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Volunteering with EBENSU
Have you thought about volunteering or doing an internship in Africa?
Would you like to make a real difference in the life of people as a volunteer/intern with EBENSU Foundation? To volunteer in Ghana please read on…
VOLUNTEER / INTERNSHIP with EBENSU
About EBENSU Volunteer Program
General Info
Travel, Visa & insurance
Pre-departure & Arrival
Accommodation & Food
Terms & Conditions
Donations
General Info
EBENSU welcomes volunteers to our many varied projects throughout the year. We also arrange for placements within local facilities such as hospitals and clinics, rural schools, special needs children’s facilities, and vocational training schools to list a few. Join the EBENSU Volunteer Program and you will be working directly with people at the grassroots level to change live within our rural communities and villages in the Central Region, Ghana.
Volunteer placements will be carefully coordinated with you according to your expertise, capabilities, desired experience, and length of stay. Come share your heart and your skills with us!
For more information on current volunteer opportunities, please contact us here: email info@ebensufoundation.org. or call us at EBENSU foundation: +4530487534/+233248717203
Placements May Be Offered To Volunteers Who Meet The Requirements Stated Below.
- Over 16 years
- Able to communicate in English
If you wish to apply, please fill out our online information form
RELEVANT SKILLS
Preferably you will have a qualification, skills, capabilities and/or experience relevant to that of EBENSU Foundation, examples of which are listed below.
If you do not have skills in any of these areas and would still like to work as a volunteer/interns, you can still apply. We welcome all kinds of flexible volunteers/interns who are willing to lend a hand. On your application form, you can tell us about your experiences and explain how you think your skills could benefit EBENSU’s work with the less privileged individuals living in our communities.
Teaching:
Our teaching program enrolls interns/volunteers in teaching positions at local schools from Kindergarten through Junior High School level.
Special Needs assistance:
Our special need assistance program is for individuals who would like to give a helping hand to the aged and kids with special needs.
Nursing (general & pediatric):
This program deals with enrolling individuals to the health center in our rural-urban communities and also assisting with health screening activities.
Sports Coaching:
With Sports Coaching, individuals will coach in educational centers and within the communities to help nurture potential in children. This program cuts across many demographics, including disabled sports.
Agriculture:
With agriculture, volunteers/interns have an opportunity for first-hand experience on local community and our partner farms.
Community Development:
Under the community development, interns/volunteers help support general activities and work within the communities in which they live. in and one which can impart directly in the life’s of the people who really need it most and this takes shape in various forms like building projects, sanitation and personal hygiene as well.
Fire Fighting:
Volunteers can come into the country to help or contribute to the fire fighting within our communities, educate them on the risk, prevention and ways to extinguish fires which happen at home.
Cooking:
Under the cooking program volunteers/interns come in to learn how foods of African origin are being prepared. They take turns to study/learn, prepare and serve such foods.
Administration:
Volunteers/Interns are being placed to institutions where administrative works are being done and also can work directly with the foundation at their offices.
Clothing Design:
Under this programme volunteers/interns are been made to learn how cloths of African designs, Batik-Tie and Dye are been produced.
Television Presenter:
With the television program you get the advantage of working with our local tv/radio stations on reporting and hosting various programmes.
Crafts:
Training programmes such as beads making, basketry are been made.
Research:
Individuals who wants to organize Research works pertaining to African origin and are always welcomed to embark their research works in the country.
African Music, Drumming and Dance Lessons:
Volunteers/Interns who would like to learn music and Dance of African origin and Learning instruments of African origin such as the Jembe drum, Kpanlogo, Kete sets, Tambaline and many more.
“Tell me and I will forget, show me and I may remember, involve me and I will understand.” – Confucius
Travel, Visa & insurance
After submitting your application form, our staff members will evaluate and process your application and once you get accepted into one or more of our projects, you will receive all the needed information and support from both our local staff and our international volunteer advisors and mentors. These two parties will be at your assistance to give you in-depth information about travel document applications, packing list, cultural advice, work ethics and so on. All our international volunteer advisors will be available to give you advice about all the things you need to know and also answer all questions you may have for them even when you are in Ghana and still want their help.
This list was been compiled through responses from Volunteers serving in-country and is based on their experience. Use it as an informal guide in making your own list, bearing in mind that each experience is individual. There is no perfect list! You obviously cannot convey everything on the list, so consider those items that make the most sense to you personally and professionally. You can always have things sent to you later. As you decide what to bring, keep in mind there is a 100-pound weight limit on baggage. And remember, you can get almost everything you need in-country.
Essential for Everyone
- Lightweight towel (dark colors; high-absorbent camping towels are great for traveling)
- High density memory stick or other form of media for storing computer files, pictures, music, etc. Bring one even if you’re not bringing a laptop.
