Faced with a lack of infrastructure and low secondary school attendance, Ghana’s literacy rate is estimated to be just 58%. The aim of the Street Library project is to help more children and youths, particularly those in rural areas, discover reading.

Through the use of our Street Library Van, the volunteers move from village to village, set up tent libraries and welcome children to help them improve their literacy. The program is run by Street Library Ghana and supported by a Swedish foundation, Reach for Change and Telecommunication company Tigo.

The ACP Street Library project aims to further develop a cultural activity already implemented in African countries, the Street Libraries, by reinforcing the existing actions and by creating the conditions to leverage and expand this concept to more African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries.

Within this project, the intention rests upon the creation of a set of actions, services and features that will allow actual and future cultural entrepreneurs, NGOs and private and public institutions, to leverage Street Libraries in ACP Countries, developing this cultural action at regional, national and international levels as well as maximize its impact on local populations, especially in children and young people.

The three countries involved in the project – Cameroon, Ghana and Liberia – have rich and diverse cultural traditions, but artists and cultural entrepreneurs have limited means for distributing culture. For example, in Ghana, as part of the Poverty Reduction Strategy, the government recognized the need for increased means of distribution of arts by agreeing to create avenues for distribution of art, exhibitions, and live performances. The Ghana Book Trust developed a book distribution program in order to promote a greater access to books and culture. Artists in Cameroon may receive support for performances from the government, and UNESCO is funding a project to catalogue audio-visual materials. In Liberia, artists have expressed the need for more means of distributing cultural materials as well as more government/sponsor support. It is estimated that more than 45% of youth are illiterate. Even in countries where the government or sponsors provide support for exhibitions or performances, these events happen for a short period of time and are often not accessible to people living in rural areas. In addition to a lack of access to cultural materials, low means of distribution also have an economic impact on artists and cultural entrepreneurs.

This project proposes to address access to literary culture, visual arts, and music through mobile telephony. The date from World Bank 2011 data suggests large mobile phone penetration for the selected countries (41% in Liberia, 53% in Cameroon, and over 85% in Ghana). This offers the potential of a decentralized and entrepreneurial approach for the distribution of cultural materials using mobile telephones in street libraries.

The main objective of the ACP Street Library project is to contribute to the development of culture in ACP countries mainly by promoting the creation of new Street Libraries and the modernization of existing ones. The partners of involved in the project – Microsoft MLDC, VPWA (NGO), ASRAD – Appui Solidaire Pour Le Renforcement De L’aide Au Developpement and YCWL – Youth Crime Watch of Liberia – plan to develop a set of activities related with the ACP Cultural sector promotion and consolidation, mainly by encouraging the preservation of local cultures that are currently only transmitted in oral format.

There are four specific objectives associated to the project implementation, namely: Increase the number of ACP Street Libraries, Increase the number of books available for oral reading in ACP Street Libraries, Improve existing databases of ACP countries local culture and Improve ACP countries discussion and cooperation platforms.

The key stakeholders of the project will be the actual and future cultural entrepreneurs who will benefit from the project and gain the opportunity to promote and disseminate their artistic work. NGOs,private and public institutions will also benefit from the project by building the necessary capacity to create new Street Libraries and cultural projects, as well as the universities and research centers who will benefit from the new project results by promoting technology transfer to the local students. Most importantly, the local population will largely benefit from the implementation of this project. Children and young people of ACP countries will have access to more cultural resources and will be able to preserve their history and local legends for generations to come.

• 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

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
• Program marketing costs
• Pre-departure information
• Travel costs to VPWA programs
• VPWA Education & Health Fund and communication costs with volunteers

Program Fee

• Airport pick up
• Orientation
• Supervision
• Accommodation and evening meals during volunteer placement period
• In-country 24/7 volunteer support
• In-country administration costs

• Airfare to Ghana
• Visa Fees
• Vaccinations and immunizations (please speak to your local GP)
• Personal insurance (required)
• Personal spending
• In-country travel

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.

• 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.

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.

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)

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.