In Ankaful Psychiatric Hospital, internships, electives and final year rotations are possible in the field of clinical psychology and psychiatry. Professionals can also volunteer in these areas.
Project Details
The Ankaful Mental Hospital located in Ankaful, five miles from Cape Coast, is one of the three psychiatric hospitals in Ghana. Patients with diseases such as schizophrenia, bipolar affective disorder, depression, drug addiction, hypomania, insomnia, organic brain syndrome, schizoaffective disorder, impotence, epilepsy and dementia are treated here while hospitalised or as outpatients by clinical psychologists, psychiatrists and specially trained nursing staff.
Interns accompany the clinical psychologists, psychiatrists or the head nurse in individual or group therapy sessions. During certain months of the year, students from the University of Cape Coast train at the Ankaful Mental Hospital, since it is a teaching hospital for psychiatry. Participants can interact with these students.
Working hours are usually Monday to Friday from 8.00 a.m. – 2.00 p.m., but can be longer when there are a larger number of patients.
In Ankaful Mental Hospital, there is a clinical psychologist, three psychiatrists and about 271 psychiatric nurses. The facility has an integrated school for the training of psychiatric nurses.
In addition to about 80 inpatients, who stay for six weeks on average, approximately 90 patients are treated on an outpatient basis during the week. For the initial treatment, psychological outpatients pay 5 Cedi (about 1 Euro), and 4 Cedi for every subsequent session. The sessions are free for inpatients.
Many patients are addicted to drugs and go through a specially designed 12-step program. Subsequently, they have the option of staying in the rehabilitation center, if necessary, to obtain support for a further six months.
All inpatients are treated both by a clinical psychologist and a psychiatrist. About 40% of all ambulatory patients are referred by clinical psychologists to the psychiatrist. Conversely, even the psychiatrists refer patients to clinical psychologists.
In the past, patients were encouraged to make leather crafts, batik and mesh pocket, as well as take care of rabbits, as part of the therapy, but because of the lack of finances, these are currently not functional. However, inpatients are involved in gardening on the site and growing vegetables. There is also a shortage of medical supplies due to the lack of finances.
Mental illness is taboo in the Ghanaian society. Families in which such a case arises are known to be traditionally excluded from marriage prospects. Due to the still widespread superstition (curses, witchcraft) and deep-rooted religious beliefs, the affected are first taken to pastors. When there is no improvement, they are then taken to psychiatric clinics in very remote locations, so that rumours do not spread.
Interns pay a one time fee of USD 200 to the hospital. Accommodation is provided in the village of Ankaful.
Info Box
Location: Cape Coast, Ghana
Availability: All year, Start date flexible Minimum Duration: 4 Weeks Maximum Duration: 6 Months Language Requirements: English Accommodation: House, Host Family, Hotel |
Supervision Possible: Yes
Qualification Of Supervisor: Psychologist, Psychiatrist, Physicians, Psychiatric Nurses Minimum Qualification Of Intern: Student of medicine, nursing or psychology Further Contribution To Project: Yes, one time fee of 200 USD |
Volunteering Possible: Yes
Required Qualification For Volunteer: Professional Specialist Further Contribution To Project: None Expectations: Professional Conduct, Do you have the "right" attitude? |
More Info
Background Information for Medical Placements/Electives Abroad
The following text tries to provide background information about the medical systems in the different countries and tries to classify the medical institutions where we arrange placements within these system, in order to assist you finding the right option for your elective, final year rotation, internship or medical volunteer work.
Contact us and we are happy to assist you!
Tanzania
In Tanzania we can arrange placements for medical elective students, interns of nursing and therapies, pre-medical students and professional volunteers into a wide range of public and private medical institutions.
The public health system in Tanzania has a referral system: Someone who needs treatment usually first attends a small medical dispensary. Dispensaries are in all parts of towns and cities such as Moshi, Dar-es-Salaam etc. and in many villages, treating all common things such as small injuries, infectious diseases, Malaria, diabetes, high blood pressure etc.; also they often do deliveries.