- Lightweight waterproof jacket
- Bathing suit (conservative is advisable)
- Durable flashlight (e.g., Maglite or head lamp) Two pairs of lightweight trousers
- Multi-tool (e.g., Swiss Army or Leatherman)
- Hat
Optional
- Two pairs of athletic shorts (for sports or at home only)
- Running shoes or sports shoes
- Jeans (nice quality, i.e., no rips or holes; some people feel they are too hot, others wear them regularly)
Men
- Two pair of nice, lightweight cotton pants, Dockers-style (pants must NOT be baggy or drag on the ground)
- Five pairs of cotton socks
- One belt (Ghanaians wear dress shirts tucked in and pants belted; more casual shirts with a straight hem are worn un-tucked)
- Two polo-style cotton shirts with a collar
- Three cotton short-sleeved button-down shirts with collars
- Five T-shirts
Women
- Two dress blouses or shirts for mix and match with skirts
- Two pairs of cotton pants for work and play
- Two or three light cotton dresses or skirts (these should be below the knees or longer)
- One slip (essential to keep perspiration from your body and to prevent seeing through your lightweight dresses and skirts; nylon or synthetic works fine)
- Two to three pair of sturdy casual dress shoes (no heels)
- Five nice T-shirts (if printed, no controversial topics regarding politics, drugs, or sex) for mix and match with skirts
- Sports bras
- Underwear
A note to women: It is acceptable for women to wear trousers, so bring whatever you are comfortable in, either pants, skirts, or both. However, it is not the norm to teach or attend professional meetings in trousers. Teachers will wear dresses or skirts for work every day. Bring your most comfortable dress or skirt and it can be copied here by a tailor. You can also have inexpensive dresses made or buy secondhand clothes.
Good-quality, comfortable, cotton underwear is very hard to buy in Ghana, so this is one thing you will want to invest in before you come. Men find that boxers are cooler than briefs. Women should bring about five cotton bras. Cotton is a must. Elastic self-destroys in the tropics. You may want to bring enough underwear so you can put some aside for your second year.
Warning: The Army-Navy Surplus store is a great place to start shopping, but do not buy any clothes that appear to be military issue or that bear any military insignia. It is illegal in Ghana to wear military-style clothing.
Shoes
- Two to three pairs of sturdy shoes (one of these might be a pair of lightweight hiking or trail shoes)
Personal Hygiene and Toiletry Items
Bring lotions, shampoo, and items that you really like to have around, and bring deodorant, unless you like roll-ons. Do not bring toothpaste—it is available everywhere. Bring enough of these items to get you through the first three weeks of pre-service training. After that, you can buy what you need here.
Miscellaneous
- Water bottle
- Compact umbrella (though they can be bought here)
- Thermarest pad (these are expensive; bring it if you already own it, but it is not necessary)
- Your favorite books and textbooks—bring some for training and trading (but have most of them mailed to you)
- Eyeglasses (two pair, since replacements take a long time to arrive from the States)
- Eyeglass repair kit
- Money belt or other means of concealing your passport and valuables when traveling.
Volunteers/Interns who come to Ghana to do their volunteer/interns works mostly fly into the country in the evening or night time. As soon as you step off the plane, you will be greeted by a very warm humidity that is mostly being experienced at night due to the equatorial region the country itself lies within. You will then go through immigration control and after that proceed to the luggage retrieval area which could be very crowded at times and may take a while before you retrieve your items.
As you head to the main arrival hall, you should be mindful and ready to have your passport and luggage(s) checked by security personal(s) at post to see if the names match up and sometimes you might also be asked to open your bags for random search/checks even when you have nothing to declare.
There is always a staff(s) of EBENSU foundation waiting at the airport in the midst of hundreds of people at the main arrival area to meet you, and pick you up to your final destination. As you walk out of the airport to the main arrival area, you would have to look up for one of our staff member(s) waving a meeting sign with EBENSU Foundation and logo boldly written on a placard name and another sign with your name on it. We also make sure that we send incoming volunteers and interns a picture and information of the staff member(s) who comes to get them at the airport at least a day or two before departure just to avoid any inconveniences (please don’t talk to or go with anyone who cannot welcome you with your full name and a few basic information about you).
Depending on what time you arrive in Ghana (Kotoka International Airport-Accra) we will determine if you stay a night in the capital city or travel straight to Cape Coast. If your flight is late in the night, then you will stay overnight in a decent hostel or a guesthouse in Accra which will be arranged by us and travel to Cape Coast the next morning to your host family where you will be staying for the entire period designated for your volunteer/interns work.
