Green Ghana

The Green Ghana Volunteers Project is the ideal opportunity for short term volunteers. No skills are required and you can make a significant contribution even if you are only staying for one week.
This project aims to build a healthy and sustainable environment in Ghana, whilst also reducing poverty by providing social and economic benefits.
At Green Ghana’s nursery we grow seedlings of the fast-growing and drought-resistant Moringa Oleifera tree. As well as having highly nutritious, health-giving leaves that can be eaten by both humans and animals, this tree is extremely good at absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere so it is also great for the environment. Seedlings are provided to farmers at no cost and are used to regenerate poor or unused farmland. The seedlings are only paid for when the first crop of leaves is harvested.
The trees are also being used to redevelop land that has been heavily mined for construction material. In this way we can also create aesthetically pleasing, recreational spaces for the local community.
We will provide supervision and training to our volunteers so that they can participate in Green Ghana’s diverse range of activities. These include drought resistance projects, growing seedlings at our tree nursery, tree production, tree management, carbon sequestration, tree vegetable nutrition and redeveloping unused or poor land. To sustain a healthy environment, we also encourage and educate local communities to connect with their environment and become active in protecting it.
To find out more about the Green Ghana Project and to hear VPWA’s Executive Director talk about its work visit www.greenghanavolunteers.org.
More About this Project
Green Ghana Volunteers is a project of Volunteer Partnerships for West Africa, an indigenous African founded non-profit development organization whose mandate is to work closely with the Millennium Development Goals(MDGs) through multi faceted approaches that offers opportunities to people of different creed and backgrounds to participate in its work through volunteering.
The project background is to implement green methodologies using locally available low cost resources to alleviate problems of poverty through income generation and job availability, producing viable planting materials for the rehabilitation of degraded lands, generate dry Moringa oleifera leaf to provide accessible raw materials that meet the code of good practice to guarantee sanitary and nutritional status of Moringa products based on published standards for value added products to meet local and international demands and for direct application of the Moringa dried leaf for regenerative health and nutrition starting with local communities in Greater Accra and Eastern Regions of Ghana.
Volunteer Requirements for Green Ghana
- At least 18 years or older
- Good spoken and written English
- Strong interpersonal and communication skills
- Strong commitment to values and principles of volunteerism
- Ability to work in a multi-cultural environment
- Ability to adjust to difficult living and working conditions
- Strong support and advocate for NGOs
- Should be able to work independently and in teams
- Ability to respect and abide by the rules of the placement activity
Further Details
Project Duration | No duration limit |
Dates | Placements available year round |
Cost of Living | Refer to Living Conditions and Cost section Visit www.xe.com for the current exchange rate in your local currency |
Deposit | Registration Fee of of 150 Euros required to secure placement Total Payment required 90 days before arrival |
Location | Greater Accra and Eastern Region of Ghana |
Nearest Airport | Accra Airport (ACC) – (also known as Kotoka International Airport) |
What’s Included in the Project Fees
Registration Fee (Non Refundable if you choose not to go)
- Application Review and processing
- Administration costs
- Visa Support letter
- 24/7 emergency support from VPWA
- Programme marketing costs
- Pre-departure information
- Travel costs to VPWA programmes
- VPWA Education & Health Fund and communication costs with volunteers
Programme Fee
- Airport pick up
- Orientation
- Supervision
- Accommodation and evening meals during volunteer placement period
- In-country 24/7 volunteer support
- In-country administration costs
What’s Not Included
- Airfare to Ghana
- Visa Fees
- Vaccinations and immunizations (please speak to your local GP)
- Personal insurance (required)
- Personal spending
- In-country travel
Accomodation
Volunteers working on VPWA projects live in Greater Accra and Eastern Region. Please confirm your project location with our coordinator. Volunteers live in shared rooms with bunk beds. Couples are advised to inform us if they wish to share a room in advance. The rooms have comfortable beds with pillows and covers, so there is no need to bring sleeping bags. The volunteer apartment has a kitchen with fridge, as well as toilet and shower facilities.
Additional Services Based on Availability
- Basic TWI language orientation (Special Fees apply)
- Mobile phone SIM card number on arrival, so that you can inform family and friends of your number in Ghana
- Certificate of Recognition given to hardworking volunteers, as well as the opportunity to serve as VPWA ambassador in your city, college or community. You need to write a volunteer report covering the period of placement to qualify for the certificate which has the endorsed logo of the United Nations Global Compact.
Health and Safety
Ghana is one of the safest countries in Africa. In the Global Peace Index it is ranked above both the United Kingdom and the United States of America. It provides a perfect introduction for first time volunteers to Africa. It has a democratic electoral process and a stable economy. Our team will ensure your health and safety at all times and you will have emergency support 24/7.
Flights
Volunteers must arrange their own flights to Accra Airport (ACC). Please be aware that you should communicate your arrival date and time to Volunteer Coordinator. The following airlines fly into Accra:
- Alitalia (Lagos, Rome-Fiumicino)
- British Airways (London-Heathrow)
- Delta Air Lines (New York-JFK)
- EgyptAir (Cairo)
- Emirates (Abidjan, Dubai)
- Ethiopian Airlines (Abidjan, Addis Ababa, Lagos, Lome)
- Ghana International Airlines (London-Gatwick, Dusseldorf)
- Kenya Airways (Nairobi, Freetown, Monrovia)
- KLM (Amsterdam)
- Lufthansa (Frankfurt, Lagos)
- South African Airways (Johannesburg)
Visa
You must obtain a volunteer visa for travel to Ghana. Once you have secured your place on the project and made a deposit we will send you a letter confirming your placement for use in your Visa application.