Volunteering in another culture, in a different setting to your own country really benefits you, the volunteer. You will be seen, not as a tourist, but as part of the community. Not only will you be experiencing a different culture in a close and personal way, but also you will be working with some amazing children appreciating every little help.
At TANF, we have a few key areas you can get involved in as a volunteer on site in Ghana and for pictures visit our gallery.
If you are interested in volunteering in the Education sector you could work as a teacher at one of our partner schools.You will be able to teach any of the classes and any subject, thus it would be good if you could indicate your preference when applying so that you can be allocated to something that interests you most. To become a volunteer teacher you do not need to be a professional teacher and will have no problem teaching if you have just finished secondary school.
The children are all very excited and curious and want to find out more about the volunteer and their home country. By providing them with an overview of life at home you are expanding their world awareness. In addition, volunteers reaffirm the value of education and motivate the students to concentrate on it.
In addition, volunteers are a great assistance to the teachers that often have to teach the students for many different subjects and for the entire day. They can also share their teaching ideas with the teachers and show them how schools are run elsewhere.
If you are interested in volunteering in the Health sector you will be able to work at a local hospital, help with consultations and basic health services or help co-organize and run one of our local health-screening events.
If you have more experience in this area and perhaps even a medical qualification you could be working alongside the nurses and doctors and applying/teaching your skills. During your time you will be able to identify any problems you see in the health providers in the hospitals and you will be able to help tackle them with any solutions you may have.
Summary: It is known that Soccer is the most loved and popular sport in Ghana that unites the entire country. In view of creating a great source of entertainment, helping children / youth to put their energies to good use, spot and groom talents in this sport for greatness and most importantly encourage children to stay in school, we have created a project called ‘soccer for change’. It will be great to have you on-board to witness our children displaying their talent in this sport with the hope of reaching their dream.
About the programme:
As a sport volunteer you will work together with the TANF management team to contribute in the day-to-day activities/training of the children/ youth, which usually takes place after school. The children taking part in this activity are 10-17 years of age. We only have limited coaches, and so rely on support from volunteers to provide the players with enough guidance for their training. You will receive guidance from the TANF management team, who will ensure you are able to support where most useful, aligning with your talents and ensuring you have a great impact during your time with us. We also encourage volunteers to lobby for used jerseys, footballs etc when coming to Ghana to help our sport for social change.
As a volunteer you will play a big part in supporting the players grow in confidence and develop their passion for this sport. In addition, we are currently in the process of setting this programme up as an official academy, and volunteers would have a chance to play a pivotal role in this. Soccer provides the players with a purpose, focus and joy, which encourages them to not only engage with the sport, but also stay in school.
Summary: Being involved in our renovation work at schools and health centres is a fulfilling way to volunteer – you will see immediate results and experience how the work can transform health and learning environments. In addition to being involved with this work during the week, you will also have a chance to travel on weekends and learn more about Ghana, and our culture and history.
About the programme:
Our partner institutions (schools and health centres) usually face challenges when it comes to maintenance e.g. many have broken chairs/tables and require work done to the structures, such as painting, plastering, extensions of classrooms, roofing sheet replacement. Many also require the building of additional facilities, such as putting up a kitchen block and proper hygienic toilet facilities. In many cases, it is a safety priority to renovate these essential facilities, but we also aim to create a nice learning environment.
One major challenge to the institutions is the cost of the renovation works. The budget ranges depending on the work that needs to be done, but often starts at 100 USD equivalent. In order to complete the renovation work, we rely on the assistants from volunteers to set up fundraising initiative to fund the cost of the work. You will be able to see first-hand how your funds are spent, seeing where every penny will be invested during your time as a volunteer and the difference it is making.
In order to ensure the renovation is done to high quality and meets safety standards, volunteers work together with the TANF team and local experts in masonry, carpentry and painting etc.
We often struggle to run our programs and to raise fund internationally, Which many of our team members are volunteers. For this reason, we urgently need management volunteer support to work in the field of funds-raising, proposal writing, administrative development, staff management, community development, reports, and case studies.
Our community-based programs are focused on empowering the local communities and individual people. As much as you experience the daily life in Ghana you will also be participating in our daily operational management of our Charity.
Volunteering with us means you joining hand with our team to give hope to the various communities we serve and same time great opportunity to meet people internationally to exchange many memorable experiences.
Your time volunteering with us will not only allow you to positively impact the world, but you will also have the opportunity to become part of the TANF team in a long term.
TANF is continuously working on other projects where volunteers can take lead or contribute to alongside other volunteers or local TANF members.
Here are some projects:
