Volunteer Social Workers needed in Ghana

Orphanage in Ghana

This volunteer social work project is perfect for experienced social workers on a career break or recent graduates.

Issues such as domestic violence and child trafficking are rampant and wide spread in Ghana.

Thousands of children have been trafficked and forced to work in the fishing industry, cocoa farms and even for sexual exploitation. Frequently, children are sold into this modern day slavery by their own parents for reasons of poverty and lack of education.

Domestic Violence is one of the greatest social abuses Ghana faces today. Millions of men, women and children fall victim to physical, psychological, economical, sexual violation daily.

The difficulty in overcoming these and other detrimental exploits is due to a most challenging social acceptance of abuses like domestic violence and child trafficking. A lack of resources, education and structure means that social support and rehabilitative programs for victims affected by a range of violations are minimal.

Here you will find answers to the following questions:

How can volunteer social workers help in Ghana?

What will I gain from this project?

What will Projects Abroad PRO provide?

What skills or qualifications do I need?

How do I apply to join this project?

How can volunteer social workers help in Ghana?

One of the benefits of volunteering as a professional volunteer is that your placement will be tailored to your expertise and interests. Additionally you can select your own start date. We recommend undertaking this project for 1 month minimum.

The vision of this project is to develop frameworks surrounding social care and support. During your time in Ghana you will be placed in a variety of centres established to protect victims of abuses such as abused children’s shelters and trafficking victim’s homes. Eventually, with the help of your expertise and training of local staff, we hope to improve conditions for victims of abuse in Ghana.

On your arrival our team will sensitise you to the issues at hand and highlight the importance of this work: victims of abuse receive little to no emotional or social support after they have been rescued from a dangerous or hostile environment. Re-integration processes are also rare. This can seriously aggravate a victim’s recovery and future safety.  Trafficked children for example will often be re-trafficked as the issue which caused the violation in the first place will never be addressed.

You can use your knowledge and training to help local staff deal with some of these problems. You will work on tasks such as:

• Raising awareness and sensitising communities on social factors and problems.
• Research social issues and the backdrop of common abuses in Ghana to come up with culturally relevant solutions.
• Assess and address the needs of rehabilitative support centres and organisations which deal with victims of abuse. You will have the opportunity to develop long-term care plans and healthy practices for these institutions and their dependants.
• Review routines of support centres and suggest alternative improvements.
• Interact with victims and assess their conditions and needs.
• Improve counselling and therapy methods by providing workshops and seminars to staff, volunteers and local social workers.
• Long-term volunteers will provide counselling to victims one and one and organise group sessions.
• Liaise with the governmental School of Social Welfare. Here you will have the opportunity to experience Ghanaian training, seek advice and even provide workshops on an area you may have particular experience in for the benefit of the students here.

This project provides you the chance of a lifetime to make a valuable contribution to some of the most vulnerable people of Ghana.

What will I gain from this project?

Your time in Ghana will be spent in local communities and institutes, working with staff, adults and children; learning about a different culture and way of life in a developing country. They will want to hear about your life back home and your family and friends. We call this ‘cultural exchange’ and we think it helps our volunteers gain a new perspective on life.

Social work in Ghana is scarcely practiced. As a result, its importance is rarely appreciated or understood by the majority. They may have very different attitudes and approaches which could make you reconsider how you work in your home country.  You will have the opportunity to share your expertise and ideas with those on the ground in Ghana. Volunteer Social Work project will give you the experience of working with limited resources to improve the social system, develop long term rehabilitative programs and structures but most importantly provide a better, hopeful future for victims of abuses in Ghana.

What will Projects Abroad PRO provide?

Kids in Ghana

We have over 19 years’ experience of running volunteer projects. We provide you with the following support to make sure your time in Ghana is successful and enjoyable:

• Safe accommodation with a Ghanaian family close to your project.
• Friendly and dedicated local staff available to help 24 hours a day.
• A member of staff to meet you at the airport when you arrive.
• Comprehensive medical and travel insurance.
• Social events with other volunteers such as a weekly quiz night.

What skills or qualifications do I need?

If you have at least a Bachelors Degree in Social Work or a related subject then you are perfectly suited for this project.

If you specialise in a certain area of social work, such as treating children with disabilities, then please let us know when you apply.

Please contact us if you think your knowledge may be useful on this project but do not have the required qualifications.