Summer Volunteer and Adventure Program Ghana - 4 Weeks

Location: Accra , Ghana
Start/End point: Accra
Food: Local food (3 times a day)
Room: Host family or hostel
Date: 4 weeks ( June 25 - July 23, 2012)
Program fee: $1869 for 4 weeks (including 7 days of travel)

With its amazing wildlife, a fascinating landscape, a colorful but diversified culture and custom, great safaris, and gorgeous beaches, Ghana offers one of the best travel and volunteering experiences possible in Africa . Ghana has a splendid coastline with gorgeous beaches which are indeed earthly paradise. The country is also blessed with cultural heritages, lakes, wetlands, and historic sites. With IFRE's Summer volunteer and adventure in Ghana , participants will have the opportunity to volunteer for a great cause and visit the tempting locales that surround Ghana - getting a trueto- life picture of Ghana and enjoying and experiencing Ghanaian hospitality and generosity

Orientation, Language and Cultural Immersion in Accra (7 Days)

Your first stop will be, Accra , the capital city of Ghana . You will learn Ghana 's rich history, folklore, and customs. Volunteers have the option to take basic Twi language classes and travel the legendary wonders of Accra and its surrounding areas. Participants will uncover the richness of Ghana 's generational artistry - the colorful kente cloth of the Ashanti , gold mining, wood carving, drum-making, cloth-printing, and weaving.

June 26: Airport pick-up at the Accra airport with a from in country coordinator and then transfer to respective accommodations

June 27: Orientation – A brief 2-3 hour orientation will be discuss Ghanaian language, history, culture, politics, geography, religion and necessary health precautions. Volunteers are encouraged to raise issues of concern and discuss and gather as much information as possible.

June 28: Language classes begin. You will learn basic greetings, pronouns and short expressions. Following, you will have a chance to visit the market and local scenery in your free time.

June 29: More Ghanaian language classes for 2-3 hours. This lesson covers verbs, adjectives, adverbs, family relations, food and drinks, and how to express appreciation.

June 30: Complete a tour of A ccra . The National Museum containing artifacts of pre-historic origin and relics of chieftaincy are displayed is the first stop. You will then continue on to a guided tour of the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park , where Ghana 's independence was declared.

July 1: The language class continues in the morning. In the afternoon, volunteers will go to a local food market to test their knowledge of that days lesson (asking about prices) and buy goods.

July 2: Next, drive to Shai Hills to view animals in their natural habitat. You will get to observe different kinds of animals such as antelope, monkeys of various species, birds, etc. Next stop is Aburi – a century-old botanical garden. The remainder of the day is available to participants to relax and appreciate the beautiful landscapes.

July 3: The Ghanaian language program ends. You are evaluated and then depart for project.

July 4-17: Volunteer Service Projects-Work in Orphanage (14 Days)

In phase two, participants work for fourteen (14) days in an orphanage - sharing their love and time with the needy children in the areas surrounding Accra . Participants will teach them basic conversational English and encourage them to face the challenging world head on, where English has become more and more necessary. During free time, participants can hike to nearby bazaars and/or hillside villages and explore the beauty of mesmerizing Ghana - gaining a first-hand experience of Ghanaian lifestyle, culture, and values.

Volunteers will go to different orphanages located in either Accra or the Volta Region. Volunteers will be subdivided in many small groups. IFRE places 2-5 volunteers in one orphanage depending upon the number of children.

As a volunteer in the orphanage project, you will teach English (3-4 hours a day) in the orphanage or schools. You will educate the children on issues of personal hygiene and sanitation – helping them to brush their teeth, showering, etc. Participants can organize games, drawing lessons, singing, dancing, and other creative, educational and extra-curricular activities in your free time during the evenings. During this time, you will also help the children with their homework, monitor their academic progress, and make sure that the children complete the next day's homework assignments. If you prefer not to teach in the school during the daytime, you can take care of the children who stay at the orphanage (who cannot yet go to school). Your assistance is also needed to dress the children, distribute food, and clean the kitchen, gardening, cleaning and various other administrative duties.

July 17: Community service project ends and you prepare for final week's travel.

Explore Volta, Central and Ashanti Region of Ghana (7 Days)

Volunteers will travel both the Volta and Ashanti regions in phase three - which offer visitors a view of Ghana 's vestiges of past civilizations. They will visit historical sites, celebrated national monuments, and the forts and castles that recall more than five centuries of European influence and stand as ghosts of the past slave trade. Participants will be engorged both spiritually and physically into the deep, surviving traditions and captivating culture of the Ghanaian people upon which their society still thrives on today.

July 18: Wli Waterfalls – the largest waterfall in Ghana , is an amazing site to behold. The stunning white water of the Agumatsa River cascades down gigantic cliffs (approx 60 meters tall) into a large pool below. The massive mountain formations – comprising of soaring peaks and rock walls which are part of the Akwapim-Togo Mountain – also quite picturesque.

July 19: During the day visit the Monkey Sanctuary at Tafi-Atome. Tafi Monkey Sanctuary (a sacred grove) is a traditional conservation area backed by statutory enforcement in co-operation with local communities. It is located in the Volta Region of Ghana and the habitat for Mona and Patas monkeys. These monkeys can be seen in a remnant patch of forests that have survived fire and human disturbance. They are revered as sacred gods protected by the natives and by tradition.

July 20: Cultural Day in Kumasi : visit the Manhyia Palace Museum , view a film presentation introducing the rich culture, history, and wealth of the Asante king, visit the durbar of chiefs and where the king of Asante sits at the Manyhia Palace to learn more about Asante chieftancy and culture.

July 21: Visit craft townships surrounding Kumasi . Bonwire (origin of kente) which is famous for Kente cloth, Adinkra textile printing in Ntonsu, and wood-carving in Ahwiaa. Each village has its own claim to artistic fame. Bonwire is the capital of the Kente cloth, while Ntonso boasts the Adinkra cloth. Ahwiaa produces exceptional carved figures, including Ghana 's traditional fertility doll, and Kurofuforum specializes casting brass.

*In the afternoon, volunteers will leave for Kukum and Cape Coast .

July 22: A trip to Kakum National Park – an unpredictable tropical rain forest. Walk across one of the only four canopy walkways in the world that also offers a bird's eye view of the forest. Or hike along the Kenton trail and leanr about the medicinal value of the various African tree species.

July 23: Tour the slave castles of Ghana – Elmina Castle , the first and largest European edifice on the coast of West Africa, built in 1482, and the Cape Coast Castle , which became the seat of British colonial administration until 1877.

The history of black slavery unfurls while you tour the halls of these historic castles.

July 24: Last day in Accra . Tour the home of Dr. W.E.B. Dubois, the African-American who spent the last few years of his life helping to build the foundations of a new state, Ghana . Attractions at the W.E.B. Dubois Memorial Center for

Pan-African Culture includes his tomb, a museum, a library, and a very interesting narration.

Program fee covers

• First night of hotel stay (not food)
• Accommodations in hostel, host family, hotel, camp (28 Days)
• Local food three times a day (28 Days)
• Local transportation (primarily local buses)
• Airport receipt and transfer to hostel
• Entry fees
• Insurance
• Service of leader for entire project period

Program fee does not cover

• Any room/food before or after the program
• Water, soft drinks during project and travel (outside of those accompanying provided/included meals)
• Any tips to guides, gifts to host family or projects
• Personal expenses

This program itinerary is merely a proposed sample and may be altered to meet the needs of the volunteers and changes in field conditions. This proposed itinerary will be finalized during orientation in Ghana