Have you got people skills?

As in much of Africa, education is the key to improving people’s lives and nowhere is this more evident than in Ghana where as a teacher you’ll be welcomed into the community with open arms. As always when you work with children you’re only limited by their imagination so pack lots of enthusiasm. If you’re multi-skilled, expect to be roped in to French, I.T, and science classes as well as drama, art and music too. You’ll be based in the sprawling, jumping capital city of Accra so the kids won’t be the only ones learning new things! This is our favourite type of project, one where you can make a real difference and experience an amazing place at the same time, and we’ll include our TEFL certification just in case you’re not already sold!

Project details:
Volunteers will work at private primary and junior secondary schools. These schools have approximately 200 to 500 children with ages ranging from 4 to 15 years. Classroom sizes are often about 35 children per room. Students in Ghana officially begin their primary education at the age of 6 but as this depends on whether their family can afford to send them, many of the classes have a large mixture of ages. There are six years of primary education to complete, followed by three years in junior secondary classes and three years in senior secondary classes.

Why the project needs volunteers:
In theory Ghana's government provides free primary education for all children, however in reality this is not the case. Whilst there are some government schools, these are few and far between and therefore most of the primary schools in Ghana are privately funded. Often public schools are actually better resourced than private because they receive funding from the state and therefore have more equipment and supplies. Private schools depend on tuition fees and receive no government aid.

Which children go to school and how far up the ladder they progress is very much determined by their family income rather than academic performance: some children may not be able to afford school fees or extra items such as uniforms and books. Also children from poor families may be kept away from school to earn money from jobs instead. As private schools lack financial resources to be able to employ more teachers, volunteers are needed to assist them, to exchange methods of teaching and help continue offer children the education they are entitled to.

What kind of skills you need to go on this type of project:
Volunteers at this project should be open minded, flexible, creative, resourceful and able to use their own initiative. You should also have a genuine love of children of all ages.

Your role as a volunteer:
Apart from the seven main local languages, English is Ghana's official language. You will work at the schools teaching English at various levels and abilities. Most children can speak English fluently but need help in reading and writing. As well as teaching English, schools often need help in teaching subjects such as music, maths, French, science, basic computing etc.

Where the project is based:
All the projects are based in the capital city, Accra, with shops, banks & internet cafes nearby. Volunteers stay in shared self-catering accommodation. Based on the coast, this vibrant city is renowned for its friendly atmosphere where visitors are always welcomed. It's full of contrasts: from traditional culture and history to modern infrastructure.

What exactly do i-to-i provide?

It may seem like a strange concept to pay for your volunteer experience. You'd be right if you think you shouldn't and the truth is you actually don't! Your placement is free; it's the benefits around it that you pay for. It's important to note that i-to-i is a travel company and not a charity. We provide a professional travel service. We are responsible for finding and assessing worthwhile projects across the world, preparing you for the volunteering experience and supporting you whilst you're there.

Here’s some more information about what your placement fee covers….

Project sourcing and assessment

We work with hundreds of locally run partner projects around the world and are constantly sourcing new opportunities. We visit all projects to check that they are worthwhile and legitimate and we also conduct a thorough safety assessment before we'll send volunteers there. More

Expert help-desk

Almost everyone who works for i-to-i has traveled extensively or worked overseas. This means we're a goldmine of information; we're always available to offer support and guidance before, during and after your trip.

Thorough project briefing materials

Once you book on to a project you'll receive a Welcome Pack that contains loads of general information about volunteering, about your chosen country and project, and a DVD about how to have fun and stay safe. We'll also give you advice on visas and inoculations.

TEFL training

If you are volunteering on a Teaching or Community Development project then a 40-hour Online TEFL course is included in your placement fee. This is an internationally recognised and accredited certificate that will help you to make the most of your time overseas. More

Airport pickup

It can be pretty daunting arriving in a different country for the first time… especially after a long flight! If you arrive on your project start date, there'll be a welcoming face at the airport to pick you up and take you to your accommodation.

Arrival orientation

Soon after you arrive you will attend a thorough orientation with our in-country team. This is to cover important safety and security information. You'll also get some tips about sight-seeing options for your time off and maybe even learn some of the local lingo!

