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Liberia Refugee Camp - FAQTell me more about the Ghana and the Refugee Camp?What is the climate like in Ghana? What kind of volunteer work is available? Is there any time of the year when I can't volunteer? When will I know specific details on the placement? Where will I be located? Tell me more about flying into Ghana? When do I need to arrive at the camp? How do I get to the project? Tell me more about the accommodation Do you make provision for special diets? Are there holidays or festival I should be aware of when traveling? What age do you have to be to volunteer? What immunizations/vaccines will I need? What is the criterion for volunteers to be accepted into the program? Do I need to speak English to become a volunteer? Can I bring my own family with me to the program? Are there more expenses once I arrive? How safe is it to volunteer in Ghana and at the camp? How many volunteers are there on site at the same time? What is the course content of the training? What hours am I expected to take part in the program? Are we able to do any sightseeing while volunteering? What clothing is appropriate for the program? What resources will be available? Can you tell me more about your partner in Ghana? How are couples accommodated while volunteering? Who organizes my visa for my volunteer placement? Do I need travel insurance? How do I pay my fees? ------ Tell me more about the Ghana and the Refugee Camp? Ghana is a vibrant and interesting country, with rich traditions and culture. You will find that Ghanaians are very welcoming and friendly to visitors, and Ghana is mostly free from the trappings of mass tourism. Favourite destinations of visitors include tropical beaches along the coast, the waterfalls of the eastern highlands, the game-rich savannah of Mole National Park and the coastal slave forts with their chilling history. For more information we suggest you purchase the Bradt Travel Guide to Ghana. The Refugee Camp is home to more than 42,000 Liberians who have been displaced from their home country because of the war that began in 1990. The camp itself consists of dirt roads and basic cinder block houses with no running water and sporadic electricity. It is about a 45 minute bus ride from the camp to the capital city of Accra and it is a ten minute ride to the major market of Kasoa. The camp itself has its own market stalls scattered all over where you can purchase fresh fruit, vegetables, meats, eggs, etc. What is the climate like in Ghana? Since Ghana is only a few degrees north of the equator, the only seasonal changes are distinct wet and dry seasons. The best time to visit is during September-October when the weather is relatively cooler and it rains only occasionally. During December-February it is the dry season, when day temperatures are in the 80s-90s F/27-36 C and nights in the 70s F/18-26 C. Another dry season occurs in July and August. A dry northeast wind known as the harmattan blows for about 10 days in January. The eastern coastal belt is warm and comparatively dry; the southwest corner has the highest humidity and rainfall, while the north is frequently hot and dry. Don't forget to take along an umbrella during the rainy season. What kind of volunteer work is available? Volunteers should plan to help out in a variety of areas as none of the current projects are full-time. Your daily activities can be tailored to your specific talents and adapted for the amount of time you are there, but you will also need to be flexible about which programs you end up taking part in. Current projects include: Education: CBW operates a pre-Primary and primary school which offer quality education for refugee children who cannot afford the high cost of other schools on the camp. At these schools CBW has pioneered the abolishment of corporal punishment as part of its overall strategy for providing a safe environment for our children to learn. A scholarship fund has been established to contribute to the school fees of students who demonstrate reasonable academic achievement, and good behavior and attendance. To further provide for the children’s needs, a school nurse is present to assist teachers in the identification and diagnosis of sick children and provide free medical help. Specific projects such as a hand washing program and a food and water program aim to enhance hygiene and basic nutrition Water and Sanitation: The water and sanitation team consists of local volunteers who take action to clean up and improve their community. The team clears drains, and sprays dumpsites, toilets and bathrooms to control mosquitoes and prevent the spread of disease, as well as emptying community garbage bins donated by CBW. Surface water wells are dug to provide free water to those who cannot afford to pay for it. To enhance prevention of disease and waste, outreach programs are carried out to inform and educate local residents on issues of proper hygiene. HIV/AIDS: In this community outreach project, local volunteers educate residents of the entire camp on awareness, transmission and prevention of HIV/AIDS. Each day outreach teams speak informally to small groups of residents, who in turn inform their neighbors. This project includes conversation, condom distribution, and education on the proper and consistent use of condoms, with interaction among residents strongly encouraged throughout. The department has also established a sex education curriculum for the CBW schools and holds community-based workshops. Recreation: CBW has successfully set up recreational activities for the children and youth from Liberia as well as Ghanaian children in need living near the camp. A playground is under construction which when completed will include a basketball court, volleyball court and a space for seesaws and swings. Weekly P.E. sessions are run for both the pre-primary and primary schools. In addition a number of CBW soccer teams play daily, competitively and for fun. CBW also owns an area of land suitable to establish the premier football field in the camp. The football field will provide a safe environment for CBWs children to play during school P.E. classes and extra curricular activities. It will also be open to the whole of the community for sporting and cultural events. IT Centre: The Centre provides adults and CBW students in the community the opportunity to gain computer knowledge to keep