They call Ghana 'Africa for beginners' which is a compliment in many ways. It is a friendly and safe country, with a list of allurements such as sunshine, beaches, wildlife, national parks and a deeply colorful cultural heritage. The long tropical coastline is in some ways the most natural trekking map for travelers, but you are unlikely to come to Ghana for the sole purpose of laying on a beach as there is much more to experience in Ghana.
Its capital, Accra, is a lively but often misunderstood city, a crazy metropolis with stalls and football shirts, music and markten, and a vibrant street life. It has few major attractions, but makes for a fascinating introduction to the country. Along the coast there is also
much to experience, for example Cape Coast. This was once a slave port but now a cultural destination. Its dark past is a testament to the various European powers that prevailed in the region at different times.
In the interior you will find a wealth of nature from savanne to dense rainforest and from hiker-friendly mountains to relatively dry plains south of the Sahara. Many of the national parks and game reserves are quite small compared to some other African countries, but the network of parks is extensive.
In the far north you will still find elephants on the plains of Mole National Park, while in the south you will find the Kakum National Park with its popular suspension bridge between the treetops and a huge range of animals and birds.
Kpando is a district of 90.000 inhabitants in the Volta region, on the edge of Lake Volta. Kpando town has approximately 30.000 inhabitants and is also the capital of the district and is surrounded by several small villages, each of which has its own social connective tissue (schools, chiefs, clinic, ...).
Kpando is a trading center and home to the Akpini tribe and also has a colonial history. The local language is 'Ewe'. Kpando is about 4 hours drive from the capital Accra and you will find the necessary amenities such as banks, hospital, shops and a bustling local markt.
The local economy is mainly dominated by agricultural activities and it is estimated that approximately 62% of the active population is directly or indirectly engaged in this sector. The climatic condition of the district favorably supports the variety of crops and livestock. In addition, the Volta Lake, to the west, and the Dayi River to the east, provide an excellent situation allowing the cultivation of a variety of food crops, tree crops and vegetables all year round. The lake and the river also have a positive influence on fish farming. The main exportable crops to the EUmarkten are papaya and ananas but also mango and chili pepper. The presence of road infrastructure and a warehouse for the storage of fruit and vegetables makes transport to the ports easy.
We offer volunteer work to the Ewe population in Kpando on Lake Volta. Here we support underprivileged young people and disadvantaged village communities. The operation is very diverse and you can help with projects related to education, employment, health care, infrastructure, catering, sports, culture, tourism. You can also help strengthen the organization of our local team.
Due to our small size, we usually succeed in making an offer tailored to the volunteer that also benefits the local community. It is difficult to tackle something structurally during a short-term stay, but by responding to local needs, you can still make a useful contribution to local needs during a short period of voluntary work without being a burden to local organizations.
During your stay you can also set aside time to visit specific organizations or institutions (hospital, health centers, schools, etc.) that are associated with your own field of expertise.
We have 3 volunteer houses available in the Kpando region. The accommodations are located in the center within walking distance of the markt, shops, bank, restaurants, schools, hospital, ...
Most projects in Kpando are within walking distance or reachable by bike. The projects in the villages outside Kpando can be reached by bicycle.
Each volunteer house has a living room, equipped kitchen, veranda or balcony and bedrooms.
As a volunteer you sleep alone or you share a room with a known volunteer (so you never share the room with an “unknown” volunteer). Each room has a fan and the windows are fitted with mosquito nets. We also have mosquito nets available.
Sheets are provided, but you must bring your own towels. You also have a fridge with a freezer compartment.
Each volunteer house has an indoor bathroom with cold (refreshing) water that is shared with the other volunteers in the house (maximum 5). For the exceptional moments when there is no tap water, we have several barrels of water in every house.
All your meals are included. One of our local supervisors will cook for you, but you can feel free to come along to the markshopping and helping to cook. You determine your weekly menu together with the supervisor.
For breakfast there is bread, butter, chocolate, cheese spread, jam, egg, honey, tea, fruit juice. You can occasionally opt for local breakfast. Coffee is instant coffee, if you like filter coffee, it's best to bring a pack of coffee from home.
In the afternoon there is a light lunch: some fruit, bread with spreads or a local snack such as koliko (yam) or rice with beans.
