Providing assistance to nursery/creche classes where teachers struggle with large numbers of students. Supporting the basic foundations of education for the local children.

Placement Overview

We can offer placements in a Nursery, Kindergarten or Crèche depending on availability and time of year.

Within these classes and facilities it’s usually a more ‘hands on’ approach, the children can be very young and therefore may need their basic needs satisfying as well as our focus on the first steps of education. Don’t be surprised if you’re counting numbers one minute and then the next helping to feed the youngest in class.

The classes or facilities for younger children in Ghana are often the most crowded. Teachers or Nurses are usually kept extremely busy and outnumbered on a large scale. The lack of supplies and equipment is a constant hurdle where the staff do their best to provide the best educational foundations for these infants to enable them to exceed when proceeding through the classes.
Your fresh approach and enthusiasm will be warmly welcomed by the staff and children alike. Nursery and Kindergarten classes are based in a primary school as the youngest classes, their job is to set the basics of education in place as often this is the only time that children will be learning their alphabet, numbers etc. The Crèche has the same task but is based independently and the children are started at an even younger age which also gives the benefit of parents being able to get back out working to earn an income for their family.

Support Staff – Accommodation – House Utility Bills – Pre Departure Support

We charge cost price for this project just so we can cover your stay and employ local support staff to increase loyal employment. This placement includes accommodation in a modern style house for the semi rural area of which we are based with great views and surroundings of the local towns and rainforest. All house utilities are included for your time, you will have use of the kitchen, electricity throughout the house and running water which is a luxury among the area of Kwahu. You will have a member of our local support team living in house or close by depending on the volunteer numbers so there is always someone on hand for any questions or support you may need.

Budget an additional 40 – 60 Ghana cedis per day for transport costs.

We work with a number of schools within the local community and slightly further out. Volunteers will usually take taxis back and forth to their placement site. It is very easy to take shared taxis in town and they are very reasonably priced. Most of our schools will require volunteers to pay transport between 40 cedis and 60 cedis a day. The more remote village schools are usually located down tracks and therefore cost a little bit more to reach. Our team will be able to assist volunteers group together for transport and where to find taxis etc. Volunteers are usually able to head off into the town after school easily to shop for food supplies, grab a cold drink or meet up with friends before heading home and the ease of taxis offer a really flexible experience for the volunteers.

Working with the younger children you will need to be very enthusiastic and flexible. Along with teaching basic numbers, letters etc you will also need to take care of basic child care. Helping to feed, having fun at play times, settling down for nap time, engaging a varied age of children throughout the day and generally ensuring that the children are developing on a day to day basis. Expect a lot of hugs, tears and laughs!

If the number permits we aim to group volunteers together at a particular school or project. You will work closely with a teacher and report to the Headteacher should you have any issues. A member of our team will also spend a portion of their day at the project to assist in anyway and offer any guidance should it be needed. Most volunteers strike up a strong bond with the teachers and are treat as another member of staff as if you were always there. It is not uncommon to be invited round their homes for dinner at an early stage as a way of saying thank you.

A teaching qualification or experience is not compulsory for this placement, your level of experience and confidence will gauge what level of students would best suit and will be discussed between the team and yourself on your first day introduction. The greatest traits of a volunteer are enthusiasm, empathetic and the ability to adjust to alternative cultures. You will get the most of our your trip by opening your mind to new experiences and beliefs whilst also bringing your own to the table.
We expect volunteers to visit their placements Monday – Friday, exceptions can be made for long weekends of travel etc but we hope for the children and yourselves to get the most of your placement this is kept to a minimum.

We will be on hand any time of any day to support you in your placement and trip as a whole. There will always be someone you can speak to or get a hold of should you want to discuss anything or require any guidance, from organising after school clubs to changing your placement. Our team living in the volunteer house will also be able to offer advice regarding travel plans and the local area so you will soon feel at home.

For your time at the placement we advise bringing plenty of school materials, arts & crafts items and some ideas from teaching resource websites. These will prove invaluable throughout your placement as there is a lack of materials able to purchase in the local area. Basic pens, pencils and cheap paper are available as well as moderate priced photocopying should you wish to bring activity sheets.

During school holidays if a volunteers assignments falls within these dates then we will organise a holiday school at one of our partner schools. During this time there is a more relaxed setup where volunteers split into groups to run lessons such as arts, English, reading, sports and games. This also has the added benefit of providing parents with childcare during this period whilst they balance their work which is usually farming or trading.
The school holidays usually fall three times a year; few weeks around Easter, few weeks around August and a few weeks around Christmas. Specific term dates are not communicated by local authorities until closer to the time so difficult to tell in advance. Leading up to the vacation, exams may be in place so volunteers can offer an assisting role invigilating, helping out in free times or helping on our other programs.