Every volunteer or intern or any group of volunteers who comes to Ghana will be assigned a supervisor who will be at the airport to pick you up on arrival and you off before departure. All our volunteer supervisors carry some form of identification for verification. The volunteer supervisor will normally be the same person responsible for you introduction. This is where they will give you a welcome pack detail of the local area and where to find important places like the banks, hospital and other relevant places like our offices.
You will also get a tour of the area and how to access the local transportation system you will be using regularly for work and other things. You will also be given a talk about the tradition and the customs of the people and about what to expect on a daily basis which might surprise you at times at least if not every time. The main reason of these kinds of meetings and talks is to make you feel welcomed and be able to fit into your new environment easily and faster than usual.
Orientation
A volunteer supervisor of EBENSU foundation will come to meet you at your place of residence the next day after your arrival and your day will be spent entirely on getting a complete introduction and orientation, showing you how to get your way around the city, where important shops and places you need to know are located, health and safety matters and so on. The volunteer administrator will then hand you over to the project director after the introduction and your project coordinator will take you to your project placement for you to be introduced formally to everyone and everything.
In some cases, volunteers will walk to work or take a shared taxi and others will take a minibus known as tro-tro in our local dialect. Your project director will make sure that you are conversant with the journey from your host family to your work place and back.
WELCOME ADDRESS
Dear Volunteer/Interns,
EBENSU Foundation welcomes you to Ghana! We are excited for your upcoming trip here and we hope that this volunteer pack will help you get prepared for your trip and learn a little more about what EBENSU is all about and what we do. At any point during your trip preparation, feel free to contact us with any questions. We understand that travel to a foreign country can be intimidating.
We believe that you will enjoy your time in Ghana a lot. It is a beautiful country with a very interesting history.
KNOWING GHANA
- The name Ghana means warrior king and harks back to the days of the Ghana Empire between the 9th and 13th centuries. Ghana’s total area is 238,533 sq km (92,098 sq miles) with a population of over 25.5 million citizens.
- A West African country bordering on the Gulf of Guinea, Ghana is bounded by Côte d’Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Atlantic Ocean to the south. It compares in size to Oregon
- Ghanaians speak over 40 languages throughout its 10 regions. English is the official language, but most people speak several languages as well. Major languages spoken in Ghana includes Akan, Ewe, Ga-Adangbe, Dagomba and others.
- Ghana was ranked as Africa’s most peaceful country by the Global Peace Index.
- The currency unit in Ghana is called the cedi. The word “cedi” comes from a local word meaning a cowry shell. Cowry shells (from sea snails) were once used as money in Ghana.
- Ghana has the largest market in West Africa. It’s called Kejetia market and it’s located in Kumasi, the Ashanti region’s capital. There you can find everything under the hot Ghanaian sun, from local crafts — beads, cloth and sandals — to second-hand jeans and clothing, and meats, fruit and vegetables. The traditional cloth of the Ghanaian people is the bright and colorful kente cloth. In the north, the men wear loose flowing clothes (Smock) made of darker cloth.
- There are six national parks and many smaller nature reserves, which were set up to help protect Ghana’s wildlife. There are over 650 butterfly species in the Kakum National Park, including the giant swallowtails, which are nearly 8 inches (20 centimeters) across.
- Lake Volta, in the Volta region of the country, is the world’s largest man-made lake. It’s 250 miles long and covers 3,283 square miles, or 3.6 percent of Ghana’s area.
VOLUNTEER PROJECT PLACEMENT INFO
All our applicants who come into the country will be provided with engagement details during their orientation and the details will include the addresses and phone numbers of your work place and supervisors.
PROGRAM FEE
Our program fee include; Accommodation, Feeding (Optional-upon request), Airport pick-up and drop-off, Placement and in-country induction, Branded EBENSU T-Shirts/Lactose. Exclude: Insurance (medical and theft), Flight booking, Reservation and Arrangement, VISA, Air ticket, Vaccination, and Local Transportation.
CERTIFICATIONS AND RECOGNITION OF SERVICE
Volunteer(s)/Interns end of service recognition/acknowledgement is one of top priorities of EBENSU. Certificates/Citations are given to volunteers for their selfless services to the needy society. Admirable gifts are given to volunteers from host family and from EBENSU as well.
Pre-departure & Arrival
After submitting your application form, our staff members will evaluate and process your application and once you get accepted into one or more of our projects, you will receive all the needed information and support from both our local staff and our international volunteer advisors and mentors. These two parties will be at your assistance to give you in-depth information about travel document applications, packing list, cultural advice, work ethics and so on. All our international volunteer advisors will be available to give you advice about all the things you need to know and also answer all questions you may have for them even when you are in Ghana and still want their help.
