AFRICAN
ADVENTURES
GUIDE TO GHANA
africanadventuresuk
@tripsinafrica
ABOUT GHANA
Ghana (meaning ‘Warrior King’)
epitomises Africa today like no other
country.
Formerly known as the Gold Coast, it
was the first African country to gain
independence from colonial rule in
1957.
However, many of these areas suffer
from a lack of infrastructure and
opportunity; 30% of the population live
off less than 80p per day and do not
have immediate access to clean running
water.
Thousands of small villages are dotted
across its vast plains and many residents
still hold their grandparents’ tribal
traditions.
Boasting the world’s quickest-growing
economy in 2011, Ghana is tipped to
become a future African powerhouse.
With no modern civil war or political
unrest, its safety and security record
make Ghana an attractive destination for
its fast-growing number of visitors.
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Traditional
dancing
Ghana is approximately the size of the
UK and has huge biodiversity from the
Sahel in the North to the rainforests in
the South.
Ghanaians are famous for their friendly
welcome. At the projects you will find
dance, drumming and laughter.
FACT FILE
Full name: Rebublic of Ghana
Capital: Accra
Largest Cities: Kumasi, Obuasi
Population:
25,500,000 (2012)
Bordering:
Côte d’Ivoire, Togo, Burkina Faso
Currency:
Cedi, GHS
Life Expectancy: 64.6 years (UNDP,2013)
Religion: Christian, African Traditional, Islam
LANGUAGE
Although there are 74 languages spoken
in Ghana, there are only five official
languages; English, Ewe, Twi, Ga and
Hausa.
You will be working in Volta region
where Ewe is the mother tongue but
English is widely spoken and is also the
language used in schools.
Consequently, there will not be too
much of a language barrier as nearly all
of the children and adults you will be
working with will speak English.
Ghanaians will be delighted if you can
try to learn a few words of Ewe. Please
refer to our Ewe guide for some useful
phrases and try to use these when
you are in Ghana. “Akwaba, Wezu,
Welcome!”
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FOOD
Food in Ghana is full of flavour.
Traditionally, it is quite hot but you will
generally be served a milder version of
the same meal.
Most dishes have a tomato-based sauce
with either meat or fish and then a
starchy accompaniment. These would
generally be either banku or kenke (both
made from fermented corn) or fufu
(made from pounded yam, cassava and
plantain).
However, the staples you will mainly be
served are spaghetti, rice, salad, sweet
potato, yam (starchier and drier than
sweet potato) or plantain (a fruit which
contains less sugar and more starch
than a normal dessert banana).
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Sauces, traditionally, are very hot and
you will normally be served two types of
sauce with a meal; one cooked and one
fresh.
Soups are a staple with three main
types; light soup (tomato and pepper),
Groundnut soup (peanut, tomato and
pepper) and palm nut soup. These are,
in fact, more like stews with meat and
fish in them. Red-red is a bean based
sauce, traditionally served with plantain.
Fresh fish are caught by the fishermen at
the beach and then sold by the women
at the markets – a great shopping trip to
take if you have time!
African Adventures cater for all types
of diets including those with food
allergies.
WATER AND DRINKS
You should not drink the tap water
in Ghana (even if you are offered it
ceremonially in a home) so please make
sure you always drink bottled water and
use this to clean your teeth. Bottles and
sachets of water are readily available in
Woe and bottles can be bought in bulk
upon arrival at the accommodation;
these are relatively cheap compared to
the UK.
Alcohol is not as widely consumed in
Ghana as it is in the UK. As a result of
this, there are few establishments that
serve alcohol.
Water can be bought for:
• 1 sachet – 0.10 (5p)
• 24 500ml bottles – 13.50 (£4.50)
• 1 litre - 13.50 for 12 bottles (£4.50)
Sodas including Coca-Cola, lemonade,
ginger ale and Malta Guinness
are readily available and retail at
approximately 1.20 cedi (40p).
Fisherman
at Cape Coa
st
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TRANSPORT
You will arrive at Kotoka international,
which is a large terminal with many
interconnecting flights.
You will be met from the airport by one
of the African Adventures members of
staff and taken to the small town of
Woe, roughly three hours from Accra.
