Reflecting on my experience as a volunteer in Ghana, this experience has strengthened my adaptability, teamwork and communication skills, in new environments and has deepened my sense of empathy towards others. For anyone thinking of embarking on a trip like this, I would recommend that you embrace the unknown and stay open to partaking in various opportunities that would definitely add to your growth as an individual. I had the best time in Ghana, and this trip is definitely a highlight of my 2024, so far.
Sports Teaching Volunteer Project in Ghana - Accra Region
Purpose
Improve wellbeing through physical activity
Start dates
Programs start on the 1st and 15th of every month
Duration
Choose from 1-24 weeks
Volunteer hours
Up to 5 hours per day
Age
Volunteers aged 18+ and families
Accommodation
Volunteer house
Who is going?
Group video calls
Once you have secured your place, join regular video calls to meet your Program Manager and other volunteers before your trip.
This program is ideal for:
Individuals with a love of sport and real enthusiasm for supporting youth development. Previous teaching experience isn’t required, but you may need to teach other classes such as math, English, science, geography and history, as sport is usually taught outside school hours.
Project details
Ready to play ball as a Sports Teaching volunteer in Ghana? International Volunteer HQ’s Sports project is a great chance for volunteers to assist in physical education classes in under-resourced schools. Volunteers get to share their passion for sport while helping to grow students’ interest in physical activity and improve their skills, develop their self-confidence and learn important social skills like teamwork, sportsmanship and communication.
What to expect and how you'll make an impact
There’s a huge amount of enthusiasm for sport in Ghana, and by helping to provide structure around games in schools, fun-loving volunteers can bring a whole lot of joy to students. Sport has the added benefit of being an excellent platform for teaching students about teamwork, sportsmanship, health and discipline while also enhancing their alertness, improving coordination and developing their self-confidence.
Sports Teaching volunteer work varies but usually includes:
- Setting up and running physical activities
- Playing games
- Teaching new sports
- Coaching and mentoring students
Football/soccer is a popular sport in Ghana, but when you volunteer to teach sport you’re encouraged to introduce new sports and games from home. You may need to bring any special equipment with you, as it may not be available for purchase in Ghana.
Why do Sports Teaching volunteering in Ghana with IVHQ?
Why do Sports Teaching in Ghana with IVHQ? As a volunteer sports teacher in Ghana you’ll be adding value to the local community, while also developing personally and professionally by:
- Improving health and wellbeing through sport
- Helping students develop life skills in a safe place
- Developing your communication skills
- Gaining teaching experience
- Immersing yourself fully in the Ghanian way of life
- Exploring Ghana’s rural areas
Volunteer requirements
Volunteers need to be 18 years or over to participate in this program, unless accompanied by a parent or guardian. If you are under the age of 18, IVHQ offers alternative volunteer opportunities for teens. Visit our High School Volunteer Abroad page to learn more.
All volunteers are required to pre-arrange a visa to enter Ghana, obtain adequate volunteer travel insurance and provide IVHQ with a criminal background before departure.
Are you eligible to volunteer?
Submit a free application so we can confirm your eligibility and check availability for your preferred dates.
Not sure which program to join?
Get personalized recommendations >
Who is going?
Group video calls
Once you have secured your place, join regular video calls to meet your Program Manager and other volunteers before your trip.
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What recent volunteers said about their IVHQ experience
AA
Abigail Adamu - Alamba
26 Sep 2024
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PC
Peyton Cattoor
18 Sep 2024
This experience showed me the true reason I want to be a doctor. Healthcare outreach has always been important to me, but going to Ghana shed a whole new light on this. I realized how important it is go out into under-served communities to offer healthcare to those in need. I believe that everyone should have the opportunity to reach their full health potential, and even the smallest acts can make a difference in someone's life.
Ghana left a lasting impact on me. I learned so much and left with so many life lessons. This trip, despite only being a week long, truly changed my life! To anyone who is hesitant about doing a service trip, I would tell them that they will regret it if they don't go. I was hesitant, too, but after doing one, I am already looking at where I can go serve next. It is one of the best experiences you will ever have.
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EM
Emma McLemore
02 Aug 2024
The relationships built over this month has been so sweet. I have come home with lifelong friends and family that I am so eager to go back and visit. They all appreciated my hard work and are all very kind.
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Connie Williamson
08 May 2024
Do it! Volunteering is something I’ve always wanted to do and this experience didn’t disappoint. The integration between locals and the children was something I've not experienced, the love you feel is incredible. The joy you experience is something that is hard to find at home. Everyone on the local team was amazing, they helped us all, taught us lots of things, and went above and beyond. Everyone is so full of love and kindness you cannot not enjoy yourself, the volunteer work makes you feel as if you are making a difference, and the bonds and friendships you make you will carry with you forever.