Accommodation and meals

Accommodation is included with all projects and meals are even included with some. We only use locally-owned and operated accommodation so that part of your placement fee is filtering back into the local economy. Most projects offer homestay, guesthouse or shared volunteer houses as standard accommodation, but some offer the chance to upgrade to a more comfortable living standard. More

Local in-country coordinators

Your in-country coordinator (ICC) will pick you up from the airport and conduct your orientation upon arrival. All ICC's are English speaking and are locals of your destination country. They won't be at your project every day, but will be on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week if you need them. More

24/7 emergency support

Aside from the local support from your in-country coordinators you'll be given access to a 24/7 emergency phone line manned by i-to-i staff in case any problem should arise while you're overseas. We also hire crisis management professionals Docleaf to be on hand in case of a situation that requires additional expert support. More

Ongoing training

The safety and security of our volunteers is paramount. For this reason we provide ongoing crisis management and emergency response training to our local teams around the world. At the end of 2006 we flew all our in-country coordinators to the UK for thorough training to help them offer the best safety to the thousands of volunteers they support each year. More

Supporting our projects

We don't fund our projects directly, but once a year they are all invited to apply for funding for special projects or resources from our registered charity arm, the i-to-i Foundation. i-to-i funds the operation of the i-to-i Foundation and is the largest single donor. Along with the generous support of our volunteers, we have distributed over US$200,000 in funding in the last two years alone! More  

Recruiting people like you

We make no secrets of the fact that part of your placement fee is reinvested in to recruiting volunteers just like you! The volunteers recruited in one week will typically deliver over 2000 man-days of service. The difference this makes to projects overseas is immeasurable. Many of our overseas projects rely on assistance from international volunteers, so it's necessary for us to put together brochures and websites to find the people who can support them. This recruitment process is vital to ensure programs have a constant stream of reliable volunteers.

The intangible benefits

Volunteering through a company like i-to-i has a lot of intangible benefits to developing overseas communities and the individual projects that we work with. To find out more about our placements. click here

What we will do after you've booked:

• Once booked on you will instantly receive a welcome email confirming your booking with access to your online account
• We will send a Welcome Pack in the post containing further information and a t-shirt, the information in this pack should answer most things you need to know
• Community Development and Teaching customers will receive an email introducing them to their Online TEFL course
• Community Development and Teaching customers will be requested to complete a police check (where relevant) or send through a reference
• We will contact you if we require anything else e.g. CV/resume for some projects, doctors note for medical conditions etc.
• We will hound you to complete your forms and pay your final balance when they are due
• We are available for any questions you may have on 800 352 1794 or operations@i-to-i.com
• We will prepare for your trip and send you an email with final project and accommodation confirmation 21 days before you go

What you need to do after booking your place with us:

• Book your flights
• Arrange suitable travel insurance
• Fill out some extra details through our online interface:
  • application from
  • travel details
  • insurance details
  • medical information
  • emergency contacts
• Complete your police check or request your reference (where relevant)
• Do your Online TEFL Course (where relevant)
• Make final payment at least 60 days before you go
• Make sure you have a visa for your trip if its needed
• Visit a nurse or travel clinic for advice on inoculations and malaria prevention
• Read all details and prepare as much as you can for your trip
• Take contact details of the in country team and where you're going in your hand luggage - just in case!
• Get on the plane!

Orientation Information

You will arrive on the Arrival Date - Friday and will be met at the airport on that day by i-to-i staff (whether it is 12 in the morning or 11:59 at night). You will be taken to Nicky's Guesthouse (see details below) in the Osu region of Accra (see contact details below) where you will have the first day/night to recover from your flight. The accommodation is located within walking distance of the main shops if you wish to have a wander - just ask the accommodation owner or volunteers in country for directions. You will be shown to your permanent accommodation straight away so you can start to get settled.

Insurance

It's important that you get adequate travel insurance for your i-to-i experience and as many of you will be working this often means standard policies won’t work. The good news is that no matter where your coming from we have already found a policy to suit you.

The best time to get your insurance is when you book your project as this means you can get a fully tailored policy exclusive to i-to-i, just ask your consultant for further details at the time of booking.

If you have already booked but still need insurance then you may still be able to take our tailored policy. If, however it was more than a few days ago then try the links below:

Australian customers - find out more here >>

All other customers - find out more here >>

Flights

As with insurance we advise you get these booked as early as possible to avoid high prices and to make sure you arrive on the right day. The i-to-i team is right up to date with the best deals no matter where you’re flying from; their insider knowledge could save you some time and money.

Early Airport Pick-up

If you are arriving before your designated arrival date, we can arrange for an extra meet and greet service for you. For an extra supplement we will be there to meet you at the airport and take you to your orientation accommodation. One additional night accommodation is included in this payment; if you require more than one night please inform the team.

The cost of this Early Pick-up service is US$ 57.00