up with increasing technological advancement worldwide. In addition, to meet our own CBW developmental objectives, all CBW local volunteers are offered a free computer education compromising both basic software classes and more advanced network techniques. Micro loan: This program was established as an income generation project for economically and socially vulnerable refugee women that sets out to provide the means and training necessary to be self-sufficient. This project combines conditional small loans with business training, leadership training and a mentorship program. This project is also designed for sustainability and is structured on a revolving loans system which allows additional women to be added to the program without the requirement of outside loans. Participants are empowered in all dimensions of their lives, becoming leaders in their communities and role models for their children. Distribution: Through a partnership with the Care Bags Foundation of the United States, CBW periodically distributes much needed goods to children throughout the camp. These include a wide range of materials for purposes ranging from educational to sanitary. Is there any time of the year when I can't volunteer? You can volunteer at any time of the year in Ghana, the Liberian refugee camp program starts on the 1st of each month. When will I know specific details on the placement? Placements are determined after orientation under consultation with the program staff so that requests and specific needs can be met with regards to both the volunteer and the needs of the community. As the situation in the camp is constantly changing it is best to discuss your placement preferences during your orientation period. Where will I be located? CBW is located inside Budumburam Refugee Settlement, just west of the town of Kosoa, and about 30 miles from the capital city Accra. Volunteers live in two volunteer houses, within the refugee community. Tell me more about flying into Ghana? All volunteers fly into Kotoka International Airport in Accra (airport code ACC). Pickup days are the last day of each month (one day before the program begins). Volunteers should provide their arrival details in advance so they can be met by our partner’s representative. When do I need to arrive in Ghana? You can start the program on the 1st of each month, but you will need to arrive the day before. Typically, volunteers will be greeted at the airport in Accra upon their arrival. How do I get to the project? Volunteers are met in Accra on the designated pickup day and driven to their accommodation in the camp. Each day volunteers will walk to and from their work areas. Tell me more about the accommodation? You will be staying with other volunteers in one of two volunteer-only guesthouses. The houses each have four bedrooms, two beds in each room. There is no running water and electricity is sporadic, but there is a gas stove and all cooking materials are provided. Food and bedding are also provided. Do you make provision for special diets? Vegetarians are fine if they are willing to settle for a limited selection of food. Breakfast is generally tea, eggs, some sort of oatmeal and bread. No problem there. Lunch is the main meal of the day and is served from a revolving menu of rice, potatoes, yams, beans or plantains, accompanied by a sauce on the side (which can often include meat). In the afternoon there is also fruit, such as pineapple, set out. You’ll need to supplement at your own expense if this is not acceptable to you. Are there holidays or festivals I should be aware of when traveling? There are many holidays and festivities in Ghana to enjoy throughout the year. Some of these will interrupt project schedules and some will not. One thing about Africa is that schedules are never written in stone. Volunteers should use the break from the regular work schedule to soak up the culture and get to know the people in your community. School holidays in Ghana vary from year to year and school to school, but typically they start about the second week in April, August, and December and last for one month. If you are volunteering during one of these holidays, there will be only a minimal need for volunteers to teach. Instead, you will spend much of your time on various other projects. What age do you have to be to volunteer? You must be between 18 and 59 years old. You also need to be in good health. What immunizations/vaccines will I need?
Consult the following links for more information about malaria: http://www.cdc.gov/malaria/faq.htm http://www.cdc.gov/travel/regionalmalaria/wafrica.htm What is the criterion for volunteers to be accepted into the program? Each applicant is considered by the information they provide on the application. If further information is required applicants will be emailed to request this. Please refer to the program requirements listed on the program page which outlines the minimum expectations of what is required for volunteering in this specific program. We also look further at your application as to skills and experience specifically related to the program you have applied to. We look at volunteer experiences, travel experience and also your particular interest in the program to make our decision. Do I need to speak English to become a volunteer? Yes you will need to speak English, as this is the language spoken by all Liberians at the camp. Of course you may have English as your second language; this will not be a problem. While there are many local languages also spoken in Ghana, the majority of people speak English. Can I bring my family/children to this program with me? Due to limited placements in this program, the spaces in the accommodation are reserved for volunteers only. If you are volunteering and would like to bring your family, you will need to arrange separate accommodation for them outside of the camp. As the demands of volunteering are quite strenuous, physically, mentally, and most of all, emotionally, we recommend volunteering on your own so that you may focus on the community and your personal health. Are there more expenses once I arrive? The in-country fee covers all meals during your placement. If you arrive early or intend on staying on in Ghana for longer than you are volunteering, you will need to budget more money for this time. You will also need money for your weekends off, depending on what you intend doing. For