Winter Break Program in Ghana

Program Details

Our 2-Week Winter Break Program in Ghana is a service-learning trip that provides a unique opportunity to learn about and contribute to Ghana's people and culture.

The three main components of the program are:

   •Lectures
   •Field Trips
   •Volunteering

The lectures will be presented by some of Ghana's leading professors and industry leaders on topics such as history, slavery, politics, the economy, gender, and sports.

The field trips involve visits to some of Ghana's most important cultural landmarks and nature parks, such as the National Museum, Cape Coast Castle, and Wli Waterfalls.

The volunteer work will involve working with children at an orphanage. Volunteers play games, arts & crafts, and sports with the children, as well as performing light physical work such as clearing gardens, planting trees, and painting the orphanage.

Location

The West African country of Ghana (pop. 23 million) is a very safe, stable country, considered one of Africa's true success stories. Ghana is a parliamentary democracy that gained independence from Britain in 1957. English is the official language and is widely spoken.

Cosmic Volunteers has become one of the leading volunteer abroad organizations in Ghana, sending hundreds of volunteers there since 2003. Cosmic's founder Scott Burke has visited Ghana four times.

The locations within Ghana for this program include the capital city Accra, Cape Coast, and Kpando in the the Volta Region.

Click for a Map of Ghana.

Dates

December 28, 2011 to January 11, 2012.

Costs

Two-week Program Fee: $1,595 USD
(Additional Weeks: $195 USD per week)

Included in Program Fee:
   • All Food
   • All Accommodations
   • Airport Pickup/Dropoff
   • In-Country Transportation
   • In-Country Orientation
   • Volunteer Project
   • Cultural Excursions
   • 24 Hr Support in Ghana and Philadelphia
   • Visa Assistance
   • Insurance
   • T-Shirt
   • Certificate / Letter

Not Included in Program Fee:
   • Airfare
   • Visa Fee
   • Vaccinations
   • Internet
   • Phone Calls
   • Extra Sightseeing

Itinerary

Date	Location	Activity
Dec 28	Accra	Meet for introductions, orientation, and group dinner
Dec 29	Accra	-Visit cultural sites
Dec 30	Accra	-Lecture -Visit Cultural Sites
Dec 31	Accra	-Lecture -Visit Cultural Sites
Jan 01	Accra / Cape Coast	- Visit Cultural Sites -Travel to Cape Coast
Jan 02	Cape Coast	-Cape Coast Castle (lecture/visit) -Dinner at Beach
Jan 03	Cape Coast	-Konkum National Park
Jan 04	Cape Coast / Kpando	-Travel to Kpando in the Volta Region
Jan 05	Kpando	-Lecture: Volta Region -Orphanage volunteering
Jan 06	Kpando	-Monkey Sanctuary -Orphanage volunteering
Jan 07	Kpando	-Lake Volta / Kente Cloth -Orphanage volunteering
Jan 08	Kpando	-Wli Falls -Orphanage volunteering
Jan 09	Kpando	-Lecture: Gender Issues -Orphanage volunteering
Jan 10	Kpando	-Orphanage volunteering -Free-Time
Jan 11	Accra	-Travel to Accra -Shopping / Free-Time - Dinner / Farewell

Application Process

To officially sign-up, complete the following two steps:

1) Fill out Online Application
2) Pay Deposit of $250 USD

The deposit guarantees your place and is fully refunded in the unlikely event that we cannot offer you a placement. The deposit counts toward the total balance of your program fees.

How far should you book in advance?
Most volunteers book 2-3+ months before the program start date. However, it is usually possible to join the project later than that, so please contact us to see if there are spots available.

Health & Safety

Health and safety is a top priority Ghana and all of our program destinations.

Ghana is an extremely safe country, not only for Africa but worldwide. The country is fee from political strife, street-crime and hassles.

Ghana does have tropical illnesses that travelers must protect against including typhoid and malaria. Ghana's Immigration requires only a Yellow Fever vaccination for entry, with all other vaccines optional. Cosmic Volunteers follows the current vaccination recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Handbook for Ghana

Please ask us to email you our Volunteer Handbook for Ghana. We have spent many years revising this Handbook, based on the experiences of our volunteers and staff who have spent significant time in Ghana. They have all have contributed their unique insights and advice to the Handbook. While no person or book or website can give a new traveler to Ghana a full understanding of its culture, we believe that this Handbook will go a long way in preparing you for your trip and the living experience.

Contact Information

For further information please contact Scott Burke at 215-609-4196 or info@cosmicvolunteers.org.