For dinner you have a varied menu: pasta, rice, potatoes, chicken, fish, sausages, vegetables. You also have some seasonal fruit available every day (bananas, ananas, watermelon, mango, …). Of course you will also regularly get local dishes (with a western touch) on your plate (plantains, yam, etc.). In recent years we have trained our own cook who has his own catering service. Wisdom can occasionally surprise you with panncakes, smoothies or pizza.
The Volta region is a very beautiful, green beautiful region with several of Ghana's tourist highlights. You have Lake Volta, the mountain range along the border with Togo with numerous waterfalls, idyllic mountain villages, caves and also a monkey reserve.
Most of these attractions can be visited as a day trip from Kpando. The main attractions can be found below:
Lake Volta was formed by the Akosombo Dam in 1966. The dam supplies Ghana with about a third of its energy needs and is also important for transport, fishing and the timber industry.
The lake is a stone's throw from Kpando and is the main attraction for tourism in Kpando. You can go on the lake with the local fishermen and visit one of the inhabited islands on the lake or you can just paddle around with a local fisherman and experience the different fishing techniques. Of course you can also take a refreshing dip in the warm water.
The Avatime Hills form a mountain range on the border with Togo less than an hour's drive from Kpando. You have eight waterfalls, each with their own individuality and of which the best known, the Wli waterfalls, are the highest in all of West Africa and are home to a colony of bats.
You also have a number of idyllic mountain villages that can be the base for trekking through the jungle where you can admire the amazing fauna and flora of the tropical rainforest. You can also climb Mount Afadjato there. At 880 meters, Afadjato is the highest mountain in Ghana. In addition, there are caves where you can climb along or through them.
In the quiet village of Tafi Atome, 10 km from Kpando, you will find a monkey sanctuary. More than 300 Mona monkeys live here in a protected forest with unique vegetation. The monkeys have been protected since the 90s and the proceeds of the project benefit the local population. During a guided walk through the forest, the baby monkeys jump on your arm and eat a banana from your hand.
Volunteering abroad comes at a cost and it is not the intention that the community you will help have to pay for it. If there were sufficient budgets to cover these costs, we would spend it on a local employee who knows the local culture and daily customs. If you want to know more about our transparent system, take a look at the transparency page.
These costs, which you pay on site, are specific to your stay, such as your accommodation and meals. Through payable locally you are also sure that your contribution will go directly to the person who organizes it and will not be left behind at various “intermediate stations”.
Note: these costs are only for individual volunteer work. For group projects, different prices apply depending on various factors
We want to ensure that there is sufficient influx of volunteers to keep each project viable. After all, many projects require continuity from volunteers in order for the project to succeed or to create sufficient impact. Unfortunately, marketing and raising volunteers costs a lot of money. The budgets that the participating organizations collect during recruitment campaigns are used to develop projects in the south for the benefit of the local population and we therefore do not want to address these funds for marketing campaigns.
The membership fee serves to cover the costs of our volunteer platform. We ask each participant for a one-time contribution of €130. This is only the first time volunteering and only after you have been accepted. After payment of this contribution, you can do unlimited volunteer work in the future at any project (if there is room and you meet the requirements of course).
As soon as you are a member, we will inform you as soon as new projects are added to our alliance.
What is your connection fee used for?
You can read all about the possible costs on our transparency page.
We will of course not let you leave without thorough preparation and guidance. With Volunteer Abroad Allliance we have developed a system that ensures that you can sleep soundly and leave with peace of mind for your volunteer work abroad. As soon as you have been accepted and everything has been arranged, you can count on the guidance of our experts.
Once you are registered and accepted for your project, your preparation can begin. You already get a lot to read on the website, but you can also prepare for your trip in other ways. Once you have arrived, you can also count on the guidance of our local team.
Volunteering will have an impact on you and on the local population. We think it is very important to create awareness for you as a volunteer, so that you can optimally prepare for what awaits you as a volunteer. That is why you will receive the login codes for the project page after acceptance as a volunteer. Here you will find information that is important to you as a volunteer for your preparation. You can read everything about your project, accommodation, instructions for a visa application, a packing list, cultural advice for your country and much more…
Our experienced mentor will contact you and will help you with advice and answers to the questions you have. Your mentor is a member of an organization that is part of our alliance and has been working with fundraising for the project you are traveling to for years, so you can speak of a real specialist. Our mentors are members of our alliance and have years of experience in the projects. This system ensures that you receive 100% expert guidance from VAA.
