Volunteer with Yevu Volunteers

It is time to put my money where my mouth is! (well when I say money, I mean small change) I have written my series of blogs on Projects Abroad and their inequities and now I need to prove that I can run a volunteer service, in Ghana, of better quality and more affordable!

My first time to Ghana was a volunteer, and since then, 10 years ago, I haven't spent long out of Ghana. ( I should put up a blog about this specifically) It was not the most organised trip, but I was thrown in head first with my friend Olee, and we had no choice but to get on with it, essentially organising our own trip on the go. I had a great time, and whilst showing many volunteers around Ghana over the years, I have used those experiences to induct newbies into how to live in Ghana, and make the most of it! (And have a lot of fun!)

Yevu Volunteers has been in the offing for years! I don't think there are many people around me who have not heard me talk about this idea. Over the years, I have picked up and put down the idea with various helpers, but things have come up for me and for them, and the idea had to take a back foot. Now, Yevu Volunteers is finally ready to open its doors so people can come and volunteer in Ghana.

The new site, www.yevuvolunteers.com, created by my good friend Alex Ojo (Thanks for the help mate) has now finally gone live and is ready for you to check out.

We aim to open up opportunities for any one looking to volunteer in Africa. We have Sports Coaching Projects, Business Placements and Journalism and Media placements ready for you to come and volunteer and intern in. We also want to give the volunteer the opportunity to create his or her own volunteer project in Ghana.

The volunteer will tell us their skills, interests and ideas so we can work with them to create their perfect project. It really doesn't matter what the volunteer has to offer, we can create an interesting placement out of it. From dancers and artists to boxers and seamstresses there are volunteer opportunities for everyone.

For those of you asking, "How do I volunteer?" or "Where do I volunteer?" Yevu Volunteers is ideal for you. We have projects in the capital city Accra and in villages in the Volta region, places for the volunteer to stay and food for the volunteer to eat! There will of course be support on hand to make sure every volunteer is safe and happy throughout their stay in Ghana.

So, all my loyal readers, (sorry I haven't created many chuckles in this post!) please spread the word and get www.yevuvolunteers.com out to as many people as you can. @yevuvolunteers will also be tweeting so please do give us a follow!

Ghana Inductions

I thought that it is about time that I use this blog to promote something that I am doing. I have a thousand and one plans in Ghana that I am trying to put into action (leading to a very jumbled brain and probably not maximum productivity)

So, here goes! I am going to offer people who are new to Ghana inductions into Ghana. When you first come to Ghana to it can be difficult to get to grips with all the cultural differences. This can even be the case if you happen to be a Ghanaian who has lived over seas for sometime. The culture shock can be quite overwhelming.

It is important to know where to go, who to talk to, how to talk to people, what to eat, where to eat, how to travel round the city, how to bargain etc etc etc. It is also nice to learn from another foreigners example. The Ghanaians I have seen show people around, try hard to give people the tips and advice, but it is not the same as being shown the ropes by someone who was a newbie in Ghana before.

It is all very well showing inductees how to eat Ghanaian food and where the internet cafe and super market is, but as a foreigner in Ghana there is a certain way we must behave and communicate with others here to make sure we get the most out of our stay.  The best way to get this information is to follow someone who is in the same situation and learn from their actions.

It is also important to note that there are a few safety issues in Ghana. As a foreigner, and perceived to be richer, we can be a target for thieves, pick pockets, scammers, taxi drivers looking to cheat us, and all sorts of people looking to cash in, in one way or another. It is necessary to learn about who to talk to and where to go and other little safety tips and I have the experience to be able to advise on the best way to be safe in Ghana.

And that, is exactly what I am doing. So if you happen to be a new comer to Ghana, or know someone that is coming that may need a little help please give me a call and I will have happy to show you around. Travel on public transport and food are all included in the cost and I assure you a fun trip around Accra.

I have tried to upload the flyer but seem to have some technical difficulties! If you are interested give me a call on 0548754477 or email me at Samuel_polley@hotmail.com