Cans For Kids Project Volunteer Program
April & May 2024 TBC
$600 AUS per week
Hankering to contribute to something meaningful?
Longing to make a difference to others?
Wondering how you might share your skills?
Yearning for adventure?
Craving an unforgettable cultural experience?
Seeking companionship and social life?
Does the singing, dancing and drumming of Africa make your heart pound?
Does any of the above make your soul sing?
If so read on:
Cans For Kids Project is offering volunteer opportunities for any able bodied person willing to share their skills and immerse themselves in the vibrant, colourful culture of Ghana. We offer volunteer packages ranging from one week to one month where you can be part of a range of volunteer activities including:
- Construction of another school building at Mumford in the Central Region.
- Teaching children & adults English
- Water safety & survival for local Police
- First Aid, Health & Hygiene for local community
- Agriculture: Land clearance, planting program & Palm wine making
- Ocean Fishing & fish farming
- Arts: bead making, tie dye, cultural dance, local cooking
Construction work at Mumford
You will stay in the friendly safety of the family compound in Kasoa. These compounds typically have a shared wash room, running water and bio indoor and outdoor toilet. Shared sleeping arrangements are the norm, although a private room is available. The shady outdoor area is shared with neighbours who usually cook on a fire and eat together. Below is the family compound at Kasoa.
Accommodation at Kasoa. An additional house has been constructed and includes a small private room.
Shared washroom with water from the well, and long drop toilet has now been replaced by an indoor washroom and toilet plus a new outdoor toilet.
Washing and communal outdoor laundry has also been replaced by an indoor washroom and indoor washing machine.
Shared food…shared friendship. You are invited!
The nearby kids will run over as soon as they hear drumming and singing, and they will happily sing their favourite church songs for you. Church is BIG everywhere in Ghana, and well worth the experience. Kasoa, Apam, Winneba all have busy market places twice weekly where a vast array of fabrics, hairdressing, foods and produce are sold.
Hairdressing is BIG at the market
Never too busy to give the kids a ride!
Buys some gorgeous fabric at the local market and one of the fabulous tailors e.g. Mina, will sew it up into something stylish for you at a fraction of the cost in your home country.
Mina herself…a picture of class and style
There are small dens nearby where you can pick up a beer or some local brew and enjoy the company of locals coming in after work to watch the boxing on TV, or listen to the boom box pounding out afropop music.
You will travel daily, from Monday to Friday, together with your hosts Patriz (from Australia) and Samuel and Emmanuel (from Ghana) by tro tro (local bus) or local taxi. Its all an experience you’ll never get in your home town.
On weekends you will be transported by private air-conditioned car, to stay in the comfort of the Mumford B&B Resort on the beach, at Mumford, 20 minutes to the east of Winneba, with hosts Bezza (from Australia) and Stone (from Ghana).
Its always nice to be a guest with Stone (centre) and Bezza (right)
Airport pick up and weekend transport
Mumford B&B Resort, behind the forbidding walls lies a haven of peace
View from the balcony
Table tennis tournaments with other volunteers
A great morning run along the beach…
You will have your own beautiful room with the sea breeze blowing through the window. The ensuite includes private shower and toilet, with running water. In the evenings the upstairs shared verandah space overlooking the beach, offers a lively social life over beers and music. At the Mumford Resort you have access to an authentic fishing village where you can join the community hauling in the nets of fish, and finish with smoked fish dinner on the beach.
Everyone helps to haul in the fish
Carpets of dried fish everywhere
LOOK! The big one got away!
The area offers safe walking and running if your fitness program demands. You will be offered a selection of destinations such Cape Coast Castle where the slave trade occurred, the tree canopy walk, the crocodile farm, beach drumming, to name just a few choices. Night life in Cape Coast offers an abundance of reggae and hi-life musicians as well as African drumming and dancing. All activities can be negotiated with your hosts who will provide transport and accompany you.
The Cape Coast Castle…where the slaves awaited their destination. Informative but very confronting…a must visit.
Tree canopy walk….scarier than it looks!
Winneba is the main city near Mumford. Winneba is well resourced and has a hospital, university, schools, shops and ATM machines. It is a gorgeous historic town ship where people are natural and very relaxed. Its a safe, easy destination you can comfortably travel by local taxi, if you wish to have some time to explore on your own.
Costing:
The Cans For Kids Project will provide:
- sponsorship letter for visa requirements
- airport pick up and drop off
- local transport costs
- safe accommodation
- local Ghanian food
- chaperone services
- weekend touring package
- certificate of participation
Not included:
- alcohol
- western food
- personal shopping
- telephone sim card
- medical expenses
Volunteers are responsible for:
- flights to and from Accra
- medical insurance, including specific motorbike cover (mandatory)
- personal medication & sunscreen
- immunisations (Covid, yellow fever, malaria)
- reasonably good level of fitness and health (able to carry own luggage, climb stairs, walk on uneven terrain, fit into a taxi minivan).
- closed shoes, hat, garden gloves, work clothes
- correct visa requirements
- adhering to Ghanian law.
The cost to participate: for one week is: $600 AUS
Any surplus money will be donated to the CFKP Health & Education building program.
The program is running from April 16-end May 2024
How else can you help?
- Reduce, reuse recycle for the good of Mother Earth
- Donate your recyclables money to this cause
- Create a fundraiser for CFKP
- Become a CFKP committee member and get involved
- Come to Ghana as part of the volunteer program
What do you get in return?
- A life worth living… helping others to get an education
- A contribution to the welfare of this planet
- Lifelong membership of a caring community
- Your name carved into a brick as acknowledgement
- Subscription to our mailing list for regular reports.
- A classroom/school building/health annex named after you (for significant donations).