Construction & Renovation Volunteers

An ideal project for short term volunteers, no skills are required and you are able to make a significant contribution even you are only staying one week.

Volunteers should bring gloves, flashlight, and light weight scarf for sun protection or hat, insect repellent, working boots and water bottle. Please note, this project has an additional fee of US$40 per week for construction and renovation materials that are used during the project. Please also note, projects and volunteer roles will vary from community to community.

This project focuses on the construction and renovation of orphanages, clinics, community centers, toilet facilities, libraries and building of classrooms (schools), roads and drainage system and digging of wells. Volunteers also have the opportunity to meet chiefs and community elders, and learn about the various cultures of the different communities through drumming, music and dance. Volunteers work closely with the local people and OGVO Ghana staff on tasks which include painting, brick laying, plastering, digging, block shaping, carpentry, steel bending, mortar mixing, etc. If you’re a keen outdoors person with a good level of fitness, this will be a perfect project for you. The Construction and Renovation project offers volunteers the special opportunity to work alongside local people to help improve the infrastructure in small, rural communities.

Travel tips

You should arrive into Kotoka International Airport in Accra (airport code ACC). You will be met at the airport by one of our staffs who will be holding a named sign. He/she will take you to your accommodation where you will spend the rest of your day at leisure.

Can I use this program as part of a university or college placement? 

It is certainly possible to use one of OGVO’s programs as part of your university or college placement. Project staff can sign off any paperwork required by your course tutors. OGVO regularly receives medical, childcare, psychology and nursing placement students at our projects in Ghana and we have ties with some of the leading universities.

If you’re a course tutor and would like further information about how one of OGVO’s programs could meet the placement requirements for your degree course then please contact us directly.

A typical day on the Construction & Renovation Project in Ghana

The tropical Ghanaian climate is hot and humid with the temperatures reaching over 30 degrees at midday. Because of this, you’ll start your work day at 8.30am and end around 12.30pm, with a 15 minute break around mid-morning.

Each morning, you’ll wake up in your host family’s home and put on old clothes you don’t mind getting dirty. To get to the construction site, you’ll catch a tro tro or a shared taxi.

Depending on the building progress, you might dig and set foundations, use a press to build bricks out of mud and water, mix cement using shovels, build walls brick-by-brick or assist with the construction of the roof. After the construction is done, you can plaster and sand the walls, paint the walls and design murals, or help with landscaping in the garden. In the afternoon, you can choose to relax or help out with community initiatives such as the reading club for children or sports activities.

In your free time, you can visit Cape Coast and learn more about the country’s history of slave trade by visiting the castles and museums in the area. With warm weather year round, Ghana is also perfect if you’d like to spend the day relaxing on the beach or exploring one of the many national parks.