Teaching Volunteer Stories, Ghana

Care & Teaching in Ghana - Isobel Towse It was quite an experience. As we were staying in a small village, there was no host family house as such, just lone standing huts for bedrooms dotted around the village. Our family was more the other volunteers and village kids who came and sat outside with us each day. I actually preferred this as we were much more independent and got to know all the volunteers like they were our own family.

Teaching in Ghana - Victoria Murray I had always dreamt of taking a gap year in Africa so the 6 months I spent in Ghana are definitely my best yet! When I arrived in Ghana I was welcomed by a very cheerful Nyame! After spending the night in Accra at the office, Henry came to take me to the Akuapem Hills at 5am. I found my first day very overwhelming: lots of emotions, hectic Accra, the heat, bumpy tro rides and the completely different culture. But once I arrived in the Hills my supervisor Emmanuel welcomed me with open arms and took me to my host family.

Teaching and Care in Ghana - Rowena Kuijper In the beginning of 2009 my adventure began: going to Ghana, which has been an awesome time for me! Ghana is a country in which you can walk on the street safely (also for girls and especially in the south). The people are very kind, they like it to help you and try to show you the way. Every day there are children who will call ‘obruni’ (white person) when they see you. People will often want to talk to you.

Teaching in Ghana - Samantha Barlow My entire time in Ghana is a memory that will always stay with me, but my arrival stands out as particularly vivid.  As I stepped from the air conditioned interior of the plane onto the tarmac at Accra International Airport, I was met with a wave of humidity and heat only a Ghanaian afternoon can provide.  After a meet and greet at the Projects Abroad office in Accra, I was provided with a front row seat to the countryside of southern Ghana during my 5 hour bus ride up to Kumasi.

Teaching in Ghana - Kim Brereton Before I went to Ghana, I was very excited. The nerves only hit when I was packing my bag, most of it was full of things for the children and I had very few clothes and toiletries, despite not knowing what was available in Ghana. When I first arrived in Ghana, it was dark. Hundreds of people were outside the airport and I was tired and excited. I met the Projects Abroad member of staff who took care of everything, from giving me lots of new information to getting me a drink (it's normal to drink water out of a plastic bag!) and taking me to my new home.

Teaching in Ghana - Matthew Baker Then, in April 2007, I returned to Ghana for 10 days during the Easter break. It was great to see so many of the people that I knew from my placement two years earlier; the family I stayed with, the teachers and children at the school and so many of the local residents who I had become such good friends with. It reminded me of the warmth and kindness that the people of Ghana show to whoever may cross their path.

Teaching in Ghana - Susanna Mullard My time in Ghana really was the mind-opening and challenging experience I had hoped for. Sitting in my Geography A Level class at school, being taught about Ghana, I never imagined that in two years time I would be living there. But I feel overwhelmingly lucky to have had the opportunity, and after returning once already last Christmas, I know I will do so again at every chance I get.

Teaching in Ghana - Michael Wicks I have been teaching at a school in Abura, Cape Coast, for just over four months now, with two months still to go. It has been as enjoyable an experience as it has been rewarding. That's not to say that at times it hasn't been tough; my children do not even have a basic level of English and the facilities are very basic. However, the loud cheers and smiling faces that greet you every morning are more than enough to keep you motivated.

Teaching in Ghana - Amy Bell I arrived at my host family's house which for the next eleven weeks was to be my home. I couldn't wait to explore where I was located. I loved the fact that there was so much to see, experience and take in. It was not long before I had settled in and had become accustomed to my host family's way of living.

Teaching in Ghana - Jan van Hovell A black man knocks on my window, where am I? For a moment, I was groping in the dark, trying to find the radio alarm clock, which I used to hit when woken up much too early on a school day in Holland. Not succeeding, a bit surprised, I open my eyes and look at the ceiling. A fan turns periodically above me; reality strikes me. I peak through the window, the sun is about to rise. It's so hot, it's 6 a.m., it's Africa!

Teaching in Ghana - Mark Braude My first few days in Ghana were worrying, exhilarating, exhausting, and unforgettable. Everything seemed different and new. After arriving in the evening, the drive the next morning through Accra to the Akuapem Hills where I was based was the most memorable trip of my life. As I looked out of the window at the dusty roads, the wooden shacks, the blazing sun, the open gutters and above all the throngs and throngs of people carrying all sorts of items on their heads, it finally hit home that I had arrived in West Africa. The shock and excitement lasted about a week.

Teaching in Ghana - Ruth Bowling "I feel so lucky to be here in West Africa and so happy I decided to take the plunge and do a gap year- I can't believe what so many people are missing out on." - Extract from my diary. If you are reading this wondering whether to embark on a trip to Ghana, I promise that it won't disappoint! It was undoubtedly the best three months of my life- I made great friends, saw breathtaking places, had the most random experiences and developed as a person in a variety of ways.

Teaching in Ghana - Michelle Cadby I had a far from dull arrival in Ghana. My flight had been delayed by four hours at the last minute meaning I arrived at 1am, and yet was still immediately hit by the humidity. I see now that my taxi ride to my new home in Teshie Nungua was the perfect introduction to Ghanaian public transport (though I must admit that is far from what I thought at the time); the door handle broke off in my hand, the engine wouldn't start and half way home we came to a slow halt and the driver got out to top up the petrol from a container he kept in the boot.