SHIFSD at the Liberian Refugee Settlement, Buduburam, Ghana

During the past years, armed conflict in Liberia and the western zones of Côte d’Ivoire has caused large numbers of Liberian refugees to flee to Ghana. The refugee population is now approaching 48,000, having risen from 3,000 when the camp was first formed in the 1970s. Voluntary repatriation movements are expected to take place throughout this year and next, with it crucial to help prepare refugees, particularly women and young people, to rebuild their lives in their home country.

SHIFSD exists to reduce social causes of poverty through access to education and economic empowerment. They believe that through ensuring access to education and economic empowerment for disadvantaged people, SHIFSD will be contributing to a reduction in poor governance, human rights violations, and other social imbalances which breeds abject poverty and conflicts. SHIFSD also seeks to contribute to sustainable peace and local economic development in West Africa.

Their educational objectives include:

SHIFSD Economic Empowerment Objectives include:

Volunteer roles available are:

• Microfinance/Micro credit project officer is required to provide technical support to the Micro-Credit project staff, review and develop current activities and programs and aid small enterprise development on the settlement. The ideal volunteer will have either an educational background in microfinance or professional working experience.
Code: AI01SH

• Women's Rights Officer
The intern will have a wide remit for educating and empowering women in the camp. This will involve being an advocate for women’s rights, education on healthcare issues, and small business development.
Code: AI02SH

• Human Rights Educator is required by SHIFSD to run workshops, review and develop current activities and programs and seek new potential partners. The ideal volunteer will have either an educational background in human rights work or professional working experience.
Code: AI03SH

• A Web-designer/administrator is required to update and develop the website and train staff in website administration. The volunteer will also be required to teach computer literacy. The volunteer must demonstrate web design abilities.
Code: AI04SH

For more volunteer placements on the refugee settlement go to refugeevolunteer.org.

To apply for one of these placements please click here quoting the placement code.

What kind of skills you need to go on this placement?
Volunteers must have a strong interest in refugee issues and commitment to teaching refugees skills that will enable them to be economically independent. You will need to be flexible and tolerant, show initiative and enthusiasm to face the many hurdles and challenges that you will encounter. You will have to be able to cope with basic living and working conditions.

In order to maintain the sustainability and high performance of this project all volunteers are required to complete a detailed hand-over document for successive volunteers.

Where is the placement based?
The placement is based at the Buduburam refugee settlement 30 kms outside the Ghanaian capital Accra.

Duration
Minimum length (weeks) 2
Maximum length (weeks) 52

Project Fees

What’s included in the project fees?
• Accommodation
• Welcome pack
• $100 donation to the host organisation.
• In-country introduction to life in Ghana.
• Airport pick-up & drop-off
• 24/7 Emergency support.

What’s not included?
• Flights & Visa
• Food
• Vaccinations (please speak to your local GP)
• Insurance (required)

Health and Safety
There are a number of health clinics on the settlement, with doctors on call 24/7. The refugee settlement has its own neighbourhood watch scheme, but volunteers should nevertheless show due care and diligence when walking around the settlement and with their belongings, especially after dark. The atmosphere in the refugee settlement is very community oriented, but the settlement, like all of its kind, pose inherent risks and our volunteers are not immune to such risks.

Other details
• Working hours will be flexible. The typical working day is from 08:30 to 16:30 Monday to Friday.
• The nearest internet café and telephone communications centre are 5 minutes walk away.
• Small stores are dotted all around the settlement.
• SHIFSD like the vast majority of organisations on the settlement is strongly influenced by Christian religious beliefs.
• The UNHCR withdrew its funding of the camp in July 2007. This is expected to have little impact on the camp as 49,000 people have made a life there and as such are not expected to return home. The Ghana Refugee Board will continue to maintain a presence at the settlement.
• You will be staying in basic shared accommodation just off the settlement. We have a generator and 1000 gallon water tank to supply the accommodation.

IMPORTANT: Our main aim is to provide organizations on the settlement with hardworking, dedicated and happy interns. We are offering an authentic experience working and living alongside refugees. Please read the information we send you thoroughly and take your time to think about the environment in which you will be living and operating. It may be hot, it may be noisy, it may be smelly, you may not have electricity or water for a period of time…if any of these things bother you, you may want to reconsider interning on a refugee settlement. We have plenty of other opportunities available with similar organisations in Ghana.

Request more info!