Country Profile

Population: 24.3 Million

Religion: 68.8% Christian, 15.9% Muslim, 15.3% Traditional, Other & None

Language: English is official language, and ten major local languages are widely spoken

Poverty Line: 28.5% of the country’s population lives below the poverty line

Interesting Tidbit: Ghana was the first African nation to gain independence form colonial powers.

Weather: Wet season is late April to October. Dry season is November to late March.

Passport/Visa Requirements

• Is a visa required?: Yes
• Allocation of Tourist Visa: Before Departure
• Duration of Tourist visa: 1 to 3 months
• Cost of Tourist Visa: Varies, but you can expect to pay 60USD
• Tourist Visa Extension: Possible up to two years
• Cost of Tourist Visa Extension: Variable
• Passport validation: 6 months required before expiry
• Return/onward flight ticket: Required
• Confirmation of Funds: May be required
• For more information visit the websites of Ghana representation abroad:
  • Canada
  • USA
  • UK
  • Australia

Money/Currency

• Currency: Ghana New Cedi (GHS)
• Inform Banks: Give the dates of travel and destinations to prevent security blocks on your bank and credit cards.
• Cash: Always take enough cash to cover your expenses for the first week in case there is a problem with your bank cards or access to ATM’s is limited.
• Credit Options: Good idea to have at least two different credit/debit card options i.e. MasterCard, Visa, Maestro, or Cirrus.
• Travellers Cheques: Not recommended as they will be difficult to cash.
• Western Union: If at any time you have any problems in accessing money you can use Western Union transfer. Money can be sent from your home country and received in Ghana the same day.

Healthcare

• Vaccinations: Yellow fever (and proof of vaccination) is required. All other vaccinations are recommended. You must contact your local health clinic or family doctor for any medical advice.
• Malaria medication: Recommended
• Other Medications: Before leaving you should visit your travel clinic or family doctor for information on other medications you may need while travelling.
• Click here for up to date travel health information.

History

Present day Ghana has been inhabited since approximately 4000BC. Many tribes co-existed with none showing real dominance until the 1600’s, when the Ashanti Kingdom rose up as the most powerful in the land. Much of their wealth was derived from gold. At this time, Kumasi, the centre of the kingdom had amenities comparable to those in Europe.

Portuguese, French, British, Swedish, and Danish explorers all arrived on Ghanaian shores. Colonial powers built forts or castles, which were a transit point for commodity trading, the most notable commodity being slaves. Some of these castles are still standing today (Cape Coast and Elmina castles have been preserved, and you can visit the museum and old slave holding rooms in each). The Ashanti played a major role in the trans-Atlantic slave trade, and the abolition of slavery in 1821 finally ended the Ashanti dominance.

Ghana later became a British colony. Then, led by a charismatic leader Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana became the first African country to gain independence in 1957. Nkrumah’s popularity declined before long, and he was removed by a military in coup in 1966. Government struggles remained until 1992 when democracy was officially introduced. Today Ghana is a peaceful West African country making considerable inroads to development.

Major Issues

On the UN Human Development Index, Ghana ranks 130 out of 169 countries. It is notable that it is considered more developed than many other African countries. Though better off than many of its neighbours, Ghana is still a developing country with much progress to be made. A quarter of a million people are living with HIV and forty percent of the population can not read. On a positive note, Ghana is benefiting from several international debt relief initiatives, namely the Heavily Indebted Poor Country program and the Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative. Ghana is also improving macroeconomic stability, private sector competitiveness, human resource development, good governance, and civic responsibility.

See & Do

• The castles of Cape Coast and Elmina, historical slave trading centres
• Kakum and Mole National Parks
• Wechiau Hippo Sanctuary
• Surfing, fishing, and beaches at Busua and Dixcove
• Kumasi, former capital of the Ashanti Kingdom
• Agumatsa WIldlife Sanctuary and Waterfalls

In-Country Support

We manage all aspects of your placement overseas including lodging, language lessons, organization placement, and country specific advice. This project is managed by THEX Director, Allison Fedorkiw.

