“I miss Ghana. Unlike most volunteers, I only got to spend 3 short weeks in Kumasi and I regret not signing up for a longer visit. Being a pre-medicine student, I wanted to volunteer in a hospital setting, but also travel and get out of my comfort zone. Since I was finishing my senior year, this summer of 2012 would really be my only chance to make such a trip so I decided to take this chance, regardless of how short the trip would be.My placement was at the Namasa Government Hospital the staff in general is very friendly and extremely helpful and in particular Helena, the volunteer coordinator, was the best boss I’ll ever have.“
James Hardings 23 years of age USA
“My placement at the hospital was in the Maternity Ward. Nothing could have prepared me for what I was about to experience. At first I was a little overwhelmed being thrown right into things but after about a week I felt like I was a part of the hospital staff. Every morning I would accompany the ward nurses and doctors on their rounds and I was in charge of taking vital signs (temperature and blood pressure) from all of the pregnant women. I found it really interesting to learn that most of the pregnant women who were patients in the Maternity Ward were there because of sickness (e.g. malaria, anemia, eclampsia, etc.) and not just to give birth to their babies. I also found it amazing that many of the Ghanaian women I saw give birth gave virtually no sign of being in pain unlike in the Western world where it is not uncommon to hear screams of pain during labor. In addition to taking vital signs, I witnessed numerous women give birth to beautiful babies, cut umbilical cords, washed newborn babies, and delivered the new babies to their mothers (my favorite part!).“
Kate Smith 20 years of age USA
“It was impossible not to be excited! The staff in Kumasi was very welcoming and friendly but I was still affected by culture shock for my first few weeks, but looking back I’m glad that my experience was not always easy as I feel like I gained so much more from it that way. During my time in Kumasi I grew to absolutely love the Ghanaian culture. Without exception the people were so friendly and helpful; everyone just wants to chat to you all the time and make sure you’re ok! It never worried me if I was lost because I knew I could ask anyone for help and they would go out of their way to take me right to my destination. Kumasi is such a colorful and hectic place. It’s full of people, wearing bright colors and patterns and carrying huge amounts of heavy goods on the top of their heads. Goats, sheep and chickens wander around all over the place. Wherever you go you’re followed with calls of “Obruni! Obruni, what is your name/where are you going?!”. The color of my skin attracted countless, harmless marriage proposals from Ghanaian men, caused people to wave at me as I passed and groups of children to follow me, holding my hand and chanting “Obruni”- you can never blend into the crowd!,i was volunteering in a government run orphanage called the Kumasi Children’s Home. It was outside the city centre and was a big area divided into different blocks with a play area and football pitch in the middle. There was also a school and day care on the site. On my first day I was shown around each of the blocks and decided to work in the girls’ section, where the children were mostly aged from babies to about 11.All the children were so excited when I arrived and literally climbed all over me!!!“
Joan Kurts 54 years of age Ireland
“The accommodation was very nice and exceeded my expectation. I have so many wonderful memories that I couldn't pick one. From having a water balloon fight with the kids, to dancing with them, to just having a child fall asleep in my lap.!“
Holly Davids 25 years of age Canada
“It was impossible not to be excited! The staff in Kumasi was very welcoming and friendly but I was still affected by culture shock for my first few weeks, but looking back I’m glad that my experience was not always easy as I feel like I gained so much more from it that way. During my time in Kumasi I grew to absolutely love the Ghanaian culture. Without exception the people were so friendly and helpful; everyone just wants to chat to you all the time and make sure you’re ok! It never worried me if I was lost because I knew I could ask anyone for help and they would go out of their way to take me right to my destination. Kumasi is such a colorful and hectic place. It’s full of people, wearing bright colors and patterns and carrying huge amounts of heavy goods on the top of their heads. Goats, sheep and chickens wander around all over the place. Wherever you go you’re followed with calls of “Obruni! Obruni, what is your name/where are you going?!”. The color of my skin attracted countless, harmless marriage proposals from Ghanaian men, caused people to wave at me as I passed and groups of children to follow me, holding my hand and chanting “Obruni”- you can never blend into the crowd!,i was volunteering in a government run orphanage called the Kumasi Children’s Home. It was outside the city centre and was a big area divided into different blocks with a play area and football pitch in the middle. There was also a school and day care on the site. On my first day I was shown around each of the blocks and decided to work in the girls’ section, where the children were mostly aged from babies to about 11.All the children were so excited when I arrived and literally climbed all over me!“
Nicole Brown 3o years of age France
“Superb. I really liked not being hounded and getting my inbox flooded with excessive emails. I received informative emails with the information that I needed, and was told when I would next be contacted. In preparing for experiences like this, sometimes too much info can be overwhelming. The accommodation was very nice. My only complaint is honestly that the food was too nice. It was hard to go home and eat our custom made food when the kids at the orphanage didn't have enough food. As a volunteer group we expressed a desire to have a portion of our food fees be put toward more food for the orphanage instead, because we always had more than enough.“
Charley Lee 22 years of age Singapore
“Absolutely an amazing experience! I have nothing at all negative to say about this program. Ghana is a beautiful country and the people are extremely friendly. I cannot wait to return, because a month in that country was not nearly long enough. The kids are incredible and I will never forget them. I know this is probably said a lot, but these kids truly gave me so much more than I could ever give them. It was amazing to think about all the things that the children of hope and assurance Orphanage have gone through and yet they still have a smile on their face every time they see you coming. My first time being offered food from a child’s bowl even though they had been starving for food completely stunned me. After being there a while it became a very common event. It really showed me how caring the children are and how grateful that you are there to help. DAC made me feel completely at ease the entire time I was there. Rhoda and Jamal were always a phone call away whenever I was in need of anything and were always concerned about my wellbeing. For anyone considering going through DAC i would definitely recommend them. .“
Corey Adolph 21 years of age USA
“My experience in Ghana has been unforgettable. The children at the orphanage had such a huge impact on me and I found myself wanting to spend more and more time with them each day. Being able to communicate in basic Twi was also hugely beneficial. The locals were also extremely receptive to volunteers and made everyone feel very welcome in Nkwanta. I also loved helping out at football training and it was great to see the kids take in some new training methods so quickly. The permanent smiles on the faces of so many of the children is an image that will stay with me forever. “
Mathew Chauvel 20 years of age UK
“The friendliness of the people and the natural beauty of the country have made Ghana the perfect place to volunteer for me. I have enjoyed speaking to the locals and learning the Twi language whilst in Nkwanta and on my travels. The children at the orphanage make the experience unforgettable and are quite humbling. My happiest moment was when we were all sat around and the kids started singing a song for us in Twi. My saddest moment was when the kids went 1.0 down in the local derby. My biggest regret is not staying for longer and the kids are praying for me to get a good job after university so that I might be able to go back!“
Dayna Johnson 23 years of a age UK
“I had a great time and met lots of interesting people and got to do amazing activities I never would have tried otherwise. “
Christiana Apud 19 years of age USA