You will have a named in-country co-ordinator and a named contact within your host organisation, both of whom will be contactable 24 hours a day by mobile telephone. Your contact will not be a travel rep arranging daily entertainment (sorry!) but someone who will meet with you regularly, as required by you, to ‘health check’ your placement.

Your co-ordinator will be happy to discuss any concerns and to give advice should you want to travel outside of your placement. Whilst in placement you will also have be shown to the nearest place when you can access both the telephone and the internet, enabling you to maintain contact with home.

All staff will be at your disposal to help you have a great experience. We currently have 7 members of staff in Ghana who will be your extended family for the duration of your stay.

I have a medical condition – how will this affect me?

As we are not trained medical professionals we strongly suggest you contact your doctor with any questions you may have regarding your condition and the effect living in Ghana may have on you.

• Visit your doctor 4–6 weeks before travel for an anti malarial drug. (There are no vaccines against malaria.)
• Take your anti malarial drug exactly on schedule without missing doses.
• Apply insect repellent to prevent mosquito and other insect bites. Your insect repellent should contain DEET as its active ingredient. To prevent malaria, apply insect repellent if out of doors between dusk and dawn when the mosquito that transmits malaria is biting.
• Wear long pants, long-sleeved clothing and socks (our managing director swears by socks!)
• Sleep under a mosquito bed net (preferably one that has been treated with DEET).
• Spray your bedroom 30 minutes before you sleep with Raid (easily available in Ghana).

Which vaccinations do I need?

We advise you to contact your doctor 4-8 weeks before departure to consult on which vaccinations and boosters you will need for Ghana.

Courses or boosters usually advised: diphtheria; tetanus; poliomyelitis; hepatitis A; typhoid; yellow fever.

Vaccines sometimes advised: hepatitis B; rabies; tuberculosis; meningococcal meningitis; cholera

For more information on travel health issues to Ghana please visit Fit For Travel.

What is the food like and can I drink the water?

Ghanaian food is excellent, with staples including fresh fruit such as pineapple, mango, fresh fish, chicken, soups and stews and a variety of maize meal foods. If you like spice, Ghana is the place to be.

Thick soups are the mainstay of Ghanaian cuisine and are usually eaten with potatoes or rice. Another staple meal is Fufu, which consists of cassava, yam, or plantain that has been cooked, pureed, and mashed into a ball. Fufu is a ubiquitous and much-loved staple throughout most of West Africa. It can be topped with a fiery sauce or served as the bland accompaniment to a main dish. Fufu is traditionally made with cassava, but it can be prepared with everything from rice or yams, to instant mashed potatoes.

On street stalls you can find plenty of foods to stave off your hunger pangs. A popular dessert is fried plantains seasoned with chili pepper and ginger. This is usually washed down with a refreshing non-alcoholic drink made of corn called askenkee.

We strongly suggest volunteers do not drink water from the taps and are careful when eating out (try to avoid salads!)

Please be aware that food is not included in placements.

Traditional Western foods can be bought in Accra, but as these are generally imported volunteers should be aware that they are expensive. Our staff will point you in the right direction as to where to do your food shopping.