This list was been compiled through responses from Volunteers serving in-country and is based on their experience. Use it as an informal guide in making your own list, bearing in mind that each experience is individual. There is no perfect list! You obviously cannot convey everything on the list, so consider those items that make the most sense to you personally and professionally. You can always have things sent to you later. As you decide what to bring, keep in mind there is a 100-pound weight limit on baggage. And remember, you can get almost everything you need in-country.
Essential for Everyone
- Lightweight towel (dark colors; high-absorbent camping towels are great for traveling)
- High density memory stick or other form of media for storing computer files, pictures, music, etc. Bring one even if you’re not bringing a laptop.
- Lightweight waterproof jacket
- Bathing suit (conservative is advisable)
- Durable flashlight (e.g., Maglite or head lamp) Two pairs of lightweight trousers
- Multi-tool (e.g., Swiss Army or Leatherman)
- Hat
Optional
- Two pairs of athletic shorts (for sports or at home only)
- Running shoes or sports shoes
- Jeans (nice quality, i.e., no rips or holes; some people feel they are too hot, others wear them regularly)
Men
- Two pair of nice, lightweight cotton pants, Dockers-style (pants must NOT be baggy or drag on the ground)
- Five pairs of cotton socks
- One belt (Ghanaians wear dress shirts tucked in and pants belted; more casual shirts with a straight hem are worn un-tucked)
- Two polo-style cotton shirts with a collar
- Three cotton short-sleeved button-down shirts with collars
- Five T-shirts
Women
- Two dress blouses or shirts for mix and match with skirts
- Two pairs of cotton pants for work and play
- Two or three light cotton dresses or skirts (these should be below the knees or longer)
- One slip (essential to keep perspiration from your body and to prevent seeing through your lightweight dresses and skirts; nylon or synthetic works fine)
- Two to three pair of sturdy casual dress shoes (no heels)
- Five nice T-shirts (if printed, no controversial topics regarding politics, drugs, or sex) for mix and match with skirts
- Sports bras
- Underwear
A note to women: It is acceptable for women to wear trousers, so bring whatever you are comfortable in, either pants, skirts, or both. However, it is not the norm to teach or attend professional meetings in trousers. Teachers will wear dresses or skirts for work every day. Bring your most comfortable dress or skirt and it can be copied here by a tailor. You can also have inexpensive dresses made or buy secondhand clothes.
Good-quality, comfortable, cotton underwear is very hard to buy in Ghana, so this is one thing you will want to invest in before you come. Men find that boxers are cooler than briefs. Women should bring about five cotton bras. Cotton is a must. Elastic self-destroys in the tropics. You may want to bring enough underwear so you can put some aside for your second year.
Warning: The Army-Navy Surplus store is a great place to start shopping, but do not buy any clothes that appear to be military issue or that bear any military insignia. It is illegal in Ghana to wear military-style clothing.
Shoes
- Two to three pairs of sturdy shoes (one of these might be a pair of lightweight hiking or trail shoes)
Personal Hygiene and Toiletry Items
Bring lotions, shampoo, and items that you really like to have around, and bring deodorant, unless you like roll-ons. Do not bring toothpaste—it is available everywhere. Bring enough of these items to get you through the first three weeks of pre-service training. After that, you can buy what you need here.
Miscellaneous
- Water bottle
- Compact umbrella (though they can be bought here)
- Thermarest pad (these are expensive; bring it if you already own it, but it is not necessary)
- Your favorite books and textbooks—bring some for training and trading (but have most of them mailed to you)
- Eyeglasses (two pair, since replacements take a long time to arrive from the States)
- Eyeglass repair kit
- Money belt or other means of concealing your passport and valuables when traveling.
Volunteers/Interns who come to Ghana to do their volunteer/interns works mostly fly into the country in the evening or night time. As soon as you step off the plane, you will be greeted by a very warm humidity that is mostly being experienced at night due to the equatorial region the country itself lies within. You will then go through immigration control and after that proceed to the luggage retrieval area which could be very crowded at times and may take a while before you retrieve your items.
As you head to the main arrival hall, you should be mindful and ready to have your passport and luggage(s) checked by security personal(s) at post to see if the names match up and sometimes you might also be asked to open your bags for random search/checks even when you have nothing to declare.
There is always a staff(s) of EBENSU foundation waiting at the airport in the midst of hundreds of people at the main arrival area to meet you, and pick you up to your final destination. As you walk out of the airport to the main arrival area, you would have to look up for one of our staff member(s) waving a meeting sign with EBENSU Foundation and logo boldly written on a placard name and another sign with your name on it. We also make sure that we send incoming volunteers and interns a picture and information of the staff member(s) who comes to get them at the airport at least a day or two before departure just to avoid any inconveniences (please don’t talk to or go with anyone who cannot welcome you with your full name and a few basic information about you).