example, a trip to Cape Coast or Lake Volta may cost $50 to $70, but a trip to nearby Winneba may cost $30. Other expenses you may incur on camp include the internet (70 cents per hour), buying bagged water ($2 per week) and having your laundry washed if you choose to do so ($2 to $4). Some volunteers also choose to buy their own evening meals in order to increase the variety of food they eat. How safe is it to volunteer in Ghana and at the camp? Ghana is considered a safe, stable country with relatively low crime levels compared to other West African countries but sensible precautions for foreigners are recommended as you do draw extra attention. Foreigners are perceived as wealthy and although the people are generally warm and friendly towards foreigners, as well as appreciative of the work done by volunteers, not every individual is the same. The atmosphere in the camp is very community oriented, but the refugee camps, like all of their kind, pose inherent risks and our volunteer houses are not immune to such risks. Two armed-robberies have taken place at GVN Guesthouses since the organisations inception in 2000. We work extremely hard to ensure you are placed in safe environments while volunteering and security policies are in place to achieve this. In addition to having locks on all bedrooms and house entry points, there is also a security guard on duty at the volunteer house each night. The camp itself has a curfew at midnight and employs a small, on-site police force. How many volunteers are there on site at the same time? This depends on how many people volunteer at any one time. The maximum number is sixteen because that is how many volunteers we can fit into the two houses at one time. What is the course content of the training? The training is based at the camp. After two days of orientation on all CBW projects, you will receive practical training as you work from other local and international volunteers working on your projects. What hours am I expected to take part in the program? Volunteers typically work between 8am and 4pm, Monday through Friday, however, schedules can be flexible, depending on your specific volunteer activities. Are we able to do any sightseeing while volunteering? Yes. Any time that you are not expected to be on your project you are free to do as you please. Teaching hours very from 2 - 5 hours per day. You may want to spend some time in Ghana before or after volunteering to see more of the country. You can survive on as little as $20 (U.S) a day in Ghana. You can also spend much more if you want a bit of luxury. The Bradt Guide contains many traveling ideas and is very through in detailing places to stay along the way. What clothing is appropriate for the program? Volunteers are encouraged to wear comfortable but tidy attire. It can be very hot at certain times of the year, however covering up is important not only for protection from the sun and insects, but also to show respect to your fellow CBW volunteers and members of the community. For women this means long pants, skirts, and dresses. For men, this means long pants, or even nice knee-length shorts if necessary. What resources will be available? Any teaching resources you have that would be of benefit to you in your teaching subject would ideally be taken with you. Do not expect to have many resources provided at the school. You can discuss ideas with CBW by emailing the Volunteer Coordinator. Be aware the schools are very under-resourced and much of the teaching is rote learning with the teacher up the front talking to the whole class. Can you tell me more about your partner at the camp? Children Better Way was started by Semeh Roberts in 1996 while he was still in Liberia. Roberts saw the dire need for an organization to help the mass amounts of children left behind because their parents were killed or had to flee in the first part of the war. Roberts himself had to flee Liberia in 2000 and found himself amidst thousands of other Liberians at the Budumburam Refugee Camp in Ghana, many of whom were orphaned children. This inspired him to start a new chapter of CBW in Ghana for the purpose of empowering the children with informal education, time to play and interact with each other, as well as teach them and their parents or guardians about health issues. Although the camp has been in operation for some time the volunteer program has only recently begun. Global Volunteer Network has been placing volunteers in this program since January 2004. How are couples accommodated? Couples will be placed in the volunteer house with all of the other volunteers; however they will have a private room. Who organizes my visa for my volunteer placement? You will organize your Visa through your travel agent before you leave for Ghana. Also, our Program Information Pack includes links to Ghanaian Embassies through out the world. Do I need travel insurance? As with any overseas travelling, insurance is recommended. The Global Volunteer Network has arranged a comprehensive travel insurance package specially designed for volunteering. It includes excellent medical and accident coverage as well as a 'loss of deposits' cover which covers fees paid to GVN, airlines etc (up to US$8,000). If you would like to learn more just follow this link: http://www.volunteer.org.nz/insurance/. How do I pay my fees? Your application fee secures your place on the program (remember this is fully refundable if you decide not to take part in the program). Your program fee is payable to Global Volunteer Network 8 weeks prior to the 1st of the month you wish to volunteer. Please note that all charges incurred by the payment of the program fee are at the volunteer's expense, e.g. if a bank transfer incurs a bank fee at the point of origin, that is at the expense of the volunteer. Eighty percent (80%) of your program fee is refundable until one calendar month before the 1st of the month you are due to begin your program. ------ Question not covered here? Please check the generic FAQ, and if still unanswered, please submit your question here. (We aim to answer all email within 48 hours).
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Mt Everest Trek 2008
Between 29 September and 18 October 2008, GVN is offering a hike to fundraise for the support of 13 children living in the Brighter Future Children's Home in Nepal. > Read More
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