There are public and private dispensaries. The public dispensaries are usually very simple in terms of equipment and facilities. In villages and outskirts of cities, they often they don't even stock elementary medicines and can only offer very basic medical services. The private dispensaries are often very similar to the public ones, but sometimes they are of higher standard in terms of facilities, equipment and services offered.
Any state-approved nurse can open a private dispensary. Dispensaries are usually run by a nurse or by a "medical officer" who is something between a nurse and a physician; some might employ further nurses, medical officers and laboratory technicians. The nurses and medical officers at the dispensaries can prescribe and use all standard medicines. There is typically no real physician who has studied medicine for 4-5 years. If it is a requirement from the university that for an elective/medical internship a proper physician is needed as a supervisor, this is not possible at a dispensary. For volunteers who have professional skills such as nurses, therapists and physicians, dispensaries are very good places to volunteer at, as through their skills they can support the local staff a lot and work like a regular team member, including stitching wounds and treating patients, assisting with deliveries, even without supervision if they are sufficiently qualified. Also internships for pre-medical students are possible at dispensaries.
Examples for such dispensaries where we can arrange placements are Hosiana Clinic and Dorcas Laboratory in Moshi. In Zanzibar, placements at dispensaries are usually not possible, as the Health Ministry doesn't allow so for foreigners.
The number of patients at dispensaries might fluctuate a lot during the year. Usually during the rainy season (March to June and November) there are more infectious diseases and more cases of malaria.
If a patient needs something of higher specialization that cannot be done at a dispensary or which is beyond the competence of the nurse or medical officer, he or she is referred to a Regional Hospital such as Mawenzi Regional Hospital in Moshi.
Patients however can also go directly to a Regional Hospital. Particularly people living in the cities near a regional hospital often prefer to go directly to the hospital and skip the dispensary, as they expect better service at the hospital.
Regional hospitals usually have many, many patients and elective students and professional volunteers have the chance to see many cases, often in very late stages of diseases.
Regional hospitals are used by patients who are of average income, or poorer parts of the population, if they feel so sick that they don't have any other option. A lot of time often passes between having been at a dispensary and going to the Regional Hospital, during which the patient’s medical condition can get worse, because poor patients usually have to collect the money to cover costs for the treatment from relatives, neighbours, churches and other sources, which can take days to weeks. The costs for a consultation by a doctor at a regional hospital might be around 5,000-7,000 TSH (around 2.50-3 €/3.30-4 USD), plus costs for medicines which might be typically between 2,000 and 10,000 TSH (1-5 €/1.30-6.50 USD). Major surgery and having to stay as an inpatient might cost around 100,000-200,000 TSH (50-100 €/65-130 USD). An average monthly household income is around 90 €/120 USD (for a whole family), but around 65% of Tanzanian households only have 30 €/40 USD or less per month. Patients usually don't seek medical treatment for minor reasons; nobody goes for prevention.
Regional Hospitals have various common departments; you can read the list of available departments at Mawenzi Regional Hospital and other hospitals on our website. Work at the regional hospitals is often tough, as doctors have to treat many patients who have serious medical conditions within a very short time. Therefore they often don't have a lot of time to give lengthy explanations to elective students. Students usually assist the doctors and nurses with tasks such as stitching wounds, changing dressings, assisting during the consultation, attending doctors during the ward round etc, always under supervision. There is qualified staff who can sign and stamp forms about electives as required by universities.
Above the level of the Regional Hospitals there are very large and higher specialized hospitals which are called "Referral Hospital" such as Muhimbili National Hospital in Dar-es-Salaam and Bugando Medical Centre in Mwanza, which are often attached to medical universities. Patients cannot go directly to a Referral Hospital, but they need a reference from a regional hospital first. Mnazi Mmoja Hospital in Zanzibar is a Referral Hospital where patients can go directly, but this is because on the small island of Zanzibar there are no Regional Hospitals.
The standard of the departments/wards within one hospital can vary very much (both at Regional and Referral Hospitals), some departments might have good equipment and might be in good condition, typically resulting from money provided by foreign development programs. For instance the HIV/AIDS and physiotherapy wards at Mnazi Mmoja Hospital Zanzibar are very modern, but the pediatric ward is very poor and needs renovation. At Mawenzi Regional Hospital they have recently renovated the main surgery theatre.