Depending on what time you arrive in Ghana (Kotoka International Airport-Accra) we will determine if you stay a night in the capital city or travel straight to Cape Coast. If your flight is late in the night, then you will stay overnight in a decent hostel or a guesthouse in Accra which will be arranged by us and travel to Cape Coast the next morning to your host family where you will be staying for the entire period designated for your volunteer/interns work.
Every volunteer or intern or any group of volunteers who comes to Ghana will be assigned a supervisor who will be at the airport to pick you up on arrival and you off before departure. All our volunteer supervisors carry some form of identification for verification. The volunteer supervisor will normally be the same person responsible for you introduction. This is where they will give you a welcome pack detail of the local area and where to find important places like the banks, hospital and other relevant places like our offices.
You will also get a tour of the area and how to access the local transportation system you will be using regularly for work and other things. You will also be given a talk about the tradition and the customs of the people and about what to expect on a daily basis which might surprise you at times at least if not every time. The main reason of these kinds of meetings and talks is to make you feel welcomed and be able to fit into your new environment easily and faster than usual.
Orientation
A volunteer supervisor of EBENSU foundation will come to meet you at your place of residence the next day after your arrival and your day will be spent entirely on getting a complete introduction and orientation, showing you how to get your way around the city, where important shops and places you need to know are located, health and safety matters and so on. The volunteer administrator will then hand you over to the project director after the introduction and your project coordinator will take you to your project placement for you to be introduced formally to everyone and everything.
In some cases, volunteers will walk to work or take a shared taxi and others will take a minibus known as tro-tro in our local dialect. Your project director will make sure that you are conversant with the journey from your host family to your work place and back.
WELCOME ADDRESS
Dear Volunteer/Interns,
EBENSU Foundation welcomes you to Ghana! We are excited for your upcoming trip here and we hope that this volunteer pack will help you get prepared for your trip and learn a little more about what EBENSU is all about and what we do. At any point during your trip preparation, feel free to contact us with any questions. We understand that travel to a foreign country can be intimidating.
We believe that you will enjoy your time in Ghana a lot. It is a beautiful country with a very interesting history.
KNOWING GHANA
- The name Ghana means warrior king and harks back to the days of the Ghana Empire between the 9th and 13th centuries. Ghana’s total area is 238,533 sq km (92,098 sq miles) with a population of over 25.5 million citizens.
- A West African country bordering on the Gulf of Guinea, Ghana is bounded by Côte d’Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Atlantic Ocean to the south. It compares in size to Oregon
- Ghanaians speak over 40 languages throughout its 10 regions. English is the official language, but most people speak several languages as well. Major languages spoken in Ghana includes Akan, Ewe, Ga-Adangbe, Dagomba and others.
- Ghana was ranked as Africa’s most peaceful country by the Global Peace Index.
- The currency unit in Ghana is called the cedi. The word “cedi” comes from a local word meaning a cowry shell. Cowry shells (from sea snails) were once used as money in Ghana.
- Ghana has the largest market in West Africa. It’s called Kejetia market and it’s located in Kumasi, the Ashanti region’s capital. There you can find everything under the hot Ghanaian sun, from local crafts — beads, cloth and sandals — to second-hand jeans and clothing, and meats, fruit and vegetables. The traditional cloth of the Ghanaian people is the bright and colorful kente cloth. In the north, the men wear loose flowing clothes (Smock) made of darker cloth.
- There are six national parks and many smaller nature reserves, which were set up to help protect Ghana’s wildlife. There are over 650 butterfly species in the Kakum National Park, including the giant swallowtails, which are nearly 8 inches (20 centimeters) across.
- Lake Volta, in the Volta region of the country, is the world’s largest man-made lake. It’s 250 miles long and covers 3,283 square miles, or 3.6 percent of Ghana’s area.
VOLUNTEER PROJECT PLACEMENT INFO
All our applicants who come into the country will be provided with engagement details during their orientation and the details will include the addresses and phone numbers of your work place and supervisors.
PROGRAM FEE
Our program fee include; Accommodation, Feeding (Optional-upon request), Airport pick-up and drop-off, Placement and in-country induction, Branded EBENSU T-Shirts/Lactose. Exclude: Insurance (medical and theft), Flight booking, Reservation and Arrangement, VISA, Air ticket, Vaccination, and Local Transportation.
CERTIFICATIONS AND RECOGNITION OF SERVICE
Volunteer(s)/Interns end of service recognition/acknowledgement is one of top priorities of EBENSU. Certificates/Citations are given to volunteers for their selfless services to the needy society. Admirable gifts are given to volunteers from host family and from EBENSU as well.
