MATERIALS FUNDING - PLEASE NOTE:
Our Renovation & Construction Team relies on volunteers to fundraise or donate for the materials and local tradespeople they will be working with. You can bring these funds with you, and we’ll take you to local stores so you can purchase items yourself and keep full transparency with receipts.
Approximate Budgets:
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Painting/Decoration: ₵750 per week (paint, brushes and accessories)
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Construction/Renovation: ₵1,500–2,000 per week (cement, iron rods, sand, water and local masons)
These figures are estimates; exact needs depend on the project status at the time and material prices, which fluctuate regularly.
About The Placement
Join our School Renovation Team and help improve the safety, security and appearance of local schools and community buildings. From painting classrooms and creating educational displays to roofing a toilet block or plastering a nursery wall, your hands-on work will directly benefit children and their learning environment.
This placement blends practical construction tasks with time in schools and community organisations, so you’ll see firsthand how your efforts create brighter, safer spaces for students and staff.
Why This Placement Matters
Many schools, clinics and community facilities are built once and then left to deteriorate over the years. Damaged roofs, crumbling walls and broken floors pose real safety hazards for children. By working alongside local tradespeople, we can repair and revitalise these spaces to keep them safe and welcoming.
Once the structural work is complete, we focus on aesthetics—painting walls and creating colourful, educational displays that make classrooms more engaging. Your involvement accelerates these improvements and brings new energy to facilities that are vital to the community.
What's Included
Shared volunteer accommodation in a modern
house in semi-rural Kwahu with views of surrounding forests. Utilities
such as electricity, running water, and kitchen facilities are provided.
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Airport pickup on arrival.
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Pre-departure support and access to our volunteer portal.
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24/7 in-country support, with a local team member living on-site or nearby depending on volunteer numbers.
Your contribution directly sustains this support structure,
enabling us to employ local staff and ensure volunteers have safe,
comfortable living conditions.
Getting to Your Placement
We work with a number of schools and community sites both locally and in more rural villages.
Budget $2-5 per day for transport. Painting projects in Abetifi or Nkwatia usually cost around 30 cedis per day. Renovation and construction projects in more rural villages such as Hweehwee or Suminakese can be 60+ cedis. Our team can help you coordinate group transport and find the best routes.
Shared taxis are widely available and affordable. After your placement, you’ll still have time to shop, grab a cold drink or meet friends before heading home.
Your Role
This is a hands-on placement where you’ll be directly involved in building, construction and painting work, regardless of your skill level.
Examples of tasks include:
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Construction work such as plastering, skimming, shifting and lifting materials.
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Renovation tasks such as painting classrooms, creating board displays and improving the appearance of facilities through design and decoration.
We’ll match your abilities and interests to suitable tasks.
Who You'll Be Working With
You’ll be based at one of our local project sites such as a school, library or clinic. You may work alongside a local skilled tradesperson, learning basic techniques while assisting with larger jobs. Project staff—such as a Headteacher at a school—are usually on site, and a member of our team will visit regularly to offer guidance and support.
Many volunteers form strong bonds with teachers, nursing staff or tradespeople, and it’s not uncommon to be invited to their homes for a meal as a thank-you.
Volunteer Expectations
No previous manual labour experience is required. We’ll find tasks suited to your interests, skills and confidence level.
The most important qualities are:
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Enthusiasm and energy for practical work.
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Empathy and cultural sensitivity when working with local staff.
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Flexibility to adapt to changing needs on site.
We expect volunteers to attend placements Monday to Friday (with occasional flexibility for travel). This consistency ensures the community can rely on your help.
What Can You Expect From Us
We’re on hand at any time to support you—whether you’d like help adjusting your timetable, joining another project, or planning weekend travel. Our local team at the volunteer house will also share insights on the area and Ghanaian life so you soon feel at home.
What to Bring
We recommend fundraising for building materials in advance—bags of cement, tubs of paint, brushes or paying local skilled tradespeople for assistance.
It’s also useful to bring school materials, arts and crafts items and ideas from teaching resource websites for your free time or to share with children and teachers. Basic stationery is available locally, but specialised items are limited.
Wear comfortable clothes suitable for manual work and bring at least one strong pair of shoes.
During School Holidays
School holidays do not directly affect this placement—the work can continue throughout the year. Holidays typically occur around Easter, August and December.