The standard of the departments/wards within one hospital can vary very much (both at Regional and Referral Hospitals), some departments might have good equipment and might be in good condition, typically resulting from money provided by foreign development programs. For instance the HIV/AIDS and physiotherapy wards at Mnazi Mmoja Hospital Zanzibar are very modern, but the pediatric ward is very poor and needs renovation. At Mawenzi Regional Hospital they have recently renovated the main surgery theatre.
As the public medical system in Tanzania is not very satisfying, there are many private healthcare facilities.
Some are (compared to the public hospitals) expensive and provide better standard (either/or or all in terms of facilities, equipment, or time that a doctor provides to patients), attracting patients who have more money. SIIMA Hospital in Moshi is one of these. Others are funded by charitable organizations or churches (e.g. St. Joseph Hospital). They are of higher price level than the public hospitals to the general public, but might offer free services to particularly poor people in need (which are financed by the money paid by the "richer" patients). In terms of facilities and equipment they are usually better than most public hospitals (unless the public ones have a particular department or ward which got a lot of foreign money). Usually there are fewer patients at the private hospitals and therefore doctors/nurses have more time to give explanations to foreign students/interns.
When it comes to doctors, the same doctors work at the public and at the private hospitals. As the salaries are low, they need income from several employers and therefore work at 2-3 hospitals (usually one public and 1-2 private) at the same time.
The Regional Hospitals and Referral Hospitals of Tanzania are usually accredited by all international medical universities for elective placements. Final year medical rotations are possible at Muhumbili Hospital in Dar-es-Salaam and Bugando Medical Centre in Mwanza, which are teaching hospitals of medical universities.
Ghana
The public health care system of Ghana has three reference levels.
The smallest facilities that provide medical first aid (Tertiary Level) are the so-called CHPS (Community Health Compounds), health centers and small hospitals. These facilities perform only outpatient treatment and are usually run by nurses. Each facility is aimed at a population density of about 20,000 people.
At Secondary Level are the district hospitals, which are aimed at a population density of about 100,000-200,000 people. The bed capacity is usually not more than 100 beds.
These have at least one operating theater and a laboratory and usually offer better medical care than institutions on the tertiary level.
The highest level (primary level) are Metropolitan Hospital, Regional Hospital and Municipal Hospital. They are located in cities whose population exceeds 200,000 people and have a correspondingly larger bed capacity. In addition to several operating rooms and relatively good technical equipment, there are general practitioners and specialists in various disciplines to treat patients.
The primary level hospitals and many private hospitals such as the University Hospital in Cape Coast are of high standards in terms of facilities, management and expertise. Secondary and Tertiary institutions are often underfunded.
Morocco
In Morocco we arrange elective placements at private clinics which are of higher standard, often coming close to Western/European standard in terms of facilities, equipment and professional level of the staff. We currently don’t work with public hospitals, as they are very bureaucratic.
The private hospitals are expensive for many local people, but they often collect funds for people who are in need, allowing them to provide cheap or free treatments.
At these hospitals, medical students/interns should have no problem to get accreditation for elective placements by international medical universities or nursing schools.
Professional volunteers (nurses, therapists and physicians) can volunteer at church-run charitable dispensaries such as the one by the Franciscan Brothers of the White Cross in Tangier, which are typically managed by a nurse, providing free basic medical services to the poorest parts of population. As there is no medical supervision, elective placements are not possible at such dispensaries.
India
In India, we work with private hospitals of higher standard, for the same reasons as in Morocco. The standard of equipment, facilities and qualification of the doctors are comparable to Europe/North America/Australia. They offer a wide range of departments with high specialization.
At these hospitals, medical students/interns shouldn't have any problems to get accreditation for elective placements by international medical universities or nursing schools.
Professional volunteers (nurses, therapists and physicians) can volunteer at charitable hospitals which are funded by charitable organizations, but also at medical outreach programs run by several NGOs in slum areas.
Professional volunteers (nurses, therapists and physicians) can volunteer at charitable hospitals which are funded by charitable organizations, but also at medical outreach programs run by several NGOs in slum areas.
