Care & Community Short-term Special in Ghana
Ghana is said to be an African country rich in culture and home to some of the friendliest people in the world, making it the perfect place for me. I had enough money saved up from work and I was ready to make a difference in the world, the summer after I turned seventeen. As it was my first time travelling alone, the pre-departure support provided by Projects Abroad was extremely helpful!
That night I arrived at my host mother’s house, who greeted me with open arms. I had been worried about my dietary restrictions, being a vegetarian, but she was extremely accommodating. The meals provided were absolutely delicious: the food was full of flavours, especially plantains and a stew called red red.
Every day Charlie, our supervisor, would greet us with a smiling face and a tro-tro to take us to our placement. Mornings were spent painting Saint Michael’s Catholic Primary School. While painting the school I would watch the children in their classrooms and playing out in the field, imaging what school must be like in Ghana.
The care portion of our project was spent at the Children’s Home of Hope, an orphanage in Cape Coast. We played games like basketball and football with the children. Their smiles and laughter as they beat us in almost every game were a highlight of my trip.
During the evenings, the other volunteers and I would play card games, chat, explore markets, go to the beach and go to quiz nights at the head office. On the weekend we went to the Safari Beach Lodge. We swam, mainly playing in the surf and laid on the beach all day to relax and rejuvenate.
My trip to Ghana was not what I expected it to be, it was so much more. Not only did I explore Cape Coast, I experienced the culture, made a difference in the community and made life-long friends.