All transport is via minibus, all of which
come fitted with seatbelts.
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Group arriv
ing at Koto
koa Intern
ational
Airport
In Ghana, there are many forms of
transport. However, the most commonly
used are tro-tros (minibuses) and taxis
(these have distinctive orange wings
and should have up to date documents
displayed in the window).
get a shared taxi, which operates a
stopping service or you can hire a taxi to
yourself.
If you are travelling alone or with a
group of friends and would like to
explore the surrounding area, you can
With one road running in and out of
Woe, it is easy to navigate - you will just
need to tell your driver ‘left’ or ‘right’!
Dorm sty
le rooms
at the Vo
lunteer
House
ACCOMMODATION
THE VOLUNTEER HOUSE
The hotel in Accra has a swimming pool
and all modern conveniences. Students
will be sharing rooms and, dependent
on room size, you may have two or four
students per room.
The volunteer house in Woe is central
to the projects and a few minutes’ walk
from the main road. It is a ten minute
walk from the beach and the entire area
is built on sand.
There are ten bedrooms in the main
volunteer house and four in the other.
All rooms in the main house have ensuite bathrooms, lights and ceiling fans.
There is a main hall and a large veranda
to relax upon.
There is a large garden area by the
volunteer house in which to play sports,
Drum and
Dance Lesso
n at the Vo
lunteer
House in W
oe
drum or relax. Various activities are
available for your spare time:
• Drum lessons
• Ewe lessons
• Football, volleyball etc
• Community elders giving speeches to
volunteers about the community
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UTILITIES
Telecoms
Water
You can buy a SIM card in Ghana at
little cost - you will need your passport
to register it and you can then charge it
with credit at one of the many roadside
kiosks.
The water supply at the volunteer house
is supplemented by a holding tank so is
generally reliable, although there is the
possibility of no water for a short period
at times, so it is good to be prepared for
this. There is no hot water, although this
may be a relief in the heat!
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3G data is available in the area. However,
if you use this on your home phone it
will be prohibitively expensive.
Electricity
Toilets
The electricity supply in Ghana can be
intermittent when the Volta lake is low.
If this is the case, electricity is shared
and you may have a ‘light off ’ period in
your zone. It is a good idea to bring a
torch, regardless! Electricity sockets are
three-pin UK sockets.
At the volunteer accommodation you
will find Western-style toilets, whilst at
the projects there are long-drop toilets
at which you crouch rather than sit.
There is a lack of public toilets in the
area and urinating publicly by locals is
common. Whilst more and more public
toilets are being constructed, you may
still see this in some areas.
WEATHER
In Ghana, the temperature rarely drops
below 30 degrees. Climates range in
Ghana from rainforest in the South to
Savannah in the North.
It will get dark at about 7:00pm every
night. Please be aware that night falls
quickly and be home by 6.45pm at the
latest.
It is important to remember to slow
down, regularly apply sun cream and
keep drinking water as the humidity
can be very high! During the Harmattan
(November-March), the climate is less
humid but, as the sand rolls down from
the Sahara desert, it can be dusty.
In the rainy season (April-July), there
may be short bursts of heavy rain.
Unlike in the UK, this tends to be quite
predictable with a heavy shower just
before or during sundown. The rain is
warm and daytime showers often result
in children running into the street with
soap to make the best of a free shower!
Tropical Ra
inforest at
Kakum
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MONEY
The Cedi is a closed currency and you
will not be able to buy any outside of
Ghana. You can, however, get money
as soon as you arrive from the airport
ATMs.
than £130 in spending money for a ten
night stay.
It is worth noting that redenomination
occurred in July 2007. This means that
in some rural areas older people may
still talk of 5 Cedis as 50,000!
Getting your money is simple. Either
use ATMs to withdraw money by card
or the Forex bureaus to change English
Pounds.
There is no benefit in taking US Dollars
and travellers cheques can rarely be
changed in Ghana. The nearest ATM is
30 minutes away from Woe by car so
it is best to bring money from Accra,
although you should not need more
1GBR pound equates to approx 3.50
GHS (Cedis)
10
Ghana Ced
is
GHANAIAN SOCIETY
Ghana prides itself on being a friendly
and welcoming country, where
community and relationships are hugely
important.
