Volunteer for PoD’s new community football team in Ghana

Volunteer organisation PoD has launched a women’s football team in rural Ghana  – and you could join them!

The ladies football team, which started in March 2014, involves up to 30 women between 13 to 35 years old getting together on the village football pitch for fun sports sessions every week.

Running football training in Ghana

They, and the community’s men’s football team, would love to have more sports coaching volunteers around the year to help them increase their skills. The community is keen to learn other sports too, so if you are more interested in netball, cricket, volleyball, rugby or anything else they would love to learn.

Gemma, from the PoD UK office who has just returned from her African visit says “It was fantastic to watch the ladies team develop while I was on my recent project visit; everyone was keen to learn new skills and proudly posed post match in their new football kits. It was great to see the community supporting the first ever ladies football team in their first match against the neighbouring village – especially against the spectacular backdrop of the red setting sun!”

The football kits for each player are kindly donated to the charity by a past volunteer, but donations are more than simple hand-outs – the time given by volunteers helps the women and girls develop skills beyond the classroom. The women have lessons with a teacher from the secondary school before the volunteers run football sessions for the squad.

the ladies football team, Ghana, Africa

These sessions help them to increase their in confidence in everyday situations. It is also a great way to encourage team work and inspire increased school attendance by having fun in a relaxed environment, since many girls drop out of school early to start a family or help their family income.

A confidential weekly women’s health group run by the community nurse has been established to compliment the training and allow the women to ask questions they may not want to ask in a regular clinic.

If you would like to get involved in coaching football or any other sports in Ghana find out more about how you can get involved on the PoD volunteer website – visit www.podvolunteer.org

Teach in Ghana – an educational experience

Guest blogger Ellie Cambridge, of NGO Frontier, profiles a volunteering opportunity with Ghana’s new generation…

school children in GhanaGhana is a land of contrasts featuring vast areas of land brimming with animals and birds, a stunning coastline, mountainous terrain and the highest waterfall in West Africa – fancy volunteering there? The people are renowned for welcoming visitors, and with education hugely important to local communities, you’re bound to discover a warm welcome if you join this teaching project.

Education provides Ghanaian children the opportunity to move away from less well paid trades and into something that could give them a better future. Many schools in Ghana rely heavily on the help of volunteers. Frontier’s Ghana Teaching Project gives volunteers the opportunity to help underprivileged children do something special with their lives.

The workteaching English in Ghana

While earning a TEFL certificate, volunteers will teach English to the pupils of a local school, mark their work, prepare homework, develop lesson plans and help organise extracurricular activities, such as sports clubs. Much of the teaching work that volunteers do requires creativity and a flexible approach in order to make learning fun and memorable for the children. In order to prepare for the teaching, volunteers are encouraged to sign-up to a training weekend to get their TEFL certificate off to an excellent start.

 

Accommodation

Volunteers stay in a homestay which provides ample opportunity to really get to know the Ghanaian culture and lifestyle by living with a local family. Volunteers are provided with three delicious meals a day, eating traditional Ghanaian dishes. The homestay is part attached to the community school where volunteers teach (your daily alarm may be the children singing as they arrive for school!).

 

school child in GhanaRecommended for… Anyone who wants to make a substantial difference to Ghanaian children’s lives, have a passion for teaching and are willing to get heavily involved in community life.

Be aware that… While clean and comfortable with everything that volunteers need, the accommodation is fairly basic. The food will be nutritiously well-balanced and filling, but may not be exactly what you are used to, so it is always good to be prepared for this difference.

 

‘Good’ credentials:

  • The project provides constant and dedicated education for children that otherwise may not receive it
  • By building English language skills, volunteers directly contribute to the development of Ghanaian business and the economy by increasing children’s communication skills, influencing their career choices later in life

 

About the author: Ellie Cambridge works for Frontier, an NGO dedicated to safeguarding biodiversity and ecosystem integrity, and building sustainable livelihoods for marginalised communities in the world’s poorest countries. Find our more about Frontier’s volunteer projects and ethical adventure trails and gap year planning.

 

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