Community Development Projects - Ghana
Home to quite possibly the friendliest and most welcoming people on the planet; most people travel to Ghana to experience its rich and diverse culture.
With stunning beaches along its stunning coastline, lush tropical forests in its interior and dusty savannah to its north, Ghana has a fascinating mix of landscapes. The eerie colonial forts on the coast, the canopy walkway of the forest belt and the dusty game reserve of the northern region are a must for anyone travelling to this golden country.
Ghana is held by many to be a beacon in Africa, politically stable, economically sound and responsible in outlook. However, despite best efforts, a vast dichotomy still exists between the development in the cities and in rural areas. Much work has been done to provide clean
water and electricity to all areas but many of Ghana’s youth leave the villages for the seemingly bright lights and prospects of the cities.
Inadequate education is probably the single greatest hindrance to development in Africa. Without a good, basic education it is almost impossible for people to lift themselves out of the cycle of poverty and on the road to a better future. With education comes opportunity; the chance to get a better job or start a small business, and less tolerance of one of the continent's other great problems, corruption.
One of the United Nations' eight Millennium Development Goals is to achieve universal primary education by 2015. Even coming close to achieving this target not only requires more working teachers, but also development of the basic infrastructure of schools, which is where Gap for Grumpies volunteers are making a small but very real contribution.
The Government of Ghana recognises the need for every village to have a primary school, but providing this with the limited resources available is a massive task. There remain a great many villages without any school at all, and many of those schools that do exist are in desperate need of repair. It is not only classrooms that are required, but other facilities such as toilets (lack of these is thought to be one reason for low female attendance in African schools) and playgrounds, things that encourage children to go to school by making it fun.
Gap for Grumpies’ Ghana Development Programme is based in the Volta Region, in the hills east of Lake Volta, the world's largest artificial lake. With guidance from the District Education Office and UNICEF, the core of each project is to either build a basic school or renovate an existing one. With a team of 12 volunteers, with the experience of our overseas crew and the crucial involvement of local communities, a simple classroom block can be built in five weeks.
Please contact us to find out more about volunteering with Gap for Grumpies on a Community Development Project in Ghana.
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