Accommodation & Food
Would you prefer staying in a Hostel or with a Host family?
ACCOMMODATION
All interns and volunteers who come to Ghana have the option of staying at a hostel facility or with a host family. All the host families are carefully chosen based on meeting up with the required standards of hosting a guest such as; availability of water and electricity, cleanliness and on top of it all maximum security. The host families always make sure that volunteers feel at home because your comfort is their priority. It is also possible for our volunteers/interns to stay in our rural villages where they will get to experience a new environment for working and living. We offer each individual the opportunity to stay in our rural village and also get several impressions of daily Ghanaian lives. Our staff mentors all the host families on regular basis to ensure that all the basic needs of our volunteers and interns are met and so is their well-being.
FEEDING
All volunteers/interns who come into the country upon arrival are being fed with a three square meal on daily basis upon request. Our caterers are very much aware of the nature and the kind of individuals that we deal with as a result we make sure that they are all certified by obtaining the required documents/certificates needed before operating a food delivery/distribution services. As and when you want to be fed, you must do well to inform us so that we make the necessary arrangements for your meals to be served on time.
Underdeveloped Infrastructure: Some roads are in poor/deplorable states and may be eroded and un-motorable during the wet/rainy season especially in our rural communities. You may have to walk or cycle as much as 20 minutes to an hour maximum sometimes over rough terrains to the main road to catch public transportation (taxi, small truck or mini-bus locally known as tro-tro) to a bigger city. In addition, there has been a growth in road construction throughout the country so travelling can be affected by this.
Utilities/telecommunications: Facilities such as electricity, running water, and cell phone reception will vary from place to place. There may be periods of time without electricity. Cell phone coverage is improving but there are still some “dead” zones. Internet connectivity is slow and a little bit expensive, although most Volunteers can access internet. One or two telephone service providers have an office with a mini internet café in some metropolis/municipalities. Accessing internet through data usage/Mifi is very common in the districts. Some Volunteers have more than one Sim Card from different providers to take advantage of different data packages and offerings.
All accommodations that we provide are clean, hygienic and comfortable. We do regular checks to make sure that the host families are always up to the standards or aims that we necessitate of being a host to our volunteers. We also ensure that at least every host family have one member of the family who can express himself/herself in the English language by being able to understand and speak it fluently to break the language barrier.
We can also do regular checks by visiting the work placement of the volunteers before, during and after the volunteers stay. We work very closely with all the partners and parties involved to make sure they fully understand the mission and purpose of volunteering with EBENSU foundation in order to make volunteers have a good time in Ghana. At the end of every volunteer stay, we do a review and a feedback procedure to help improve on the areas that we fall short.
Safety and Security for all our Volunteers and Interns is of our Primary Concern. We have put in place many Safety measures and Security procedures to make sure that you have all the necessary support you need to have a peaceful and enjoyable stay in Ghana with absolutely Zero problems.
DETAILS OF OUR SAFETY & SECURITY MEASURES
Ghana is one of the few countries which are safe and politically stable to volunteer. As a country, we are well known globally for the hospitability and warmth heartedness of the citizens. All our local staff are well trained and informed about the importance of safety and security of our volunteers, so they always see to it that when you arrive in the country throughout your stay they get you familiarized with the local area, know where you are going to be staying and the environment of stay in detail.
Our team of highly skilled and experienced staffs is there to help you all the way through your stay in Ghana. They are available during the day at the main office in Cape Coast and you can reach them by telephone twenty-four 24 hours in a day, seven (7) days in a week.
Our staff also pays regular visits to volunteers, host families and project placements to ensure smooth operations and friendly living and working environment. We maintain a routine monitoring check of all the volunteer accommodations and project placements.
EBENSU STAFF INFO
Contact details of personal/individual(s) that you would be engaging with during the period of your stay would be made available to you such as their email addresses and phone number so you can contact them at any time for assistance about anything concerning your personal well-being.
Terms & Conditions
Last updated on the 18th of March 2019
Most people expect the kind of Africa they see on TV back home but as soon as they arrive in Ghana and find out that people down here are as individual as those in the west but much more open to new ideas and very welcoming, then you will start to see your own way through.
If you choose to volunteer with our organization, we will be at your service and assist you 24/7. But bear in mind that we will NOT be accountable and responsible for everything. You will be choosing to travel to a place where conditions and lifestyles can be unpredictable sometimes and different from what you are normally used to back home. Please remember this; it is not bad or the worst but different.
You have to be prepared to face and deal with the unexpected and once you are an open minded person and ready to learn and adjust to new things and a new environment, everything will fit into place for you. Sometimes all you need is good humor and common sense to see yourself through.
