Sports Leadership – High School Specials

Volunteers can make a contribution by coaching football, the most popular sports in Ghana. You will work alongside local coaches to help children develop their skills, increase their confidence, and referee matches.
As a volunteer, you will coach footballs in dusty fields in West Africa, Ghana.  Many children in Ghana don’t receive proper coaching and they lack basic ball skills and understanding of Football. You’ll teach them how to use their raw talent more effectively.

You’ll work with a number of schools, coaching football during lesson times and coaching the school teams after school. You’ll also combine your coaching with some normal teaching, such as English, thus giving you a wider range of experience.

With a little time, energy and patience your placement will be thoroughly rewarding and enjoyable for both you and the children. You’ll no doubt learn a thing or two as well – this country is passionate about sport with no shortage of talent! The sense of importance that children feel from the fact that you’re from another country and have chosen to spend your time helping them can be overwhelming – your very presence is encouraging and motivating.

During the weekend we’ll take you to Cape Coast to visit Kakum Rainforest Reserve where you can hike through the jungle and experience the canopy walkway high in the trees. You will also have the opportunity to visit Cape Coast’s slave fort and learn about the history of the region.

Safety & Supervision for High School Volunteers

Our staff that work on our High School Specials are well-prepped and experienced with caring for younger volunteers who are in need of a support system, a safe environment, and a structured regimen (with some flexibility for excursions). We created a comprehensive timetable for volunteers.

Our Professional Staff will take care of volunteer daily as volunteers work side-by-side to accomplish project goals. Volunteers visit historical sites and enjoy cultural activities during weekends and evenings.

Volunteers who join this program will not be left alone and will be kept safe. Volunteers go back to host families in groups of two or more volunteers with each family. Volunteers may even stay in a dorm that is managed by our staff for certain projects. Volunteers will room with fellow volunteers of the same sex and approximate age.

This engaging program will provide volunteers with an amazing opportunity while still receiving support. Volunteers can further explore their independence by joining some of our other programs in the evenings and weekends.

Accommodation: OGVO provides a decent, clean and safe accommodation for all our volunteers. Students will stay with our welcoming host family in housing consisting of comfortable rooms in a safe, conveniently located neighborhood, clean and fenced. Lodging arrangements consist of modern toilet facility and running water. Students will share a room together in gender-segregated group lodging.

Meals: Volunteers will be served three healthy meals daily – breakfast, lunch and dinner.  Volunteers will enjoy delicious meals like rice and chicken, vegetable stew and yams and traditional Ghanaian cuisine such as fufu and soup, banku and okra stew. Vegetables and fruits will also be served. Our host family is willing to meet the needs of our volunteers and every dietary requirement.

Group Teen Experience

Volunteers for this program come from across the globe. We have fixed start dates for arrival in Kotoka International Airport in Accra and the same transportation to the site of the project. Depending on each project, the program duration is 2-4 weeks.

Volunteers who have joined the High School Special Program and built a stable service foundation can choose to extend this experience by working an extra week or more at one of our other project sites with longer-term volunteers. Volunteers that extend will be able to have more independence and freedom. Our staff is always available to assist.

Volunteers will enjoy the diversity and international experience of each group. In any one group of fifteen, there are teenagers from five to ten different nations. Team work and project building serves as a great bonding mechanism for volunteers to make life-long friends and experience cultures from countries and regions past the location of the project.

Volunteers will stay with a local family to be immersed in the Ghanaian culture and lifestyle. Make a difference as you learn Ghana and explore the area.

English is spoken in Ghana and it is a friendly country with lovely warm weather no matter the time of year. The urban areas are modern and larger with new amenities, but rural areas lack many amenities. Local cuisine features a lot of fresh fruit, beans, rice, fish, goat, and chicken.

At OGVO we take pride in our reputation for careful, meticulous planning and attention to detail. It is inevitable that some things described here will not happen exactly as presented. To get the most out of the OGVO experience, participants need to be flexible in responding to unforeseen situations, and creative in taking advantage of unexpected opportunities. We expect OGVO participants to share responsibility for the success of their experience. Rules that provide a safe and structured environment, set curfews, and prohibit the use of alcohol, drugs, and   tobaccos are in place and enforced. We expect you to behave in a mature and productive way at all times.

Highlights

• High School Specials volunteer work and travel
• Share your skills in playing the sport loved by millions of Ghanaians.
• Visit historic Cape Coast Castle, Kumasi – Ashanti Kingdom
• Work with children
• Shop at an African Market
• Make friends from diverse countries
• Live with a Ghanaian Host Family
• Experience a degree of freedom and independence as you broaden your horizons

Program Schedule

Duration: 2 – 4 weeks
Dates: 1st and 3rd Monday of every Month
Arrive at: Kotoka International Airport (ACC)
Program Location: Kumasi – Ashanti Region (the second largest city in Ghana), also available in other regions across Ghana
Working Days: Monday – Friday (5 days a week)
Working hours:  7 – 9 hours in a day (35 – 45 hours in a week)                                               
Program deposit: Deposit of US $200 required to secure placement                     
Accommodation Type: Host family, single or shared rooms
Travel and Tourism Tours: Travel/Sightseeing on weekends included in Cost
Program Fee: See the table below

Program Fee’s & Duration – High School Volunteer Abroad Program

What is included in program fee?

– Airport pick-up service & transfer to project site

– All accommodation

– All meals (three meals a day)

– Comprehensive pre-departure information

– 24hr emergency support

– Orientation, staff support and backup

– Introduction to host family and program

– Daily transport to and from your project

– Placement, supervision in program and visa support letter

– Recommendation letter/certification of completion

– Cultural activities, weekend excursions and entrance fees

– Application review and processing

– All information before and during your time with us in Ghana

– Airport drop-off after project completion

What is NOT Included?

– Visa costs, Airfare

– Travel and Medical Insurance

– Vaccinations, Internet access

– Buying gifts/souvenirs for friends and family members back home

– Phone calls, Damage to or loss of properties

– Water/Drinks and Personal spending money