Ghana Football Volunteers

  Ghana

Accra,  Rural Areas

Length of Position: Minimum of 4 weeks

Description: Share your passion for football with African children from deprived backgrounds. Working in communities, you will help them to develop their sporting skills. The level of talent existing in Ghana was highlighted by the country's presence in the 2006 Football World Cup. You will have the opportunity to help harness and develop that talent!

Work with children from various deprived backgrounds, including orphans, street children and children with disabilities. Help by developing their football talent and offering them care, support and education.

The Football Volunteers Programme operates in two main Areas of Ghana: Accra, the Capital of Ghana, and the Volta Region, to the East. The Accra placement is based around street football, where most Africans learn and play the sport. This project is perfect for anyone who loves the hustle and bustle of a large and busy city, and wishes to work in a less structured, more independent role. The Volta project is a more structured placement, based in an academy dedicated to finding and developing the best young football talent in Ghana. This is more suited to those looking for an African village experience, with more structure and intense coaching.

During your project, you will have the opportunity to take part in the following programme activities:

    * Assist coaches in football classes  through skill development, coordination skills, game preparation and training drills
    * Help in the organization of training sessions and competitions
    * Referee short games for children at the project and in the local community
    * Give advice and lessons on football tactics
    * Teach new sports exercises and provide advice on health issues and requirements
    * Take part in football camps and local tournaments
    * Optional teaching within the academy or local schools

In your spare hours each day you will also have the fantastic opportunity to teach within the local schools of Accra. The schools will vary in their facilities, but generally consist of a few classrooms with wooden desks and a blackboard, so there are loads of opportunities for you to be creative in your role and make the lessons memorable for the children!

Highlights: Ghana, officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa renowned for having the warmest, friendliest people. It borders the Ivory Coast to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east and the Atlantic Ocean to the south.

Ghana's Coastal forts bear witness to the harrowing history of slavery, with the Gold Coast serving as the main trading gateway of African slaves.

Ghana was formed from the merger of the British colony of the Gold Coast and the Togoland trust territory. In 1957 Ghana became the first country in colonial Africa to gain its independence. A long series of coups resulted in the suspension of the constitution in 1981 and the banning of political parties. A new constitution, restoring multiparty politics, was approved in 1992.

Today, Ghana is considered one of the safest places in Africa, with some of the friendliest people on the continent. Ghanaians are traditionally very welcoming people and they pride themselves on the peaceful state, with very low crime rate, which the country has maintained since independence.

Accra is Ghana's capital city and is estimated to have a population of around two million. Accra is a large, sprawling city that is developing very fast. It is situated on the coast, with a port and several beach hotels where tourists may stay, and like any African Capital it is large, dusty, energetic, dirty, busy, and yet charming and unique!

Qualifications:
- Minimum age 17, maximum decided on potential participant's health.

Cost in US$: GBP799 - GBP1,999

Experience Required: no

Age Range: 17 and above

This Program is open to Worldwide Participants.

Participants Travel to Ghana Independently or in Groups

Typically Participants Work Independently or in Groups

Application Process Involves:

• Online Application plus Application Assessment
• Other

Real Gap Experience's Mission Statement: We are ambitious for our company, our partners and the communities in which we work. We take our responsibilities seriously - understanding that the development of our business impacts directly on our partners, the communities that we visit and work with and that ultimately, our success is their success too.