This may, at times, prove very different
to home. For example, hand holding is
common and purely platonic. Older men
may joke about taking a young lady for
a wife – this is a traditional joke and not
to be taken seriously!
In Ghana, age is respected and you may
often see people bend to greet an older
person. It is rude to wave, shake, touch
or make payment using your left hand.
You should also not use your left hand
to eat.
Ghanaian
Handshaking is part of most greetings.
The handshake you will learn varies
slightly from a regular handshake, in
that it involves clicking your fingers
together at the end!
handshake
s
When meeting a group, it is traditional
to start by greeting the person furthest
on the right.
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GHANAIAN SOCIETY
Funerals in Ghana are a celebration of
life, with drumming and dancing. They
are a great spectacle and you are likely
to be invited. They are so large that you
often will not see a body (or indeed any
Western signs that it is a funeral).
Religion - Freedom of worship and
tolerance is very important and allows
Muslims, Christians, Buddhists,
traditional worshippers and others to
live side by side without conflict.
Canes are used a lot in moving children
and gaining their attention at the
schools you will be working in. Desks
are the most common target and actual
use on children is rare. Please discuss
any concerns you may have with
in-country staff in the first instance.
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Gender Roles - In Ghana there are
matrilineal groups (names and wealth
are inherited via the female line).
However, the Ewe are patrilineal.
Gender roles can be clearly defined - for
example, the fishermen on the beach
cannot sell you fish directly; it must be
sold via the women who take it from the
fishermen and carry it to market.
Child Labour - This is common in
Ghana and you will see many children
working in the markets and elsewhere.
They may attend school until 2:00pm
and then work or work at weekends.
Some children working on cocoa
plantations and elsewhere may not
attend school and be paid with food
instead of money. Our in-country staff
are working hard with families in Woe
to reduce this. They are also lobbying to
raise awareness of the issues.
YOUR SAFETY
As Woe is a small village, there is very
little crime. However, for your security,
the accommodation is walled and your
rooms are lockable.
in the region. The King and his word are
very well respected and he is delighted
to welcome you.
You will spend one night in a hotel in
Accra if you arrive late. There is security
at the hotel, which is located in a quiet
area outside of Accra and on the way to
the projects.
Whilst Woe is very safe, after dark we
would recommend you stay inside.
There is little to be found outside and
the dark streets can make tripping and
falling a real hazard.
As we have a close relationship with the
King of Anglo Ga, this adds an additional
layer of security to your stay
Siva, Countr
y Director,
Ghana
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SHOPPING
CLOTHES
Shopping in Ghana is a very different
experience to shopping in the UK.
People in Ghana tend to prefer bright
but conservative dressing. Please ensure
you dress for the heat (light, loose
clothing is best) but that you do not
dress provocatively.
Bartering or haggling is the most
common way to agree on a price. This
can seem quite daunting if you have
never done it before. Before you make
a purchase, take some time to think
and decide what you think is a fair price
and then try to negotiate. If you cannot
agree on a price, be polite and walk
away.
Please remember that bartering is
always conducted in good nature and,
especially if the seller is older than you,
it is very important to remain respectful
at all times.
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Avoid showing stomachs and bare
backs; although of course swim wear is
fine for the beach, you should cover up
when walking to and fro.
Ghana is well known for its vibrant
coloured cloth and you may wish
to purchase some of this or some
traditional African clothing from the
local markets in Ghana to remind you of
your stay. You can also purchase cloth
and items of clothing made by the staff
at the volunteer house; all of the money
spent here goes back into the project so
it is a great way to support.
GHANAIAN LAW
Smoking - Smoking in public places is
banned in Ghana. There is a designated
smoking area at the accommodation
but you will not be able to smoke at the
projects.
Drugs - All drugs that are illegal in
England are also illegal in Ghana.
Penalties, however, are much more
severe.
Alcohol - To drink alcohol in Ghana,
you must be seventeen. To be drunk is
considered shameful and we would ask
that visitors are respectful of this.
Polygamy - Polygamy (having more
than one wife) is still practiced in Ghana
and is not a crime.