What’s Included

Services provided in your volunteering fees

Accommodation

We currently have 2 x three bedroom volunteer houses located in the peaceful town of Pepease overlooking the rainforest. Later in the year we aim to move to a larger 13 bedroom house in a nearby town.

Bedrooms –
Bedrooms are shared usually between 2 – 4 people. Most bedrooms are a medium size and come with a mix of single, double or bunk beds. All doors and windows in the house are covered by mosquito netting or covered completely however you are more than welcome to bring a mosquito net for your bed although usually not necessary.

Bathrooms –
There are 3 shared bathrooms in the house so offer plenty of space and privacy during your stay. Most of the time we have the benfit of running water which is a local luxury so showers and toilets will work as usual. We ask to consider others when using the water as it’s a valuable commodity in Ghana.

Kitchen –
We have one large kitchen with modern facilties such as gas stove, fridge freezer and a range of utensils. It is a self catered placement however plenty of food stuffs can be bought from the market such as bread, rice, pasta and many fresh ingredients. We also have connections with local people in the town who will be able to prepare your meals or teach you how to cook local dishes.

Living Room –
There is a large living room with sofas, TV and a dining set for use by the volunteers. Evenings are often spent in here and volunteers are welcome to bring DVDs or memory drives with movies to watch although local television channels are provided.

Garden –
Surrounding the house is a fenced garden, this offers privacy for relaxing in the sun or sitting out in the evenings. There is also a washing line space for volunteers to use.

Store Room –
We have a small store room where we keep left over teaching materials and resources for new volunteers to use. You are invited to leave any items you may not use here for the next person to continue the flow. Master copies of activity sheets or lesson plans are a key item we hope to see
keep growing in the store.

Utilities

Your stay in our house includes the bills for electricity, gas for cooking and running water.

Support Staff

From application to departure you will receive friendly and helpful advice along the way. Starting from connecting to our management team online once we receive your application you will be met upon arrival to Ghana by our support team who will also live in house with you should you have any questions day or night.

Additional Services that we can arrange for you

Airport Collection

We can arrange for one of our vehicles to collect you from the airport and bring you directly to the volunteer house although fuel, airport parking and toll fees must be covered by yourself – payable in US dollars or Ghana cedi on the day. (As of November 2019 this is around 400 cedi | You will be shown the costs for transparency as it’s completely not for profit).
We will arrange this as standard procedure unless you choose to OPT OUT as we would feel much more comfortable with you arriving into a new country that the team are on hand to greet and reliable vehicles made available for you and your luggage.
Upon arrival our Volunteer Support and Driver (Frank & Eben) will meet you outside the arrivals hall at Kotoka Intl. Airport. They will be holding a sign with your name on so they should be easy to spot!

Meal Packages / Catering

Our placement as standard is self catering however if you are not too comfortable in the kitchen we can also arrange meal packes on a weekly/monthly basis where our support staff or a local member of the community will prepare 2 meals day for you for an additional charge.

Clothing

We also have Atlas branded tshirts and clothing available so you can look the part at the placement site. Further details are provided once you are confirmed onto our team and these are available to preorder so we can have it ready for you upon arrival.

Not included in your fees

Flights

You will need to arrange your own flights into the airport in Accra which is Kotoka International Airport. We will then arrange a collection for you where our team will meet you at the airport and begin the 3 hour drive to the volunteer accommodation in the Kwahu mountains.

Visa

You will need to apply for a short term tourist visa through your local Ghanaian embassy. Although this needs to be processed yourself we will be on hand should you have any questions or require supporting documentation to provide for this.

Travel Insurance & Vaccinations

You will require a yellow fever vaccination certificate to gain entry into the country.
For current vaccination and malaria advice you can visit the MASTA site by clicking here.
For travel insurance quotes you can visit the experts at World Nomads by clicking here.

Food, Snacks & Beverages

This is a self catering placement so you are provided in the house with a kitchen with basic items to cook at home. You can easily buy fresh ingredients and drinking water from the local market in town. There are also street food sellers and cheap restaurants providing local and western cuisine for when you’ve had a long day.

Dates & Fees

Most of our education placements are for a 4 week minimum duration.
This is to ensure that the children and schools involved have enough time for their to be a significant social impact benefit and also to ensure that you have enough time to settle into the local community and appreciate the way of life and customs here. There is no maximum duration and we would suggest staying as long as possible to achieve the biggest social impact possible.

We have volunteers and placements throughout the year, therefore you are welcome to arrive in any month. We are also flexible with being able to arrange airport collections so you are able to arrive on any airline into Kotoka International Airport at any time on any day of the week.

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