Football Volunteer Ghana

Ghana’s presence at the 2006 Football World Cup has helped to raise the country’s profile in the world game and show just how much talent exists in Ghana, to be harnessed and developed. What better way is there to incorporate your enjoyment of sport and pass on your enthusiasm to the local communities of Africa, and make a real difference to their lives?

Project Age Limit
Minimum age 17, maximum decided on potential participant’s health

Participant Requirements
Volunteers should ensure they feel fit enough to join a project of this nature

Football Programme Outline
The Football Programme was developed by a young Ghanaian man named Martin; he is passionate about Football and understands its importance within the local communities. Sport is a fantastic way of alleviating the hardships youth’s face everyday living in Africa, allowing them to play and interact with their friends on a day-today basis.

Children will be playing in a team, developing their skills and physical health in a structured and proactive, safe environment, which keeps them off the streets. Since starting the Scheme, Martin has hosted many volunteers and witnessed their amazing influence upon the communities of Africa.

This football volunteer programme is open to people of all abilities. You do not have to have any football coaching qualifications, just an understanding of the game and motivation to teach.

Project Outline
The Football Programme operates in two main Areas of Ghana: Accra, the Capital of Ghana, and the Volta Region, to the East. So, whether you are looking to work in the cities or out in the country, we can place you on a suitable project. The Accra project is less structured and more flexible, based in an urban setting. The Volta project, on the other hand, is based in a rural area under a more rigid programme, with a strict coaching curriculum.

Street Football Project in Accra
This project is perfect for anyone who loves the hustle and bustle of a large and busy city, and wishes to work in a less structured, more independent role in Africa.

Eventually the Programme Team hope to open an academy in Accra, but for now are dedicated and focused on a variety of Street Football schemes, aimed at getting local teams and individuals involved in Football coaching and matches during the week.

Since the project began, Accra has experienced an increase and improvement in the number of pitches, teams and facilities available to the communities and an increased awareness of health and social issues. Much of your time will be spent visiting the many pitches within the city and organising teams into matches, and coaching individuals in preparation, working between 3-4 hours a day, 5 days a week.

In your spare hours each day, you will also have the fantastic opportunity to teach within the local schools of Accra. The schools will vary in their facilities, but generally consist of a few classrooms with wooden desks and a blackboard, so there are loads of opportunities for you to be creative in your role and make the lessons memorable for the children!

Your first week will usually be spent observing Ghanaian teachers before you start teaching in the second week. This period allows you to choose which class you would be most comfortable teaching and to learn the skills and cultural differences in the classroom. Maths and English are the two most popular subjects volunteers like to teach, although it is open to whatever you like – science, drama, art, music, geography etc.

Please Note: Schools in Africa are not in any way the same as western standards. The structure is poor, and time is certainly not a priority. Caning is still a common practise, and many times it is the teachers who fail to turn up instead of the children.

As a western volunteer, your influence is crucial, and your work for just a few months can dramatically change your school in many ways. Get the children involved as much as possible, not just in school hours, but also in after school activities, to really get the most out of your project. For example, you could arrange football practise on Wednesdays, and drama on a Friday….You may be surprised at how one person can potentially make such a massive difference to so many.

Football Academy in Volta
The Football Academy is an institution dedicated to finding the best Football talent around Ghana. It specialises in coaching and educating individuals full-time to their full potential – rather like on a scholarship basis, on a carefully structured syllabus.

The Academy currently has approximately 30 full-time children between the ages of 12 and 17, who are permanent members of the project. However, there are at least another 120 children hoping to join, demonstrating the power of football for education. You will get to know each of these students very well, as you pass on your skills and experience.

You will typically work and coach for about 4 hours a day, 5 days a week within the Academy, with two days off for holidays and relaxing. In your extra hours during the day, you will also have the opportunity to teach classes within the school to your students, in a variety of subjects if you wish.

Please Note: When you arrive in Africa, you must arrive with an open mind and flexible attitude: In a developing country, you cannot expect life to be as structured as in the West.

Africa has a famous saying of ‘Africa Time’: You will find that the pace of life is much slower than you will be used to, and you must use a lot of initiative and creativity in your role to make things happen and develop the programme structure. But, as our volunteers have experienced, a little hard work and persistence goes a very long way, and your sense of achievement and pride that you feel when you come to leave the project will last you a lifetime.

Project Support
Throughout your stay in Ghana you will have the support and guidance of the Ghanaian project leaders and team. They will provide you with competent field support and assistance, and help you with any questions or support you may need during your stay. The team are really friendly, and will be there for you to contact each day and a meeting will also be scheduled for you early on in your placement to give you an extra opportunity to network and socialise with the other volunteers and students in Ghana.

Local Orientation
When you arrive into Ghana, Martin or a member of his team will be there to meet you. During your first few days, you will receive a full local orientation to help familiarize yourself with the local culture and settle you slowly into your programme. Your orientation will cover:

• Local language and culture – social norms, traditions and culture
• Expected behaviour – at host family, dress code at project
• Safety – what to avoid, what to do in an emergency
• Locations of important amenities – banks, hospitals, embassies
• Transportation and travel in Ghana – where to go, how to get there
• Volunteer placement – what your project involves, who you need to report to, other volunteers etc

While the orientation will cover a range of issues, there will be plenty of opportunities to ask other questions that you may have.

Accommodation and Meals
During your project, you will have the fantastic opportunity to live with a local family close to where you will be working and easily commutable by local transport. The accommodation in Ghana will vary in standards; from very basic with outside taps and long drop toilets, to sofas, showers and televisions, though in some instances there may be no running water or electricity.

You must go with an open mind to these families – they will be so warm and will welcome you with open arms, though you may be a little surprised by the accommodation standards compared to those you might be used to. Please understand that these people have very little, and what they do have they want to share with you.

All of our homes have been carefully inspected, and you will have your own bedroom, though in a few instances you may also be sharing with another volunteer. When in the village, you will feel extremely safe, and treated like one of the community, and this really is a once in a lifetime opportunity not to be missed, but treasured.

During your stay, you will be provided with three meals per day (though on a few projects you may just take a packed lunch or buy it when you are there). You will be expected to buy your own drinking water - bottled mineral water or treated ‘Pure’ water is best advised, but also very cheap.

A Home-stay will provide you with the unique opportunity to fully integrate and experience a cultural emersion by living with a local, English speaking Ghanaian family, in their homes: Typically this will be with their young children and extended family. They will be on hand to help you, and also show you around the local area, and make you feel perfectly at home.

This will also really help you to integrate yourself in their lifestyle to understand their ways of everyday living and culture. We hope this intercultural exchange will develop long-term international relations between you and your family, to maintain after your visit as friends.

All breakfasts, most lunches and all dinners will be provided for you by your host family: This is an excellent chance to try some of the local dishes, such as ‘Foufou’, which is made from ground yams, and usually eaten by hand!!! Whilst you are in Ghana, why not buy some ingredients and cook them a typical meal from your own country too!

Equipment Donations
This sports volunteer project is like many other charitable organizations and therefore needs donations each year to purchase equipment. Although your programme does include a donation to the project, many volunteers ask if there is anything they can bring out with them to help benefit the project and its teams. This can include:

• Football shirts and Kits
• Football boots
• Footballs
• Plastic cones
• Any Books, pens and paper for the schools
• Any other football accessory, such as whistles and nets