Nicaragua
In Nicaragua we can offer placements at the public hospital HEODRA and private hospial AMOCSA in León.
The standard of the public HEODRA hospital is low in terms of equipment and facilities, comparable to Tanzania. Also the situations that many patients have difficulties in raising the funds needed for their medical treatment, that they often only seek for medical services at a late stage of their disease, and the working conditions at the hospitals are very similar to as described in the text about Tanzania. Professional volunteers are very much needed at the public hospitals.
HEODRA as a large teaching hospital of León medical university should be fully accredited by all foreign medical universities and nursing schools for electives, internships and final year rotations.
The standard of the AMOCSA private hospital in terms of facilities and equipment is better than HEODRA. There are less patients and fees are higher. The doctors have more time for each patient. HEODRA is bigger and has a larger variety of highly specified departments; students will have the chance to see more patients than with AMOCSA.
Also, the same doctors work at HEODRA and AMOCSA. To make a living, they additionally even work at further private hospitals or run their own consultancies.
Bolivia
The standard at the public hospitals of Bolivia can fluctuate a lot. While some private hospitals are chronically underfunded, others such as the hospitals of the VIEDMA Health Park where we arrange electives, internship and volunteering options often can offer a standard that comes close to the one of European/North American/Australian hospitals. They have a wide variety of specialization and departments.
A problem that regularly recurs is that the funds for the salaries of staff and to pay for medicines is not provided, resulting in shortages of medical services.
Similar to the what has been described before about Tanzania and Nicaragua, many people cannot afford the treatments at the public hospitals. They only attend medical institutions when their disease is in an advanced stage and in absolute emergencies.
Arco Iris is a charitable private hospital in La Paz of very high standard. Relatively rich people pay high fees for their treatment which is of one of the highest standards available in the country, and the money is used to provide free treatment to poor people, particularly street children and children from the poorest classes of society. 40% are paying patients and 60% are not paying.
Volunteer placements for healthcare professionals and elective placements/internships for students are possible at all of these hospitals. The hospitals of the VIEDMA Health Park in Cochabamba as large teaching hospitals of medical universities should be fully accredited by all foreign medical universities and nursing schools for electives, internships and final year rotations.
Mongolia
The medical system of Mongolia is of high standards. There is medical faculty at the University of Ulaanbaatar, also many doctors have studied in Russia or China or even have higher qualifications. There is no teaching hospital at the Mongolia university, so final year rotations are probably not possible. Mongolian medical students do electives with you in various medical institutions.
The health care system in Mongolia is organized as a tripartite reference system where patients first seek a "Family Health Center", which is a general physician's office. From there, the patient, if necessary, is referred to the district health centers, the second stage of the reference system, where there are more general medical facilities with more medical equipment (e.g. X-ray, ultrasound, endoscopy) and where general surgical procedures are performed. In such district health centers, about 12 physicians and 60 nurses are available to patients. Both family health centers and district health centers only treat outpatients. In these facilities, electives and internships are available from the 1st year.
The third stage in the Mongolian reference system are specialized clinics. There are no major hospitals in Mongolia, which have many specialisations, but instead clinics that are each limited to a field of study. These include hospitalization. For an elective or a nursing internship in these clinics, you should be at least in the 3rd year of study.
The third stage in the Mongolian reference system are specialized clinics. There are no major hospitals in Mongolia, which have many specialisations, but instead clinics that are each limited to a field of study. These include hospitalization. For an elective or a nursing internship in these clinics, you should be at least in the 3rd year of study.
Accommodation
Accommodation in Cape Coast
In Cape Coast, you can choose between accommodation of different standards:
Most popular! - This is the choice of most of our participants. You live in a shared apartment of average standards with other students, or with a host family.
Comfort+ - For those who place more emphasis on comfort: accommodation in a hotel or room with high standard with a host family
Adventurer - For simplest and cheapest deals: Dormitory Accommodation (only for certain projects)
Shared Accommodation:
You share a house or an apartment with 2-5 other participants. These are homes that are in the good neighborhoods of Cape Coast, from where you can reach your employment place by foot or by public transport. The houses are, for local conditions, of good standard; they have functionally furnished rooms, all with ceiling fans and mosquito nets, functionally equipped kitchens with refrigerators and cooking facilities, bathrooms with western toilets and (mostly cold) showers and usually a communal lounge and garden. The houses are equipped with safety features such as barred windows and high surrounding walls.
