Eligibility
Program Description
Visa and Travel Documents
Getting There
AFS Orientations and Activities
Eligibility
To be eligible you must:
- Be between 15 years 0 months and 18 years 6 months old at the start of the program
- Be in good mental, physical, and emotional health in accordance with the AFS Medical Evaluation Policy
- Have an open mind, willingness to be flexible, and the ability to adapt to new a culture, school, and environment
- Be inoculated against Yellow Fever. This is a series of shots that can take up to 4 weeks to complete. Learn more about this vaccination here.
Program Description
This 4 week program is designed to provide you the opportunity to do community service while immersing yourself in the lifestyle and culture of Ghana.
You and your fellow AFSers will fly together between New York and Accra, the capital city of Ghana. Upon your arrival, you will be met by volunteers and staff of AFS Ghana and taken to the Arrival Orientation site located outside Accra. There you will take part in a 2 day orientation that will help you prepare for your intercultural experience. Following the orientation, you will be picked up by your host family.
All participants are placed in the greater Accra area and will reside with volunteer host families selected by AFS Ghana. Your host family will provide room, board, and guidance to you during your stay.
Your weekdays will be spent volunteering at an orphanage helping out in various ways such as organizing activities, playing with the children, teaching basic writing and reading, and assisting with painting and updating the building.
In addition to the community service, you’ll also go on sightseeing trips and visits to nearby places of historic interest such as the Ashanti capital of Kumasi, the dungeons of Cape Coast and the Elmina castles to learn about their historical connection to the American slave trade, and the Kakum National Park to enjoy a canopy walk.
You will also have the opportunity to learn traditional dances, visit museums, speak twi, and how to make fabrics such as batik.
Most weekends will be unstructured so you can rest, spend time with your host family, and get to know your host community.
Program details are subject to change. Additional information such as an itinerary, suggested packing list, welcome booklet, and safety tips, will be provided to participants prior to departure.
Learn more about life in Ghana
Visa and Travel Documents
You must have a U.S. passport in order to travel internationally. Make sure your passport is valid for at least 6 months beyond your return date.
In addition, you will be required to obtain a tourist visa in order to enter Ghana. AFS will apply for this visa on your behalf. However, in order for us to do so you will need to provide us with your passport, a visa application, ID photos, a Certificate of Innoculaton against yellow fever, and the visa application fee. The visa fee is currently $50.
Please note that the visa application requirements and fee are determined by the Ghanaian consulate and are subject to change.
AFS will provide you with detailed instructions regarding the visa application in the months prior to your departure.
Getting There
You and your fellow AFSers will fly together between New York and Accra, the capital city of Ghana After you collect your luggage and pass through customs you will be met by AFS staff and volunteers and taken to the arrival orientation site in the outskirts of Accra.
AFS Orientations and Activities
In addition to the orientations that you will participate in domestically – the local Pre-Departure Orientation, Culture Trek, and the Gateway Orientation – you and your fellow AFSers will have several orientations while abroad.
The first orientation will take place upon your arrival in Accra. This will be a 2 day orientation that is intended to prepare you for your time abroad. This will be an international orientation and your opportunity to meet participants from around the world. In addition to covering the rules and safety tips, there will be an emphasis on approaching your experience from an intercultural learning perspective.
Finally, there will be an evaluation camp in the days prior to departure. This is your chance to reflect on your experience and to share with other AFSers. You will also prepare for the cultural readjustment that is a part of returning home.