We require all of our interested applicant(s) to officially inform us through an email or via a phone call in case they want to make any changes or cancellations to their application after submission. And this kind of notice must reach us at least a month before the start of your project or arrival in Ghana. There is no application fee or what so ever and it’s totally free for everyone to submit an application for processing and once your application is processed and you get accepted onto any of our project, you then proceed to go check out the full program fees under the Length of Stay and Cost page on this website. There is no program deposit fees required if you want to participate in any of our projects.
All of our full program fees must be paid at least 60 days before the actual start date of your project or your departure date. Remember there is an extra $150 charge per week extensions. Cancellations of programs after being accepted must be in an official written email or in some cases with a phone call if possible. We prefer that no applicant send us text as that is not accepted. We advise all participants to inform both EBENSU Foundation and their insurance companies about any cancellations or changes to their program arrangements in the future. If the reason(s) fall within the terms and conditions of your insurance providers and the one of this organization, then you might get a refund.
With regards to refunds from EBENSU foundation after the payment of the full program fee will depends on when your cancellations or changes notification reaches us. The following details explains how our refunds works,
*If you make any cancellations 30 days before the planned date to start your project, you will get 80% refund of the total program fee paid.
*Any cancellations made less than 30 days before the start of your project; the participant will get 50% refund.
*And if you cancel your program while you in Ghana, leave your project earlier than planned or do not finish, there will be absolutely 0% refunds.
This is so because a lot of work goes into preparing volunteers, setting up accommodations, and doing all the necessary arrangements at their project placement before arrival into the country. There are lots of resources that goes into all these kinds of preparations than you can imagine.
- All volunteers and interns are expected to behave in a manner that depicts a positive image of this organization, participant’s home country and his or her home university/college.
- The invitation of guests (either local or foreign) to stay with you overnight or for a couple of days without prior approval from your host is highly prohibited.
- EBENSU foundation reserves the right to remove any volunteer or intern from his/her project whose behavior is appalling and unacceptable. Especially when it is unbecoming or it is dangerous to the safety and welfare of any people or property.
- Should you have any problems or complains about your projects placements, accommodation or anything with regards to your volunteering program, please do not hesitate to contact the Chief Executive Officer on his personal phone/email or the Administrator of the foundation for assistance and we can assure you that all the necessary steps will be taken to resolve problems with the right disciplinary measures to ensures that the situation does not get worse or serious.
- On the other hand, if we receive any complains of any sort in offense to the host families, pupils, fellow volunteers, project managers and work colleagues, we have the right to take appropriate action in the event of your behavior that brought about the complains. Such behaviors includes; failure to turn up to work or turning up late, serious rowdiness and drunkenness, being rude and disrespectful, leaving work early with no legitimate reason and many others.
- Should in case a problem/challenge crops up during your period of stay, all complains should be made directly to the officer in charge at the office for it to be forwarded to the Chief Executive Officer of the foundation and not to any third-party as we do not consider the inputs/submissions of such individual(s), this is because they turn to create problems for the organization. after complains are being lodged, please do exercise patience as your complain will be addressed within 3 working days as your complain will be worked out.
- All interns/volunteers are to adhere to advises on where to go and where not to as some places can be risky/dangerous to go to at times in certain periods. Please note that as you decide not to adhere to such advises and any unforeseen harm caused to them, they are to bear the full responsibility.
If we get complains of this kinds about our volunteers and interns, we will bring to your attention in a form of a personal one on one meeting with our board members of staff or in a written form to try and find solutions to those problems together. If the complains goes on for a specific period of time after efforts to talk with you and there are no changes, then we may have to cancel your entire program in Ghana or change project placement for you. And in some serious cases, you might get sent back home to your country as soon as we alert the right authorities and all the necessary arrangements gets done.
It is one of our primary responsibilities to provide all of our participants with accommodation, and feeding upon request for the period of stay in Ghana. Some of the host families have some common basic house rules that must be followed and respected. In case of any misunderstandings and disagreements with your host, please try your best to resolve it with them by talking to them in person and if it does not work or it is beyond your ability and capability then you have to alert us at EBENSU foundation so that we can step in to help put everything to rest.
The invitation of guests (either local or foreign) to stay with you overnight or for a couple of days without prior approval from your host is highly prohibited.
Working hours for volunteers will vary from project to project. Some projects requires you to work the normal school or office hours of the country whiles other project may require you to work less hours. All volunteers together with the project coordinator and the various supervisors will make a collective decision to come up with reasonable working hours to suit and satisfy all the parties involved. All working schedules are subject to changes and amendments.