Host Family:
The host family housing offer is of similar standard as described for the Shared Accommodation; the only difference is that you live with a local family, who provides 2-3 meals per day. You have a lockable single room (Two people can share the room if possible). The bathroom with shower is shared with the family. The families are carefully chosen. Accommodation is safe, the families are friendly and interested in the culture of the guests. At least one family member speaks fluent English.
Hotel-Accommodation and Room in Apartment of High Standards:
Samrit Hotel
The Samrit Hotel is a city hotel of good standards in a central location of Cape Coast. All emergency services are easily accessible by public transport. You get a comfortable room with private bathroom and air conditioning and get breakfast served in your room every morning. The hotel also has a swimming pool, Wifi Internet, a restaurant, a bar and a laundry service.
Room in a House of High Standards
In a residential area on a hillside overlooking the sea and the beach, we offer a high standard accommodation option. Each room has air conditioning and private bathroom with hot water. Since the house is not well connected to public transport, the connectivity may be low; you can however, use private vehicles.
Dormitory accommodation ( only available for certain projects)
Some institutions offer a simple dormitory accommodation for foreign volunteers and interns. Here, you share the room with 3-6 other participants. It is not usually separated by gender. There are bunk beds and simple sanitary installations. This is the most cost-effective option.
Rate
I. World Unite! Service Package
Mobile/Cell Phone Users: If you don't see the rates for your desired duration of stay, hide other (shorter) durations of stay.
up to 31 Days | 32-60 Days | 61-90 Days | 91-120 Days | 5 Months or longer | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 Person
|
450 EUR | 600 EUR | 700 EUR | 750 EUR | 850 EUR | |
2-4 Persons
(Rate per Person) |
400 EUR | 500 EUR | 600 EUR | 650 EUR | 700 EUR |
Convert rates to USD, GBP, CAD, AUD and other currencies
The World Unite! Service Package includes:
- Individual Consultation and Preparation prior to your arrival
- Access to the World Unite! Online Resource Centre which has Preparation Materials including Intercultural Preparation, compiled particularly for your destination (PDFs, Videos)
- Preparation Session via Skype, together with further participants
- Arrangements of the Documents you need for your Visa Application and (if needed) assistance with extension of the visa in Ghana, but not the official government fees for it (See costs below)
- Pick-up and Transfers from/to Accra (ACC) on arrival and departure
- Personal support staff at your location and at our international office
- Orientation and Introduction in Cape Coast
- Accompanying you to your placement on your first day
- 24 Hours emergency support by local support team
- 50 USD Contribution to your project
- Local SIM Card with 10,000 TSH air time
- Issuance of Confirmations/Certificates for your university, scholarship, insurance, etc. and filling out/signing Internship Contracts for your university
The Rates do NOT include:
- Accommodation and Meals (see below)
- Travel to/from Ghana (you book it on your own; we can assist you)
- Official fees for Visa (see below)
- Insurance (Travel Health Insurance, Liability Insurance, Travel Cancellation insurance; you book it on your own, we can assist you)
- Personal Expenses
- Vaccinations
- Local Transport (Estimated amounts see below)
- Please note that for supervised/mentored internships, some organizations charge further contributions. You find this information in the "Info Box" below the respective internship description.
II. Accommodation Costs
You can choose between the following options:
Mobile/Cell Phone Users: If you don't see the rates for your desired duration of stay, hide other (shorter) durations of stay.