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CH
Caleb Houser
21 Mar 2024
My Program Manager and the staff at IVHQ were more than helpful when it came to preparation. They were always available to answer my questions and provided me with so much information! I was nervous when I got to Ghana, however, as the days unfolded I developed tight bonds with fellow volunteers and locals, learned about a new culture, and made memories I still catch myself smiling over. By the time I left, I wasn’t going home - I was LEAVING home. Ghana left a monumental impact on me and I would do it all over again in a heartbeat. To anyone who is thinking about joining this program, you’ll be in for a life changing experience if you do.
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ML
Meghan Lee
29 Jan 2021
I really enjoyed this incredible experience. I still can’t believe I did it! The local team made a really good point during the orientation, “you already made an impact by being here”. I was really grateful to meet and learn something from others in this short time!
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To read all reviews, visit our reviews page.
Academic course credit
Academic course credit
Gain course credit from your college or university and meet your academic requirements when completing a volunteer abroad program with International Volunteer HQ!
Learn about course creditLocation
Location
When you volunteer in Ghana with IVHQ, you’ll get the opportunity to experience the country’s vibrant, diverse culture and get to know the people who are said to be some of the friendliest locals in Western Africa. While Ghana is a rapidly developing country which has seen an economic upturn in the last decade, there are still many places where people face the challenges poverty brings. This is especially true outside of the major cities in the rural areas where volunteers are most needed.
Rural volunteer placements are typically in low-income areas which often lack the funding, labour and resources they need to develop their communities. By choosing to volunteer in Ghana you can make a real difference by assisting with local initiatives that seek to improve the quality of life for the people who live there.
Arrival and orientation
The program orientation begins on the 1st and 15th of every month, or just on the 15th of every month for those taking part in the Healthcare Outreach & Education project. Volunteers need to arrive in Accra on the day before orientation.
After you have registered for the program, please book your flights to arrive at Kotoka International Airport (ACC) in Accra. Your airport pick-up is included in your Program Fee.
When you arrive, you will be greeted at the airport by a member of the local team and taken to the volunteer accommodation in Accra. Please note that you will stay in Accra city for one night, unless it is the weekend, in which case you will stay in the city until Monday morning. Once you have completed your orientation, you will move to a rural community in the greater Accra region where you will be placed for the remainder of your stay. Your accommodation is covered by your Program Fee and includes the night before your program orientation.
If you are travelling in Ghana prior to your volunteer program, we can arrange for you to be picked up at a prearranged location in Accra on the day before your program orientation.
Orientation is hosted by our local team in Accra and begins on the morning of your chosen start date. This covers everything you need to know for your volunteer program Ghana – an introduction to Ghana, culture and customs, rules and expectations, safety, travel opportunities, and an introduction to project and placement. The orientation will also give you a chance to meet other volunteers and swap contact details for weekend travel and socialising.
After orientation you will be taken to your placement in a rural Ghanian community.
Volunteer schedule example
First Day
On the first day of volunteering, volunteers will be escorted to their placement by a local coordinator and introduced to the placement staff they will be working with. A typical daily schedule would be as follows:
| 7:30 AM | Breakfast at the volunteer house. |
| 8:00 AM | Travel to placement to join local placement staff and begin work on your project. There is usually a tea break and a lunch break. |
| 2:00 - 5:00 PM | Work at the project usually ends and you are free to relax and use the remainder of the day as you wish. |
| 6:30 PM | Dinner at the volunteer accommodation. |
Please note this schedule can vary depending on your project and placement.
Weekends
During the weekends, volunteers have spare time and usually just relax or take the opportunity to discover the brilliant colours, music, food, fashion, history and nature that combine to make Ghana a true feast for the senses. Head to the capital city of Accra to see markets, museums and live music, or take a trip to Cape Coast and Elmina where you’ll find the Elmina Slave Castle - the first trading post built South of the Sahara - and pretty, palm-lined beaches where you can relax in the sun. You can also spend long weekends visiting other Western African countries like the neighbouring nations of Côte d’Ivoire and Togo.
Looking for more ideas of things to do in Ghana? Check out our Ghana Travel & Tours page!
