It also has a serious malaria and preventable disease problem with 20,000 children a year dying from malaria and 160,000 children orphaned through HIV/AIDS (with 17,000 children under the age of 15yrs being infected themselves.) To compound matters, Ghana suffers from a relatively short rainy season affecting subsistence farming creating food shortages that result in malnutrition. The fragile water supply also leads to outbreaks of waterborne diseases ranging from bacterial and protozoal diarrhoea, to hepatitis A and typhoid fever. Although Ghana is developing a buoyant oil industry to add to its already thriving gold and cocoa export industries, poverty is rife mainly in the north of the country where monies generated don't seem to penetrate.

Volunteer work placements in Ghana focus where they are needed most, in education, fighting malaria, caring for orphans and supporting women and families affected by trafficking which is rife in West Africa. If undertaking volunteer work in Ghana leave time to explore this West African country with its secluded beaches, old colonial forts that remind visitors of the old slave trade and of course the Kakum National Park with its renowned treetop walkway deep into the rainforest. A visit to the Volta Region, which is dominated by Lake Volta, is also highly recommended. Volunteers will be glad to hear that accommodation is relatively cheap in Ghana with single hotel rooms being available for as little as a few pounds a night.

Please note that many volunteer opportunities in Ghana were disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic which led to the permanent closure of some volunteer opportunities and restrictions on others. Hopefully things are now beginning to return to normal.If you run or know of a volunteer work project in Ghana let us know by contacting us here. We look forward to hearing from you!