The Global Volunteer Network currently has opportunities to help in the areas of community peace education cells and community school projects in rural Ghana.

In this program we work with a humanitarian non governmental organization dedicated to the well being of vulnerable people in West Africa. The purpose of a Peace Village is to help strengthen trust and friendship within and between local communities. In this project, volunteers are called to work in the village of Aboansan, an underprivileged community that is home to over 300 people. The project’s long-term plan is to establish a school and community action center which will include a health clinic, vocational skills-training center, guesthouse, and community meeting space for peace and conflict resolution training. Initial funding has been secured and work is in its first phase with teaching and peace groups established, and construction starting on the school.
As none of these projects are full-time volunteers participate in a flexible schedule which includes some or all activities offered by the program.

Program Location

The program is located in the village of Aboansan, with a population of less than 1500 people. Aboansan is near the township of Awutu Bereku, in the Awutu-Senya District in the Central Region of Ghana, about 40km west of Accra.

Community School and Peace Cells Program

Volunteers have the opportunity to work in the areas of community peace education cells, teaching, and grassroots organisation development. As the projects are not full-time volunteers take part in a flexible schedule which includes some or all activities offered.

Peace Cells Program

Peace education cells encourage non-violent conflict-resolution training, and facilitate dialogue and reconciliation between competing priorities within and between the family group, neighbourhoods and communities. Cell discussions are based on topics that villagers feel are affecting them, such as domestic violence, tolerance and intolerance, and women\’s empowerment. The conflict-resolution training includes anger management strategies, cause of and solution to tribal prejudice and hatred, practical pathways to forgiveness and reconciliation, basic mediation and negotiation strategies to use in relationships and neighbourhoods, and causes and solutions to domestic violence.

Volunteer opportunities include assisting in mobilising and organising villagers into cell groups, helping to facilitate community cell discussions, contributing to topics discussed, and helping to take notes and prepare reports from discussions to track the success of talks. This role is suitable for a mature, caring, motivated and self-directed person who is interested in conflict resolution, relationship counselling and/or related work and life experience.

Community School Program

Volunteers assist local teachers in preparing weekly lesson plans, teaching students and organizing sports activities for children three times a week (Monday, Wednesday, and Friday). Volunteer teaching opportunities include providing literacy, numeracy, peace education, and creative activities, such as drama, dance and art, to children aged 3 to 9 years. Volunteers may also assist in fundraising and planning for the construction of a new school, and in an agricultural project. There may also be opportunities to implement your own ideas and projects.

This role is suitable for a caring, motivated, and self-directed person. A teaching qualification is not required but volunteers need to be confident in the above subjects and preferably have or are studying towards a university degree.

Please note, as most teaching materials will not be available volunteers are requested to bring or purchase in Ghana any items they wish to use in their work.

(Please note the above may change depending on the current need of the community).

Applying

Program Requirements

Volunteers for the Ghana Peace Village program must:

• be between 18 and 65 years of age
• be able to walk long distances and be able to tolerate heat
• be a self-starter and able to work under your own direction
• be experienced in either mediation, counseling, grassroots development or conflict resolution
• be able to speak English fluently

If you are interested in joining this project and would like further information, please click here

To view other Global Volunteer Network projects, please visit their website http://www.globalvolunteernetwork.org/