French Teacher

About the Program

Usually, schools in Ghana are currently struggling with overcrowded classes, lack of learning materials as well as lack of skilled teachers. As an OGVO volunteer you will help to empower students by giving them the necessary skills they need for the future and to make their voice heard. 

Our placements are always happy to have volunteers teach a variety of different subjects, as well as extra-curricular and creative subjects that will engage the students’ interests. OGVO Teaching volunteers have the opportunity to teach languages other than English. 

For French-speaking volunteers who wish to teach the language, French teaching is available in Ghana. Teaching volunteers have the option of teaching French full-time, or combining teaching French with another subject. 

Please note that, the educational/ teaching program in Ghana is not available all-round the year. It is available during the curriculum sessions of the schools: January –April, May-July, September-December. 

Several schools are included in our volunteer teaching program in Ghana. All details can be provided to volunteers upon completion of the registration process. 

This role is suitable for a flexible, mature, caring, motivated and self-directed person. A teaching qualification is not required but volunteers need to be much confident in the above listed subject(s) and preferably have or be studying towards a university degree. Your level of experience will decide the age group that you work with. 

We offer opportunities for volunteers to assist with teaching in the following field:

• Pre-School
  
• Primary School
  
• Junior Secondary School
  

This teaching program does not include a training process; therefore the volunteer is expected to be capable of conducting classes independently or assist teachers in the classroom.

Location

Ghana is a peaceful and welcoming country; Ghana satisfies one's appetite for both modern and traditional life. Its wide valleys, low-lying coastal plains, and thick rainforests resound with the beat of traditional rituals, while her cities glow and vibrate with all the bustle of the modern world. The Ghanaians are the friendliest people in West Africa: warm, proud yet humble with a contagious and calming sense of funniness.

Ghana is hot. It is always hot. What’s more, it's always humid. Humidity usually lingers between 95 and 100 percent. The rainy season lasts from mid-June to mid-November - sometimes. The rain provides a little respite from the intense heat, but temperatures will still be in the mid-80s Fahrenheit. The south of the country experiences the heaviest rainfall during September.

Regular Days

Usual working days go from 08:00 AM - 04:00 PM and will include the following activities:

• Cultural exchange
• French teaching
• General knowledge teaching

08.00am - School starts 

10:00am - Intermission

10:30am - 12:00pm – Classes

12.00pm - 01.00pm – Lunch Break

01.00pm - 03.00pm - Classes

03:00pm - Pupils are released

Kumasi is still the heart of Ashanti country and the site of West Africa’s largest cultural centre, the palace of the Ashanti king. The city is surrounded by rolling green hills and has a vast and vibrant central market.

Close to the market is the city’s National Cultural Centre which encompasses a museum of Ashanti history and you can even try your hand at traditional dance and drumming classes!

Kumasi (Kejetia) Central Market

One of the largest markets in West Africa with up to 11,000 stalls and four times as many people working there, this throbbing market is utterly captivating. Just 30 minutes from your PMGY base this chaotic and buzzing spot is a labyrinth of stalls selling everything you could ever want and quite a few things you didn’t! Definitely worth a visit.

Boabeng Fiema Monkey Sanctuary

The people in Boabeng and Fiema consider the monkeys to be sacred and in the 70s actually came together to pass a law prohibiting causing harm to the monkeys. The sanctuary holds about 400 Colobus and Mona monkeys. They come into the village all the time to steal things, but as the people are not allowed to hurt them, they simply get away with it!

The guides at the sanctuary will take you on a tour of the rainforest and local village, where you will see monkeys everywhere. There is also a monkey cemetery in the forest, where the priests of the village have been buried alongside monkeys that have passed away.

Further Afield:

Lake Bosomtwi

A popular retreat for volunteers at the weekend looking to escape the hustle and bustle of Kumasi. The lakeside area has a range of decent, inexpensive hotels that you can go to for a night or two. You can take a boat trip, go swimming, or just chill out by the lake.

Beaches & Surfing

Not far from Cape Coast you’ll find no shortage of great beaches such as Anomabo, Elimina and Busua.

And if you fancy your hand at surfing then Busua is a small, laid back coastal village with surfing at its heart. As surf destinations go, Busua really is a frontier town: it’s home to the only two surf shops in Ghana, and almost every one of the country’s surfers live in the village. Not that there are very many of them.

With gentle waves, warm water and an absence of sharks, the beach is an alluring proposition for anyone looking to learn to surf in a tropical destination off the usual circuit. It is perfect for beginner to intermediate surfers, but the more experienced can make easy trips along the coast to find more challenging and potentially unridden waves.

Kakum National Park

From Cape Coast, it is highly advised that you take a day-trip to Kakum National Park.