Homosexuality - Homosexuality
is illegal in Ghana and remains a
contentious social taboo in Western
Africa as a whole. Gay/lesbian volunteers
should make every effort to adhere to
local law. In Ghana, it is commonplace
to see two men holding hands when
walking together or in conversation, as
an expression of friendship.
If you are asked for money by an official
in Ghana please remain polite and
calm and refer to your local contact for
guidance. Local African Adventures staff
will be able to help you with any advice
you need in respect of dealing with
certain situations. They will be around at
all times and are a great support.
“Everyone here is friendly, welcoming
and caring. You can wave at anyone in
the street and they will smile and make
you feel more than welcome.”
-Melissa Sert
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CULTURE SHOCK
Ghana is an amazing country with
wonderfully welcoming people.
However, it is very different to the UK
and can be overwhelming at times.
As a Western individual working in local
communities, you are likely to stand out
at times and draw attention from the
locals, even if you do not mean to. This
is normal and, as mentioned before,
Ghanaians are likely to engage you in
conversation.
For some volunteers, it can be very
distressing to experience the levels of
poverty in some areas of Ghana. Being
affected emotionally is understandable
but it is important to remember that,
although the situation will not change
overnight, the work that African
Adventures oversees is helping to
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“Travel makes one modest. You see
what a tiny place you occupy in
the world.”
-Gustave Flaubert
improve lives for thousands of people
in Woe. Remember that by going to
Ghana, you are supporting this work
to help people in disadvantaged areas
and contributing towards the African
Adventures Community Development
Pledge.
Please report any concerns to African
Adventures staff. If they do not know
about a problem, they cannot solve it for
you!
DONATIONS
You will be provided with a list of useful
items specific to your project before
you leave, in case you wish to bring
donations in your baggage.
Useful donations:
• Second hand shoes
• Clothes
• Sanitary protection
• Stationery
• Prescription glasses
Please discuss any donations,
financial or material, that you may be
considering. In some cases, importing
certain items could put local jobs at risk
and cause more harm than good. In
others, they may be subject to import
duty/custom control.
The childre
n of Ungan
a school in
their new
football kit
s
The African Adventures Foundation
will send 100% of any cash donation
you make directly to the projects. The
projects have long-term plans to benefit
the community and this way, your
money can be much more effective than
a donation to any given individual.
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KIT LIST
Personal Hygiene Items
Paperwork Essentials:
• Toothpaste & toothbrush
• Shaving kit
• Sanitary towels/tampons
• Shower gel
• Shampoo/conditioner
• Sponge/flannel
• Wet wipes
• Sun-cream / after-sun (this is very expensive to buy in Ghana)
• Deodorant
• Hair products
• Passport
• Visa
• Travel insurance documents
• Emergency phone numbers
• All travel & airline tickets
• Any relevant medical documents
• Immunisation record & yellow fever
certificate
Medical/Hygiene Essentials
• Anti-malarial tablets
• Anti-diarrhoea tablets
• Any current medication
• Adhesive bandages
• Basic medical kit with plasters
• Anti-bacterial hand gel
• Cold/flu sachets and ibuprofen/
paracetamol tablets
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General
• Hat
• Sunglasses
• Journal
• Magazines/books
• Camera
• Secure wallet/purse
• Torch
• Batteries
THE CHILDREN
Here is a small insight into just one
child, among thousands, that you may
be working with and who the amazing
project staff work hard to support 365
days a year.
Francis attends Woe E.P. School. After
his Father died, his mother left to trade
in the Ivory Coast to raise money for her
family.
Francis now lives with his grandmother,
who sells fish in the market. Francis
tends to lead the call and response song
at school as his family are dancers. He
also loves football!
At weekends, Francis sells biscuits and
sweets in the market. However, he does
not work during the week.
Francis has two brothers and two sisters
His older brother is a carpenter and his
older sister also trades in the Ivory Coast.
Xouor Fran
cis, Woe E.P
School
Francis hopes to go to senior secondary
school in Anglo Ga and then to E.P.
University. In the future, he hopes to be
a pilot.
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MAKE NEXT
YEAR ONE TO
REMEMBER
Website: www.african-adventures.co.uk
Contact: 02381 780 957
Email: [email protected]
africanadventuresuk
@tripsinafrica