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100 %
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29 Mar 2024
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Details
Description
We are a Ghanaian non governmental organization registered in 2019, with ecological farming for main occupation, in the aim to feed poor and needy. We are recognized to support poor vulnerable communities, including rural farmers, vulnerable children, women, youth, people living with AIDS/HIV, and the disabled.
Where do we operate?
We operate in a rural area called Have, in the Volta region of Ghana on the main road from Accra to Hohoe. It’s about 100km from Accra, the capital city of Ghana, which is in 4 hours reach by car, as the roads are not brand new.
Other cities are relatively close to Have. For instance Ho, the regional capital of Volta region, is less than an hour far from Have by car. A car to Kpando takes about 40 minutes and a car to Hohoe takes about 1 hour.
The main transport system in the Region is the “tro-tro”, a collective van that you pick at the road side as they travel from places to places. They’ll take us to the surrounded cities for a reduced price.
Have is surrounded by tropical rain-forest and lies between the Akwapim-Togo Mountain chains and the Volta lake.
Types of help and learning opportunities
Charity Work
Art Projects
Language practice
Help with Eco Projects
Elderly Companionship
Teaching
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Animal Care
Farmstay help
Babysitting and creative play
Creating/ Cooking family meals
Help around the house
Hospitality/Tourism
General Maintenance
Help with Computers/ Internet
UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
While on exchange, volunteers can benefit from a multitude of unique life experiences. You can also have a tour exposer around our local area at your own expense.
Projects involving children
This project could involve children. For more information see our guidelines and tips here.
Help
Help
We have rather diverse bunch of new projects we want to pursue (details bellow for the curious minds) ,on top of our current occupations that are mainly centered around the farm, with which we always need hands (weeding, planting harvesting etc…). Whenever you’ll decide to work with us, I’ll ask you which type of crop you want to farm (being cassava, maize, okro, tomato, yam, plantain…) and I’ll dedicate a portion of the land for your little farm ;)
Some projects of ours you could add your grain of salt to are:
1.Our vegetable processing project
What is the project?
As you may already know, the rain regime in the region is bi-modal, with a glorious rainy season where everything grows delightfully, followed by a dry season where we only harvest yam and cassava that have been planted some months before.
As an outcome maintaining, a proper portion of fruit and vegetables in the diets is proving more difficult and expensive during the dry season, and post harvest losses are witnessed during the rainy season, as all the production can not be absorbed by sales or our household consumption.
Thus, following the great idea of our last volunteer, we took the leap and started a food processing project in order to maintain the availability of fruits and vegetables during the whole year and gain some freedom of choice regarding the time at which we wish to sell our products!
How can you help while you’re there with us?
Any technical abilities, background or knowledge in food processing will be greatly appreciated, whether it’s in caning, smoking, drying, fermenting, juicing, jam making we are trying it all!
2. Our farming practices optimization projects
What is the project?
As explained earlier, our main activity right now is farming, so we also have a lot to do there! To keep it short, we would like to make our system more efficient, while keeping it regenerative environmentally sustainable.
How can you help while you’re there with us?
We will be happy to share our skills and knowledge with you, and excited to hear from yours!
For example, at the moment, we working on finding weed control solutions to keep the workload associated with weeding bellow a reasonable threshold, we are also working on regenerating soil fertility and organic matter pools, and shifting toward a little poultry production during the dry season.
If you see anything that sparks your interest let us know
3. Our bee hives project
What is the project?
In 2018, we installed bee hives in the surrounding of the farms, but a repeated bush fires and acts of vandalism caused the life of this endeavor. Still, we are attached to this project, as it enhances crop fertility, insects biodiversity and revenue stability (as honey has a very long shelf life).
Later in the year, we will be putting be hives on the farm again, in a more secluded area, if that’s something you’re excited about doing we will be glad to share thoughts and ideas on this.
4. Our tiny home building projects
What is the project?
To fulfill our goal to provide for vulnerable communities even further, we had the idea of building a tiny home next to our family house to welcome underprivileged children. We want to provide them with a family-like setting where they can grow to the best of their abilities. We got some cement and blocks already, so it’s just missing hands to start.
On top of the help you can provide by working with us, you might want to contribute materially to the following project
5. Our private library projects
What is the project?
Hand in hand with the building project, we would like to start a library there once the building is up and standing
How can you help while you’re there with us?
You can bring printed technical and scientific literature on processing, farming practices (various tropical crops technical itinerary, weed and pest control, processing equipment and techniques...)
And otherwise, just bring some of your favorites books! Whether in your language and/or in English, so you can entertain yourself, the kids, and (hopefully) the many more volunteers to come.