Every volunteer or intern is entitled to one to two weeks of holidays as part of every 4-12 weeks booked depending on your length of stay to be able to travel around the country to visit the various national parks and tourist sites. Those who book less than 4 weeks will only be able to travel on weekends by organizing weekend trips on their own, with other volunteers (if applicable) or with the help of EBENSU foundation.
Volunteer(s) permit us to use their likeness captured in a photograph, video or recording for any legal activities on our website.
A volunteer also gives the authorization to provide their names, contacts details to all our staff members, international contact(s) and host families.
All our Participants permit EBENSU to disclose some personal details (medical, dietary, etc.) to the host families, staff member(s), and the project host placements and its managers and supervisors.
No volunteer or intern has the right to share the personal contact, details of the staff members of EBENSU Foundation, the host families and our International contacts with any other persons EXCEPT the person named as your ’emergency contact’ on your application form.
We believe it is important to reveal our accomplishments and tell the stories of where and how our work is making a difference and affecting a change as well. It is vital that we learn where we can improve and regularly collect information that measures our progress. Much emphasis is being placed on Accountability that we always make sure that we are accountable to the people we are working to help, the donors and agencies who entrust us with resources to do this work. We need to monitor and assess ourselves to improve upon our program quality, for accounting for EBENSU’s results and for increasing our impact.
We see impact as lasting, positive change in the lives of poor and vulnerable individuals/communities. We work in partnership with groups and other organizations, making sure we’re working together to bring about lasting changes and solutions. Our monitoring and evaluation processes help us understand the contributions EBENSU has made to positive changes in the lives of the communities we have worked with, and how we can help enable even greater changes in the near future.
You need to be organized and have the ability to work on your own initiative. You must be an individual who is very committed to doing his/her duties irrespective of the setbacks and the challenges that are bounded to be faced along the way of your schedule. You also need to be flexible and prepared to turn your hand to different tasks/responsibilities/duties as required. Applicants must be prepared to fill roles subject to current requirements on EBENSU’s projects.
First and foremost, you will need to be the type of person who has a positive, open attitude and gets along well with others. Volunteers work with lots of different Ebensu staff and are involved in an array of work structures and environments/surroundings/locations. It is very essential that the individuals you work with feel comfortable, contended, safe and at ease.
To be successful in your volunteer role, you need to be an organized individual and have an ability to work on your own initiative. You also need to be flexible and prepared to turn your hand to different tasks as required.
Applicants must be prepared to fill roles subject to current requirements on EBENSU’s projects.
You need to be realistic about what to expect in a culture that may be very different to your own and what you can expect to achieve during your placement. We recommend that you thoroughly research about the Central Region in Ghana, it villages and rural communities, the work of EBENSU and volunteering in general before making a decision to apply.
Donations
EBENSU foundation exists through the generosity and kindness of people like YOU! There are a number of ways that you can give to us financially.
Credit Card / PayPal
Securely send money via PayPal using your Credit Card or PayPal
Direct Deposit
Money can be securely deposited to EBENSU FOUNDATION at any Ghana Commercial Bank or online with your Bank.
GCB: EBENSU FOUNDATION
ACCOUNT NUMBER: 3011180000535
SWIFT CODE: GHCBGHAC
Cheque or Money Order or Mobile Money
Send a cheque or money order made out to EBENSU FOUNDATION to:
P.O.BOX CC 1073
Cape Coast
Ghana
Tel: +4530487534/+233248717203
Ghanaians open their arms to so many foreign nationals who come into the country for so many reasons best known to them ranging from people with interest in tourism, leisure, work and people who would like to volunteer with school, hospital, care, emergency, medical, community development projects, or any other helpful project like research, journalism, environmental conservation.
EBENSU Foundation is touching lives and changing minds in our rural-urban communities in Ghana. We would be grateful if you can support us with materials and equipments such as
- Groceries and Pamper products
- Treats (candies, cookies, chocolate, baked goods/products, cakes, snacks,)
- Pamper products (shampoo, deodorant, toiletries, perfume, rechargeable lamps, candles, lip balms/sticks, face washers)
- General groceries (glad wrap, tea, coffee, butter, bread, milk, sugar, spray & wipes, dish cloths, blankets, garbage bags)
- Blood pressure monitors, weighing scale, thermometers, AED, infant CPR manikins/dummies, stethoscopes,
- Used Clothing
- Educational materials like books, pens, reading books for kids.
Many areas are in need of simple school supplies and medical supplies, so your kind donations are graciously accepted. Children of Ghana are active, and often play sports like soccer, netball, tennis, and play music as well. Bringing sports equipment or small instruments are a few ways visitors can give back to the community and put a smile on children’s faces.
NB: Please note that it is not compulsory to come along with these products if you cannot afford to.