Rates in US-Dollar! Convert Currency | Short-time stay (1-31 Days) | Long-time stay (32-365 Days) (You pay proportionally per day) | |
---|---|---|---|
Shared House or Hotel | |||
House shared with other participants |
1 Person (Single Room) |
60 USD/Week (min. 2 weeks) |
200 USD/Month |
2 Persons p.p. (Double/Twin Room) |
45 USD/Week (min. 2 weeks) |
150 USD/Month | |
Room in House of High Standard |
1 Person (Single Room) |
90 USD/Week (min. 1 week) |
300 USD/Month |
2 Persons p.p. (Double/Twin Room) |
70 USD/Week (min. 1 week) |
250 USD/Month | |
Optional: Car Rental (not including fuel) | 30 USD/Week | 30 USD/Week | |
Hotel Accommodation on Full Board |
1 Person (Single Room) |
30 USD/Day | 750 USD/Week |
2 Persons p.p. (Double/Twin Room) |
15 USD/Day | 375 USD/Month | |
Dorm Room Bed (only available for Sankofa & Pathfinder) |
per person | 6 USD/Day | 150 USD/Month |
Host Family |
|||
Host Family of Middle Standard on Full Board |
1 Person (Single Room) |
10 USD/Day | 250 USD/Month |
2 Persons p.p. (Double/Twin Room) |
10 USD/Day | 250 USD/Month |
For incomplete months you will pay the exact amount proportionally per day.
In case of 3-4 person: Same rate as in case of 2 Persons. 5 or more persons: Contact us for group rates.
In case of 3-4 person: Same rate as in case of 2 Persons. 5 or more persons: Contact us for group rates.
Overview of other costs:
- If meals are not included: around 80-140 USD/Month for self-catering (eating out at affordable yet good restaurants and/or cooking by yourself; you are much more flexible in this way compared to if we would serve food at your accommodation)
- Visa typically 100 EUR/110 USD for 30 days, which can be extended locally for around 10 EUR/13 USD per extra month (Visa needs to be applied for prior to your trip)
- Small local expenses (e.g. Internet, local transport): around 30-50 USD/Month (Estimate)
- Insurances around 30-50 USD/Month
How do I pay?
Once all your questions have been answered and you confirm that you want to participate, we will email you an invoice. You can pay it via bank transfer, credit card or via Paypal. You will pay a deposit of 200 EUR / 250 USD when the invoice is issued. One months prior to your arrival you will pay the remainder for your Service Package.
The payment modalities for rent and possible further costs (e.g. internship supervision fees, as stated in info box of the respective project description) depend on your host country and placement. We will inform you beforehand. In many cases these costs are paid on site, but for some countries and placements they need to be paid partially or fully in advance.
Extras
Other Projects That Might Interest You:
These projects are suggestions for alternatives that may interest you or those that could be chosen as COMBINATIONS. The combination of projects in different organizations is often possible and usually cheaper than two individual bookings. Please contact us to know more! Check out our other listings in the areas of "World Learner" and "Active Travel" at your travel destination to make your stay even more interesting.
Travel Health Insurance
We recommend the following travel insurance that is meant specifically for participants of internships, volunteering, language study, working holiday, and courses abroad. It is available for travelers of all nationalities and usable for all countries, except your home country. You can also add a journey liability insurance.
Just click on the link, fill in the form and you will get a confirmation email.
Cape Coast
Cape Coast
Cape Coast is a city of about 170,000 inhabitants, on the coast south of Ghana. It is relatively easy to find your way through the city and public transport is cheap and good; this makes the city an attractive location for volunteering and internships. There are tropical beaches and locations for excursions, such as Kakum National Park. Cape Coast has a humid-tropical climate with nearly identical temperatures all year around, of about 30 degrees. May and June see the rainy season.
Our coordinators in Cape Coast
Our coordinators in Cape Coast are Sampson and Paschal, who collaborate with other team employees.
Getting There
Getting To Ghana
You book your flight to Accra (Kokota International Airport Accra, ACC) and share with us your flight details. At the airport, we will pick you up and bring you to your accommodation in Cape Coast, Accra or Kakum.
The drive to Cape Coast takes about 2 hours and to Kakum, about 2.5 hours.
FAQs
Häufig gestellte Fragen (FAQs)
Are there fixed start dates for the project, which I must adhere to?
No, you can arrive at any date and you can hence, plan your trip according to your availability and the prices of flights. We can pick you up from the Accra airport at any time. In some projects, it is better to start at a specific time (e.g. beginning of the academic year in schools). This will be mentioned along with the project details.
