Summer Serve and Learn 2014 Programs
Every year, during the summer months, the village of Humjibre warmly welcomes short term volunteers with GHEI. GHEI’s volunteer programs offer the chance to be immersed in a rural Ghanaian community and work alongside local staff members in support of GHEI’s health and education programming. Participants are given the opportunity to develop and strengthen their skills in cross-cultural communication, project design and implementation, monitoring and evaluation, and community outreach. The Summer Serve and Learn volunteer program offers a once-in-a-lifetime experience in international development work in Africa. Our volunteers take part in 16-day sessions working alongside local staff to reach common goals. While our volunteer programs are extremely different from one another; they are each designed to dually complement our year-round programming and the skills and expertise of our volunteers. By volunteering, you will have the opportunity to learn from the local community and gain profound insight into life in rural Ghana. You will benefit from Twi language lessons, discussions on pertinent topics and cultural exchanges such as meeting the village chief, a drumming and dancing workshop, and traveling to sites at the historic Ghanaian cities of Kumasi and Cape Coast.
Malaria Prevention
June 21 - July 7
August 1 - August 17While malaria causes more deaths in children under 5 than any other disease in Ghana, many of these deaths are preventable. For the same group, sleeping under an insecticide treated bednet can reduce mortality from all causes by 15-30%. However for various reasons, usage rates are low.
During this session, volunteers will partner with a team of local community health workers to evaluate bednet usage and collect basic health indicators for the Humjibre community of over 4500 people. Volunteers will be responsible for ensuring the accuracy of data collected, entering and managing the data and running basic statistical analysis. The process will provide volunteers with an excellent introduction to global health.
Girls’ Empowerment
July 11 - July 27
Empowering
one girl can have a powerful effect; if she is given the opportunity to
pursue her education, she is more likely to earn a better income and
have fewer, healthier children. Educating females
ensures the health and education of future generations and is one of the most successful paths out of poverty.In this session, volunteers will work with local staff to run an intensive 2-week empowerment camp held annually for local junior high school girls. While learning about the role of girls and women in this context, volunteers will develop workshops that will impart knowledge and confidence to the girls and give them the opportunity to think about themselves and their futures in a new and broader context.
What makes GHEI’s programs unique?
While there are plenty of NGO’s that offer summer volunteer programs, there are not other programs like GHEI’s. GHEI is a small, locally based organization that has the ability to flexible. Our volunteers are not trapped in a certain mold, but are encouraged to explore and grow throughout the session. Our team of dedicated staff works closely with volunteers and is committed to constantly evaluating and improving our programs to ensure their success. Finally, beyond offering cultural activities, we teach volunteers learn how to act respectfully within local norms and many volunteers build lasting relationships with people in Humjibre. It’s no surprise that we’ve had many volunteers who come back year after year to stay involved in our program, and 100% of our alumni say that they would recommend the program to a friend.
