Teaching at the school in Ghana

My volunteer work in school can begin

I have 6 weeks of volunteer work in Accra, Ghana's capital ahead of me. The anticipation and excitement of volunteering in Ghana is growing by the day, but what am I packing?! Mosquito spray, malaria prevention, sunscreen, thin and rather the second choice of your own clothes (which later turned out to be a small mistake), flip-flops and running shoes, the "minimum equipment" of cosmetics, small gifts for the host family and the children of the school where I will work and a lot more end up in the suitcase. "And take a lot of time with you" is the advice of many relatives.

Arrival in Ghana

Yes, you will notice that over time when you step on African soil for the first time, at the airport at passport control. Hectic and hasty handling of passengers is not known here, instead everything is much more leisurely and that feels really good!

After an impressive first taxi ride through Accra at night and a very lovable welcome from Mama Mina in the Student House, I fall into bed dead tired and happy, under a mosquito net, mind you, and am nevertheless very relieved that Nathy is lying next to me in bed, the one from the previous one day for her volunteer work from Bavaria.

Explore & experience Ghana

During the first week of volunteering we stay with Mama Mina in the student house and learn a lot about Ghana's history and culture. We also have a drumming course with a real Rastafari, cook in the open-air kitchen, wash our laundry in plastic bowls in the garden, practice driving Tro-Tro with our host brother Kwame, see and hear Ghanaian artists at the music night in Mama Mina's garden and not to forget, we get our first little sunburn on the beach, but it doesn't matter that's part of it.

And they also throw themselves into the nightlife with the other volunteers of the voluntary service and our host brothers and are absolutely positive! That's when I sort of noticed that I should have packed one or the other nicer outfit, but what the heck, why are there the huge markets at the Circle, there Nathy, who, by the way, feels the same way with the contents of her suitcase, and I cover ourselves first with some nicer clothes.
Finally arrived at my host family

Teaching at the school in Ghana

After a week of volunteer work at Mama Mina, it's time to pack your bags again and go to the host family for the remaining 5 weeks. After a good hour "stop and go" taxi ride and an impressive horn concert, we arrive in Dome at Mama Mina's sister's, here at Mama Sofia's, Nathy and I and later Kim from Berlin will share a fairly large room with our own bathroom. After a "welcome banana" and some chatting with the two moms, Mama Mina accompanies us to our projects and introduces us there. We discuss the working hours and the tasks for the coming weeks and get to know the headmistress and the teachers of the school.

Teaching at the school in Ghana

So over the next few weeks I will be taking on substitute hours in the preschool, correcting exams and homework for the elementary school students and, of course, teaching at the school.

Of course we don't go unnoticed and within a few minutes we're surrounded by little Ghanaians who want to know everything about us and completely monopolize us. Admittedly, I'm pretty overwhelmed at first and can't really respond to all the children. That's why I'm all the happier to have these lovely children around me in the next few weeks.

Leisure activities on the weekends

Since we have the weekends off, we can explore Ghana on our own and drive together with other participants to Cape Coast and the Kakuum National Park, to Ada-Foah in the Delta region of Ghana, to the Wli-Waterfalls or spend the weekends lying comfortably on the beach and going to the notorious beach parties in the evenings.

Conclusion of my volunteer work in Ghana

So my volunteer work with RGV flies by, I've gained a lot of experience, I've seen a beautiful country and met lovely people and it's definitely not the last time I've been to Ghana!

Teaching at the School in Ghana Review by Jorina B, July 2012