Can I stay longer at my accommodation after my volunteering/internship or arrive earlier?
Yes, this is possible and we will give you our best rates. Just let us know when you arrive and leave and we will let you know the costs.
During my stay, can I travel around the country?
Of course, you can do this - most of our participants do so. However, when the travel destination is too far away (especially the norther region), it may not be possible over a weekend; these, we would recommend you keep for before the projects begins or after the completion, or during holidays.
Is it safe to travel in Ghana alone as a single female traveller?
Ghana is one of the safest countries in the African continent and women here enjoy great respect and are free to move anywhere. As long as you keep in mind certain safety rules that are applicable to almost any location, it is absolutely safe to travel around in Ghana as a single female traveller.
Will I be the only volunteer/intern in the project or in Ghana?
Ghana is a popular country for volunteering and internships. In Cape Coast and other places, there are other foreign volunteers and interns, with whom you can easily get in touch.
The total number of participants that participate simultaneously with an organization depends on the size and activity of the organization and responsibilities of volunteers/interns. We try to avoid too many volunteers/interns in an organization at the same time. It may be that you are alone in your work site, but usually there are, throughout the year, other participants at the location, who you can meet in your spare time, if you desire so.
What vaccinations do I need?
Our Info - PDF that you get as a participant, gives detailed information on health care. Recommended Vaccinations
Where will I live?
It is your choice, whether you want simple dormitory living or an apartment with other participants, with a host family or in a hotel room (only for certain projects). There are various categories like Adventurer, Most popular! and Comfort+ available.
The houses and apartments are located in safe and relatively upscale neighbourhoods, and are either fenced or guarded by a security guard. You can either share a room with other participants or stay alone. The host families are carefully selected and most have years of experience with hosting Western participants. They integrate you into the family and look forward to introducing you to the Ghanaian cuisine and language; but you can also have your space.
We can alternatively, offer you a room in a centrally located hotel in Cape Coast, for which we have negotiated a good price.
How free or bound am I in my accommodation with the host family?
Ghanaian families are very caring and interested in you and treat you like family. They will integrate you into their family and usually invite you to parties, excursions and church programs and ensure that you are always safe. However, it is perfectly fine if you choose to have your privacy. The families, in most cases, have a lot of experience with interns/volunteers and know that you will need privacy. However, it is expected that you give them prior notice, if you choose to travel and you seek their consent when you invite guests into the house. Due to the religiosity of Ghanaians, it is a taboo to bring home casual acquaintances overnight.
Does my accommodation have internet facilities?
Landline internet connections are common in Ghana. If you have a smartphone, you can buy prepaid credit and convert this into an internet data package. Alternatively, there are USB modem sticks for laptops on which to charge credit. The speed is satisfactory.
How can I do my laundry?
In Ghana, there are very few laundromats. In Cape Coast, you can, for example, bring your laundry to University Hospital, where they are washed in a washing machine, and you can pick them up after 1-3 days. More common, however, is to hire someone to wash your clothes. Everyone knows someone who does this and the women are happy about a little extra income. It is considered stingy when you wash your own laundry by hand and not leave it for someone who needs the money. Normally, you have washerwomen at very affordable prices.
Can I cook in the accommodation ?
In the apartments, housing communities and host families, there are kitchens that you can use. In the host families, meals will usually be cooked for you but, you are allowed to help (especially women, as in Ghana, there are classic gender roles) in the kitchen. In the apartments and shared accommodations, you cook yourself. If you live in a dormitory with other participants (e.g. in an orphanage), there is usually a covered simple outdoor burner that is available to you. In hotel accommodation, there is no possibility of cooking. Details are in the tab "Accommodation".
I am a vegetarian. Can I get vegetarian food?
Yes, this is possible. The Ghanaian cuisine is very diverse, and even more vegan than vegetarian, because dairy products are among luxury goods and it is very difficult to find milk, cream or cheese. While in Ghana, a lot of fish and meat is eaten, you can order at most restaurants and stalls, vegetarian/vegan diet dishes.
What language skills do I need?
The official language of Ghana is English. Most Ghanaians, at least in urban areas, speak very good English. You should be able to communicate in English.