian. Local family stays enable you to fully experience the local culture from the inside. Many of our volunteers remain friends with their host families long after they leave Ghana and in some cases they return to the country later especially to visit their family. Sometimes members of their Ghanaian family have even gone to visit them in their home country. "My family - Lizzie and Prince are lovely. The children are very sweet, and I feel extremely lucky to have been placed with them. The house is of a Western standard in most ways, and Lizzie's cooking is excellent. I feel a part of their family already." Food will be local cuisine - again this is to enable you to fully experience living as local Ghanaians do. Read about what it's like to live in Ghana
TRAVEL
You have the option to arrange your own flights or we can assist you with your flight arrangements. If you would like us to do this for you, we will liaise with you regarding available flights and dates to suit you. All arrangements for your flight bookings/payments will be fulfilled by Murray Rogers Travel Ltd., ATOL No. 6856. (Read more about Murray Rogers Travel Ltd.) Where possible, we arrange for two or more people to travel on the same flight and we will let you have the names and contact details of other volunteers on your flight, so that you can chat to each other or even meet up before leaving for your placement. Where possible, all flights we arrange for you have changeable return tickets because many of our volunteers choose to extend their stay once they are in their destination country. Changeable return tickets enable you to do so, within the limits of your visa and the level of your air ticket, of course. If you choose to book your own flights, you should endeavour to get a changeable ticket. We can also arrange your flight dates to give you additional time at the end of your project for travelling around and sightseeing - this is a fascinating and wondrous country! VISAS:. In countries where visas are required, we'll send you all the necessary forms and information and make the process very easy for you. You'll fly into Accra where you'll be met by our Ghana Manager, or one of his staff. From the airport you'll be taken to your accommodation and introduced to your hosts. You'd be well advised to prepare yourself for an almost overwhelmingly friendly welcome! Read about the extensive Support & Back-up we provide in our countries.