Program Summary

The orphanage is home to 66 orphans between 1 - 18 years. Located in the Oyoko village, it is surrounded by the palm plantation of Juaben, the Kente village of Bonwire. This project is designed to nurture an atmosphere where orphaned children can experience the excitement of learning and gain the tools to be able to support themselves in later stages in life. Volunteering in the orphanage is challenging and rewarding, as you will be providing care for children who have experienced trauma and have been alienated from society.

At a Glance

Minimum Program Length:	2 weeks
Start Date:	Every Monday
Arrival Date:	2 days prior to your Start Date (Saturday)
Minimum Age:	18 years old
Volunteer Gender:	Male and Female
Accommodation:	During their stay, all volunteers are housed with host families in the community they will be based. Volunteers will typically have their own private but at times it may be necessary to share your room with another volunteer. The host families are consistently screened with their information updated on regular basis to make sure they meet our standards.
Food:	2-3 meals per day will be provided by the homestay family. Meals will typically be made with rice, chicken, beef, tea, coffee, bread, eggs, soup, potato, oats, fruits, and fish. Vegetarians can be accomodated. Drinking water is an issue we take seriously and we make sure that volunteers drink only distilled and treated water.
Pick-up Info:	A Volunteer Visions representative will be at Kotoka International Airport to pick you up and guide you to your project location.
Project Schedule:	Volunteers will participate in their program 4-8 hours from Monday to Friday. During the weekends, volunteers are free to travel to explore local communities or engage in activities with their homestay family.

Your role as a Volunteer

The role of the volunteer depends on the needs of the orphanage and the skills and interests of the volunteers. The majority of the activities involve teaching English and other basic subjects to the orphans. Volunteers also help in developing creative programs such as art, music, dance, sports, etc. Additional help in organizing day trips, cleaning the orphanage, cooking, and administrative tasks may be requested as well.

Project Location

The orphanage projects take place in rural areas of Ghana. There are three main villages where the projects are concentrated:

Yeji

The Yeji town is a lovely local town with a cosmopolitan outlook. It serves as the meeting point for traders both from the south and the north of the country. Plotted on the shores of the Volta lake (damned into the largest manmade lake in the world few miles south of Yeji) fishing is very active in the town which also happens to be one of the leading trading centers in the country. With a population of about 125,000, the presence of traders from all parts of the country has forced the town to take up about 300,000 people per day. Trading in farm produce, fresh and preserved fish from the volta river, and livestock are the leading activities. Child labour and early marriage are the leading social problems of the bicycle populated town. The standard of living of the people in the town is low.

Sepaase Village

The Sepaase village is on the highways leading to big farming villages in the west of the country. Surrounded by several communities and very close to Kumasi (second largest city in Ghana), Sepaase village does not have any brisk commercial activity. Most of the inhabitants survive on peasant farming whilst the rest are engaged in various types of employment in the city.

Kodie Village

Located at Kodie, a village on the highway leading to the northern part of the country, the town serves several communities around the village. About 8 miles from Kumasi (second largest city in Ghana), Kodie village does not have any central commercial activity. Most of the inhabitants survive on peasant farming whilst the rest are engaged in various types of employment in the city and other close district capitals such as Offinso.

Suggested Skills and Interests

No specific skills are required for the orphanage project. If you do have experience working in an orphange or general child care experience, your skills would be welcomed. More than anything else, you should have the desire to help and work with these orphans and provide them with self-esteem and emotional support.

Suggested Donations

Donations of books, pens, notebooks, basic medical supplies, clothes, blankets, hygienic items, games etc. are welcomed. For large sum donations, please contact the Volunteer Visions office.