Answers to Frequently asked questions
Can I trust you guys?
When can I start?
What are the minimum and maximum durations?
What qualifications or experience do I need?
How soon do I need to apply?
When will I know whether I have been accepted or not?
Can I be put at the same placement as my accompanying friend/ spouse?
Will there be other volunteers at my placement?
Can I choose where I would like to be placed?
I am a vegetarian / vegan, can I come?
When and how do I pay my program fee?
Will I be met at the Ghana airport by your staff?
How do I get to my assigned placement?
Do I have to work every day of the week?
How is a typical volunteering day like?
How is a typical weekend like?
How is my accommodation like?
How is the food like?
Is Ghana safe?
How about sight-seeing opportunities?
How do I apply?
Can I trust you guys?
Most certainly. Our online payments are being processed by PayPal. It’s common knowledge that PayPal is the world’s most reputable online payments company: They take their verification very seriously. Our long list of satisfied participants also add to our track record. Yes, you may find some other volunteering organizations charging cheaper fees than what we are charging. The question is: “Do I want to find myself stranded and/or miserable in a foreign country?” Our fees are the minimum we need to give you a placement with good shelter and bed, adequate nutritious food and prompt, adequate local staff support. Send us a friend request on Facebook or LinkedIn so you can hobnob with numerous satisfied former-participants of our programs. Back to top
When can I start?
For non-teaching programs, you can start anytime of the year.
For teaching programs, you can start anytime of the year except the months of April, August and December. Back to top
What are the minimum and maximum duration?
The minimum duration is one week
Maximum duration is 6 months. Back to top
What qualifications or experience do I need?
Applicants should be able to communicate in basic English. There is no maximum educational qualification set. Applicants must be at least 18 years on intended start date. Singles/ Couples/ Partners/ Families / Groups are welcome. There are no nationality, race or color restrictions – It’s open to all peoples. Prospective volunteers must be physically fit to work 2-5 hours a day in a tropical country. You must be able to tolerate temperatures of 80-95 degrees Fahrenheit (25-35 Celsius); and humidities of 55-60%. Back to top
How soon do I need to apply?
The earlier you apply, the better – you can submit your application up to 24 months in advance. On the other hand, you send your application this month and start next month – so long as you are able to make all the other arrangements i.e. flights, vaccinations, visa, etc. Back to top
When will I know whether I have been accepted or not?
We will send you an email detailing your assigned placement—after we have received your Application Fee. Back to top
Can I be put at the same placement as my accompanying friend/ spouse?
Yes, you most certainly can. Back to top
Will there be other volunteers at my placement?
In filling out your online application, you can state whether or not you would prefer to have another volunteer placed with you. This presumes that you would be traveling alone and would like to enjoy the company of another volunteer who is also traveling alone. This usually implies that you would share one bedroom – but have separate beds. Some placements have more than one room for volunteers: in such case, you can a colleague volunteer as company and still have your own separate bedroom. Back to top
Can I choose where I would like to be placed?
Yes, you can. There are portions of the application form that give you an opportunity to choose the type of location you prefer to placed. Back to top
I am vegetarian/ vegan, can I come?
Yes indeed, you can. Ghana abounds in many fruits and vegetables which should make it quite easy to practice a vegetarian or vegan diet lifestyle. Back to top
When and how do I pay my program fee?
You may pay the program fee anytime after you have been accepted and assigned a placement, or wait till you arrive into Ghana before paying. You however need to pay an Application Fee before we find you a placement. You can pay the program fee through any one of the following means:
- By Wire Transfer through your bankers.
- Through TransferWise — a secure, low-fee, convenient, simple instant international money-transfer service.
- Cash installments (or full payment) upon arrival into Ghana.
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Will I be met at the Ghana airport by your staff?
Yes indeed. On the day (or night) of your arrival, VIGS GHANA staffs will be at the airport to welcome you and transfer you to a 2-star hotel with air-conditioned rooms and restaurant. Orientation and transportation to your assigned placement will be done the next morning following your arrival day. Back to top
How do I get to my assigned placement?
A VIGS GHANA staff will transport you by car or bus to your placement location – the morning after your arrival day. Back to top
Do I have to work every day of the week?
No, you don’t. Volunteer work days are Monday to Friday. Saturday and Sunday are leisure days – to use as you please. Back to top
How is a typical volunteering / internship day like?
You would usually be up by 6.30 am. By 7.30 am, you should have had your bath, etc. Breakfast would be ready by 7.30 am. Lunch would be served around 12 noon. Dinner is served between 5.30 and 7 pm. The actual volunteering or internship work varies according to the program type. As a general rule, volunteering work ends latest by 4 pm. Usually it ends by 2 pm. You can play an outdoor or indoor game and/or visit an internet cafe and/or chat and/or read and/or prepare for the next day’s work after volunteering work hours.
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How is a typical weekend like?
Weekends, as already mentioned are free days. You may choose to travel out of town to see the many interesting sights and sounds in other parts of Ghana or hang out with your fellow volunteer(s) and/or locals in the neighbourhood. Back to top
How is my accommodation like?
Most of the accommodation is with host-families. The host family is usually the school owner. There are always other people in the house as well; and they would be willing to provide you some assistance. You would be placed in the same location with another volunteer – except you specifically state that you prefer to be placed alone. Volunteers coming as a pair or couple will not be placed with other volunteers in the same bedroom. The volunteer(s) have their separate room – with a lock and key. There are two beds in the volunteers’ room; each with a mattress and in most cases a table and chair. It is advisable to bring along a mosquito net and a spare bed sheet. Many homes have a shower and flush toilet. In others you would have to manage with a bucket of water and a pit toilet – more likely in smaller towns and villages. Laundry is usually done with a couple of buckets. Back to top
How is the food like?
You will be served three meals daily. Breakfast is usually tea/ coffee/ oats or corn porridge and bread with jam/ butter/ egg omelet. Lunch could be plantain or rice or yam with vegetable stew or similar. Dinner could be rice, yam, pasta or plantain with vegetable sauce or stew or soup. For dessert you’d be served an orange or pineapple. Ghanaian pineapples are some of the sweetest in the whole world. Back to top
Is Ghana safe?
Ghana is one of the safest countries in Africa and the world for that matter. That’s why tourist arrivals are rising year by year. Your safety is of paramount importance to VIGS GHANA. As such we give you all the relevant safety tips, plus we place you only in places where good medical services are within easy reach. In addition, we’ll give you a smart phone – so you can call or text or email or Whatsapp the in-country supervisors whenever the need arises. Our in-country support staff are on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Back to top
How about sight-seeing opportunities?
VIGS GHANA organizes regular trips to popular tourist sites for all our volunteers. We inform all current volunteers about any upcoming sight-seeing trips so they can sign on if they so wish. Back to top
How do I apply?
You can apply online here, send a quick email, chat us on WhatsApp or give us a phone-call.
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