Accommodation and WiFi
You’ll stay in a volunteer house with other volunteers. There are separate rooms for male and female volunteers with shared common room and toilet facilities. Living is basic but the majority of volunteer houses have electricity, while only few have running water. Power cuts are common in Ghana and most rural houses do not have running water during times of drought. Pillows and sheets are provided, however it is recommended that you bring your own towels and mosquito nets - or buy them in Ghana.
There is WiFi access available at local cafes and restaurants in a nearby village, which is a 15 to 20 minute walk from the volunteer accommodation. You can also purchase a local SIM card with data for an unlocked mobile phone to keep connected.
Meals
Volunteers in Ghana are served three meals per day. Breakfast generally consists of tea and coffee, and a hot breakfast. A typical lunch and dinner can include meat and vegetables with rice or noodles. If you have special dietary requirements, please let us know ahead of time so that we can make arrangements for you.
Typical volunteer house dining room
Typical volunteer house dining room
Typical volunteer house kitchen
Typical volunteer bedroom
Typical volunteer bedroom
Typical volunteer breakfast
Typical volunteer lunch
Typical volunteer dinner
Pricing
Secure your place for just US$299 (approximately £251), pay your Program Fee later.
Spots are limited. For a Registration Fee of just US$299 (approximately £251) you secure your spot and unlock all our preparation and training tools.
You don't need to worry about paying your Program Fee until you get closer to your start date.
Duration |
Program FeeDue 30 days before you start, or within 48 hours if you register inside of 30 days. Covers the cost of hosting you.
|
|---|---|
| 1 week | $390 Equivalent to $56/day |
| 2 weeks | $574 Equivalent to $41/day |
| 3 weeks | $714 Equivalent to $34/day |
| 4 weeks | $854 Equivalent to $31/day |
| 5 weeks | $994 Equivalent to $28/day |
| 6 weeks | $1,134 Equivalent to $27/day |
| 8 weeks | $1,474 Equivalent to $26/day |
| 10 weeks | $1,814 Equivalent to $26/day |
| 12 weeks | $2,166 Equivalent to $26/day |
| 16 weeks | $2,894 Equivalent to $26/day |
| 20 weeks | $3,622 Equivalent to $26/day |
| 24 weeks | $4,350 Equivalent to $26/day |
- All programs attract a Registration Fee of US$299 (approximately £251) in addition to the Program Fee. This covers all pre-departure support services.
- A 5% international banking fee is added at point of payment.
- Recommended spending money: Volunteers in Ghana generally find US$50 to be sufficient for weekly expenses, including water, toilet paper, transport and miscellaneous spending.
- Meals
- Airport pick-up
- Transportation to and from placement
- Accommodation
- 24/7 in-country support
- In-country program orientation
- Pre-departure support from your Program Manager
- Personalised preparation tools, guides and check lists
- Access to IVHQ’s preferred insurance and flights partners
- Certificate of International Volunteer Service
Learn more about what's included in your IVHQ Registration Fee and Program Fee.
- Return airport transfer when your program finishes
- Flights
- Visa (if required), travel insurance (mandatory), vaccinations, criminal background check.
- Personal spending money for snacks, laundry, public transportation, drinks and leisure activities during your free time.
Popular add-ons & experiences in Ghana
Take your volunteer experience to the next level with these popular add-ons and experiences. Explore your options below and learn how to book them once you've been accepted onto the IVHQ Ghana program.
Airport Drop-off
Enjoy a stress free ride from the volunteer accommodation back to Kotoka International Airport arranged by our local team.
£77
Extra Nights of Accommodation
Arriving early or departing a few days after your program finished? Book your extra nights of accommodation.
From £35
Check what's required to visit Ghana
Safety and support
Safety and support
IVHQ follows best practice and industry-leading health and safety procedures, which are regularly reviewed and optimized as part of the B Corporation recertification.
- All volunteers encouraged to complete our interactive pre-departure training.
- All local teams trained on best practice volunteer management & First Aid.
- All IVHQ programs are required to adhere to IVHQ's Risk Management Policy.
- All volunteers have access to 24/7 in-country support from our local team.
Essential country information
Essential country information
| Capital | Accra |
| Population | 30.42 million |
| Languages | English |
| Currency | Ghanian Cedi (GHS) |
| Time zone | UTC+00:00 |
Weather and climate
Weather and climate: Ghana has a tropical climate and the average temperature falls between 21°C to 28°C (70°F to 82°F). In the north, there is a rainy season from April to June and September to November. The rainy season in the south lasts from April to mid-November. The weather is typically humid however, over the dry season, desert winds in the north can create cooler evenings and a drier atmosphere.
Apply to check if you're eligible!