Your safety during your volunteer work is very important to us. We only allow volunteers to travel to areas that we are confident are politically stable. If this is not the case, the project will not proceed. Each participating organization of the alliance closely monitors the security advisories. Of course we can also rely on the local employees of these organizations. They live and work there themselves and know the area very well.
Ghana has a tropical climate. There are two seasons. The dry and rainy season.
Temperature: usually the weather is always nice and warm with temperatures between 30 and 35 degrees during the day. The average temperature per year is about 26°C. The minimum temperature is about 18°C, the maximum temperature is about 45°C. The months of February and March are generally the warmest, while July and August are relatively cooler.
Time: sunrise is always around 5.30:18 am, sunset is around XNUMX pm
The most pleasant moments for activities are the morning and late afternoon from 16 to 18 pm.
Rain: the dry season starts in December and ends approximately in March. A dry desert wind, the harmattan, blows from the northeast. This ensures that it becomes less humid and that it is slightly cooler at night, but the visibility is also less during that period.
During the rainy season it does not rain every day, but it is rather exceptional if there are no rain showers for 3 days in a row. Certain days it can rain heavily all day and your daily program may have to be changed.
In every country where the organizations of our alliance are active, this project has at least one permanent employee. This employee organizes your project and your stay together with your mentor. You can always contact them during your stay; They are there for you for advice and practical information, but you can also count on them in case of an emergency.
On our team page you can look for our local team members.
When you arrive at your destination you will be welcomed by a member of the local team and sometimes even by your mentor. At some destinations you will be picked up by a local VAA employee who will be waiting for you at the airport. In other destinations it is easy to travel independently to your project from the airport. We will then give you an extensive introduction to your new living and working environment.
Once accepted as a volunteer, you will receive a detailed route description from us on how to get to your project. We deliberately do not share this information in advance. The organizations within our alliance take their task seriously, our projects are not tourist attractions. It is also very disturbing for the local employees but also for other volunteers if someone suddenly appears at the projects to take a look.
We are not doctors ourselves and we do not know anyone's personal background. That is why we advise everyone to make an appointment with your doctor or travel vaccination center in good time before traveling to your destination. You can also always take a look at the website of the tropical institute of medicine for the latest state of affairs at your destination.
Every organization within our alliance has an emergency procedure. In addition, you will also receive all emergency telephone numbers once accepted as a volunteer. You can find all this information on your personal project page.
You need to apply for your visa at the nearest Ghanaian embassy. It is best to take a tourist visa. A visa costs 70 euros and is valid for 2 months. You can extend your visa on the spot or pay 'overstay' on return.
Your mentor provides the necessary documents, data and procedure to ensure that the visa application runs smoothly. You will receive this information as soon as you have been accepted as a volunteer.
You probably already understood after reading the foregoing that an average day does not exist during your volunteer work. Every day can be different and that is the beauty but also the challenging thing about volunteering. We ask you to be flexible and proactive at all times.
New ideas and initiatives are continuously being launched and other volunteers may need your help. There is a good chance that you will work on multiple projects. Remember, the more you invest in your experience, the more you get out of it.
What is guaranteed are the pleasant evenings and free time together with the local team and other volunteers, so that you will not get bored and make new friends.
English is the official language in Ghana, but most Ghanaians speak one of the 70 indigenous languages. Ewe is the local language in Kpando and the entire Volta region. The education system has recently been adapted and children only receive English from the 4th grade. From kindergarten they are already taught English as a “subject”. Small children and the unskilled often speak little or no English.
For a smooth communication with the local Ghanaians, some knowledge of the English language is welcome. It is also possible without, but the experience will be slightly different. Before you leave, you will receive a list of Ewe words.
All organizations active in the alliance take their work very seriously. From general preparations to details that you never think about, but that are important to give you a safe, comfortable and meaningful experience. We spend a lot of time preparing, monitoring and executing our preparation materials, but also our on-site projects. We hope for your part that you give 100% during your volunteer work and do this in a respectful way both for us, but even more for the local population.
Be sure to read our page about our vision on volunteering abroad.
Mon-Fri: 9.00 – 17.00 CET – (Dutch & English)