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Volunteering in Ghana Summer 2013

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  • 05-01-2013 6:11pm
    #1
    EricC
    Registered Users Posts: 27 ✭


    Hi All,

    I'm seriously considering volunteering in Ghana this summer for a minimum of 3 months. I'm contemplating going with EIL (www.eilireland.org), has anybody gone with these in the past or have any experience in using them.

    I'm both excited and nervous at the same time as I'm planning on going alone.

    If anybody has any advice it'd be great to hear from you.
    Tagged:


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    #2
    clonkers45
    Registered Users Posts: 5 ✭clonkers45


    Hi EricC

    I congratulate you on choosing Ghana as a country to visit. I am sure you will love every minute of it. I lived there for three years and still miss it often. However, I cant congratulate you on your choice of orgaisation. ELI have a very very bad reputation (like many "volunteer" organisations) in the development community. ELI charge exhorbitant fees, much of which never sees its way to any local organisation or host family. A quick google search should reveal much of the negative press which surrounds them and other such organisations.

    Knowing what I know now, having travelled widely across and lived in different African countries, I would advise you, especially if you have three months, just get a flight soemwhere, go, and find something worthwhile to do when you get there. Do you something you know. Whatever your job is or your studies are in, try and apply that wherever you end up. Dont try to be a builder if you are not a builder. Remember there are plenty of qualified unemployed people in these countries and if you are doing something you are not qualified to do, you are just taking a job off somebody who is qualified and could probably do the job much better than you.

    If however, you still feel the need to go abroad with a volunteer organisation, then you should look at VSI. Prices are based in reality. Probably cost around US$300 flat fee for a placement as opposed to whatever exhorbitant price ELI is charging. You might not get going to Ghana, but hey Africa is an wonderful adventure wherever you end up.

    Hope all this helps. If you have any more questions feel free to ask.


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