Also, if you would prefer teaching or working as a nurse in our local clinic we can connect you with the right people to allow you to do so !
6. Our local school
What is the project?
Our local school is happy to welcome volunteers so that the kids can benefit from their experience.
How can you help while you’re there with us?
You can help as a tutor/teacher in any topic you feel comfortable with. The school particularly needs help with the following: Maths, English and French.
The school also has a clinic where the team would be very happy to welcome some support if you are a nurse or ready to give a hand.
+ 7. General item donations ideas list
Cooking/processing items (cooking scale, cooking thermometer, manual blenders/grinder, sharpening stones etc...)
Pencils and general stationary items and drawing materials (color pencil, paint, paint brushes) Books
Old Clothes and shoes
Used functional mobile phone and laptops
Digital and video camera
English books for school kids
construction block for games small cars/toys, Barbie dolls, Dinette cooking play
Balls of any kind (football rugby softball volley) and pump
Languages
Languages spoken
English: FluentThis host offers a language exchange
This host has indicated that they are interested in sharing their own language or learning a new language.
You can contact them directly for more information.
Accommodation
Accommodation
You will have the opportunity to live as local ghanean people do, so you’ll experience how regular days run in the host family. You will be staying right with us in a compound house which has 4 extra empty rooms. Each room accommodates a volunteer.
The bathroom and the toilets are outside as it is locally made sounds weird but you’ll love it.
We provide food and water for the volunteers except the Breakfast due to recently rising prices, Gh¢40 per day, so we prepare breakfast for you. For lunch and dinner, we prepare local food, for example banku, rice, yam, plantain, fufu, beans, stew soup, fish and sometimes meat. During dry season we eat a lot of carbs, as vegetables are more scarce/expensive.
If you are vegetarian or you need a special diet please let us know in order to accommodate your need.
What else ...
What else:
Some more points and info you may want to be aware of:
We do have a general hot weather, so you might be tempted to only bring short, but pack at least one strong pair of jeans with you for working in the farm.
I (Lawrence) love being in the forest more than anything, so I can spend day and night there, BUT as I don’t want my volunteers to stay in the sun to much and get heatstroke, there will be times at which you’ll be relaxing at the house with Akofa (my wife) and/or the kids while I’m out and about, hunting, weeding or watering the crops.
It's a rural area, which means your credit card will be of no use here, so remember to take papermoney with you ! You'll be able to change your money in our currency when arriving at the airport, remember me to bring you there when I'll come to pick you up.
The dry season is VERY dusty, so if you come between December and march, bringing white clothes might be too bold of a fashion statement. It also can be a hazard for electronics, so make sure you have cases or socket to keep them when you’re not using it.
Local people might ask you for your number (or jokingly your hand in marriage) during your trip, because they often associate being white with being wealthy. As a result, we tell our volunteer to not communicate personal information to prevent any harassment issues. In addition, there will always be a member of the family or a close friend by your side when going around so that you stay safe.
We currently have no WiFi connection as of yet, you will get a rechargeable SIM card on which you can by data bundle to keep chatting with friend and family while you’re here, but keep in mind that it goes by rather fast, so you’ll probably have to detox from heavy social media use and streaming services.
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
Can host digital nomads
There is no wifi at our place, but you'll be able to get a local rechargable PIN with Wich you'll be able to reach rather fast 4G
Space for parking camper vans
We have enough space to host our volunteers travelling with their campervans.
Can possibly accept pets
Yes!! we accepts our volunteers with their pets.
How many Workawayers can stay?
More than two
Hours expected
Maximum 4-5 hours a day, 5 days a week
Feedback (5)
Her personality is big, jovial and infectious. She makes any space or community she is in more lighthearted, more sincere and more filled with… read more
Lawrence has a great vision and lots of ideas for projects, and we were lucky to be given a chance to help with some of them: collecting and processing the corn, building the outer kitchen, building and installing the bee… read more
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Accuracy of profile:
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Cultural exchange:
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Communication:
(4.4)
Her personality is big, jovial and infectious. She makes any space or community she is in more lighthearted, more sincere and more filled with… read more
Lawrence has a great vision and lots of ideas for projects, and we were lucky to be given a chance to help with some of them: collecting and processing the corn, building the outer kitchen, building and installing the bee… read more
It was wonderful ! I was welcomed very well, and the whole family was very nice with me. I had a lot of fun with the kids and Acofa cooks very well. They don't have a lot but they share everything and I could learn about the local culture and live their life for a while.
Lawrence has a very nice… read more
Besides the working part the visit and climb of… read more
