Work and Travel in Ghana

VOLUNTEER AND PAID WORK OPPORTUNITIES IN GHANA FOR TRAVELLERS

Ghana is one of the most diverse countries in the whole of Africa. With over 40 languages spoken in just 10 regions, this is a magical place to visit. But if you want to travel in Ghana you may want to think about giving something back.

Get closer to the people who live there and witness the real Ghana in all its splendour. All you have to do is read our travel guide to Ghana to find out more about some of the things you can do there.

1. Help Farmers in Ghana

Ghanaian people may not have experienced the wars that nations around it has, but that doesn’t mean they don’t suffer from a huge amount of poverty. Farmers, in particular, struggle to get the tools they need to grow farms into profitable ventures.

You can help farmers as you work and travel in Ghana by helping charities to introduce more sustainable farming techniques. You’ll often be enjoying a homestay with these farmers too, so you’ll get to find out more about the local culture of Ghana in the process.

2. Promote Education in Ghana

Ghana may be better off than many other African countries, but the education levels within the country are far from adequate. Foreigners who want to work in Ghana have that option by promoting education throughout the nation.

You will be going into schools and providing a basic education to children. Naturally, anyone with a teaching qualification will have better prospects. However, if you intend on teaching younger children and you’re from a developed nation you usually won’t need any qualifications to work in Ghana in this capacity.

3. Support Adult Literacy in Ghana

Believe it or not, you’ll find that when you travel in Ghana a lot of people can’t read. Serious efforts are being made by charities to improve literacy rates amongst adults.

One of the most rewarding volunteering opportunities in Ghana is to teach adult Ghanaians how to read. As long as you’re from a developed country, you’re already qualified. If you can read this page you have all the qualifications you need.

It does help if you possess some kind of teaching qualification., but it’s far from necessary.

VOLUNTEER WORK VISA / PERMIT REQUIREMENTS FOR GHANA

As of this writing, the only provisions for any form of visa-free or visa-on-arrival facilities are for citizens of the African Union. All countries outside of Africa, with only some exceptions like Singapore, are required to get a visa prior to travelling to the country.

This can be done from any embassy in your home country, but it’s also possible to do it from neighbouring African countries. For more info click here.

It should also be mentioned that Ghana has made its intentions clear to introduce an e-visa policy for other citizens, so they no longer have to attend an embassy.

However, this was supposed to be implemented in 2018 and there is yet no news of it coming into force.

Ghanaian visas are relatively easy to obtain, however, so you shouldn’t need visa support from your project provider to work and travel in Ghana.

SEASONAL BACKPACKER SKILLS NEEDED IN GHANA

SPRING WORK

Ghana’s tropical climate makes this one of the best countries to visit throughout the whole year. However, it still does still have rainy seasons. The coastal areas should be avoided in spring as this is when the rains hit the hardest. Getting to remote areas in the coastal regions can be difficult at this time of year.

We recommend you move to urban areas, such as Accra. There are so many different projects you can involve yourself in there. For example, you could work in a school, in an orphanage, or with disabled children. It can be overwhelming to work in some parts of Accra, but this is where you can make the biggest difference on your travels.

Accra is the centre for most volunteering opportunities in Ghana, so it’s the ideal place to be.

SUMMER JOBS

The summer season is the time to head to the rural areas. We recommend going to the coastal regions and working with farmers there. Helping farmers in the rural areas will give them the tools they need to continue to grow their farms and ensure a good harvest every year.

You can also help deprived communities in the more remote regions of the country. It’s the perfect time to visit because the roads are easy to get around and you should have few problems when it comes to logistics.

You’ll get to see the real Ghana and make a lasting difference in the process.

AUTUMN

The autumn season is the second rainy season. You should refer back to the ‘Spring’ section for further information on some of the projects you can indulge in there.

WINTER

Winter in Ghana is the second dry season and the whole country is open to you, once again. You can refer back to the ‘Summer’ section for an idea of some of the projects you can participate in there.

Another option for winter is to apply for a homestay project. A cultural exchange will bring the outside world closer to the people of Ghana and you’ll learn a lot about the country in the process.

ATTITUDE TO FOREIGNERS WORKING OR VOLUNTEERING IN GHANA

The lack of a language barrier is a big help to people who want to travel in Ghana. Work in Ghana gives you far more options when you already speak the language.

Ghana, due to its visa policies, doesn’t receive as many foreigners as you might think. This means that most locals, especially in rural areas, don’t come into contact with outsiders often. As always, you will need to be aware of safety issues whilst you work and travel in Ghana, but you should experience no problems when working as part of one of these volunteer projects.

Do you want to begin your adventure in Ghana this year?