Allison Fedorkiw

Allison is the founder and director of The Humanity Exchange. She started her international career in the Ivory Coast, where she was engaged in work against HIV and AIDS. It didn’t take long before she returned to travel much of the West African region, where she conducted research on both post-conflict reconciliation and child trafficking. In Canada, Allison has had the opportunity to deliver anti-racism education from coast to coast, and she has worked with various marginalized populations including incarcerated youth, homeless, and immigrants and refugees. From the communities where she has lived and worked, Allison has understood firsthand the great impact of volunteerism and fostering leadership in others. It was the combination of these elements that seeded the roots for The Humanity Exchange.

1.  Why can’t I find much information on Nkroful when I search the internet?

Nkroful is not often frequented by tourists. Therefore, unlike destinations within Ghana with heavy tourist traffic, you will not find much information on Nkroful. Nkroful is a small fishing village a few kilometres from the beach. It is removed from the rush of the tourist route, yet close to excellent attractions such as Kakum National Park, Axim Beach, and the Cape Coast and Elmina castles.

2.  I’ve heard Ghanaians are strong Christians. Will it be a problem if I am not Christian?

In Ghana, like in many West African nations, you will notice a strong Christian presence. It tends to be more overt in Ghana with local businesses being named after all things holy. For example, you’ll see the “Jesus Loves You FOREX,” “Redemption Restaurant,” or “God is Good Hotel” in many towns and cities. Don’t be overwhelmed though. It is a unique expression of faith, and Ghanaians are tolerant of other religions and cultures. Curious people may ask you about your spiritual beliefs or lack thereof, but there is no ill intention. There is mutual respect of personal beliefs between volunteers and local people. All are welcome.

3.  You enable volunteers to help local communities, yet you are partnering with a corporation to make this happen. Isn’t that a conflict of interest?

No. It would be unreasonable to assume all corporations are bad. Some corporations, such as Adamus, have a vested interest in helping local communities. In this circumstance, if corporations and the voluntary sector align efforts, there is potential for greater positive change. Adamus supports volunteer activity as an integral part of their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) portfolio.

Raison d’Etre

When a corporation and voluntary sector organization share a vested interest in helping local communities and contributing to development, there is potential for greater positive change to be achieved by working together.

Relationship Defined

Adamus is a company mining gold in Ghana, which supports community based organizations (CBOs), located near their work. For example, Adamus has built three schools, trained over a hundred youth in trades, and supported the distribution of malaria bed nets in Ghana.

Now Adamus is breaking new ground with the introduction of partnership with The Humanity Exchange. Adamus enables volunteers from around the world to volunteer with CBOs by providing logistical support, namely the provision of food, accommodation, and airport transfer for volunteers.

Objectives

-Connect talented and motivated volunteers to communities in need, maximizing the contributions of international volunteers in the local area.

-Offer a program in which the volunteer can learn valuable skills for a future career, encouraging involvement in international development, social enterprise, or corporate social responsibility long beyond the timeline of the program.

About Adamus in Ghana

Adamus has had a presence in Ghana since 2002 and has strived to maintain excellent relationships with local communities. Adamus remains committed to ensuring that its operations provide long term positive benefits to the various local communities where the Company conducts its exploration activities and planned mine operations. Click here for a full overview of Adamus’ contributions to training and education, health, water, and other sectors.

Volunteer Profile & Application Info

All programs in Ghana are supported by Adamus. Use the search function to view our programs in Ghana. We host a limited number of volunteers (max. two per time period), for a period of two to four months. We also run short term medical team annually.

The typical volunteer for our program in Ghana will:

• have previous experience in a developing country, preferably living with local communities in Africa
• be independent and demonstrate initiative
• be outgoing and demonstrate confidence in new environments
• demonstrate flexibility, strong leadership skills, and excellent ability to adapt