·· · Julia

• Sent: Tuesday, 4 March 2008, 22:20:00 Uh

Hello Malte!

I discovered your blog a while ago, and the time has finally come for me to write to you.

I’m Julia, 20 years old and from Austria – Salzburg. And coming to Ghana in August!

I thought I’d write to you, for a few tips and such… I’ve already got a trip organised, also with ICYE.

The other thing is, you wrote a while ago that it would probably also be possible to come for a year without an organization, and I’ve been thinking this myself these last few weeks… With the money I have now, I could afford to come with ICYE, but I don’t really have a proper reason to be coming with an organisation…

Naturally I’d also love to hear any more advice/stories.

Greetings from much too cold Austria,
Julia

• 05.03.08 my answer

Hello Julia,

it’s nice to hear from a blog reader in such a nice email, and I’m so happy that you’re coming to Ghana.

First though I want to warn you not to go to Ghana with ICYE, you’re throwing so much money out the window!

To sound somewhat more impartial, I’ll give you a list of advantages and disadvantages of coming with an organisationsuch as ICYE.

Advantages of ICYE:

– you are with an experienced Organisation here, which is also established in Austria.

– there is an office in Accra, to which you can turn if you need help

– you become acquainted with other volunteers on the introduction camp.

– you don’t have to worry extending your visa as they do it for you.

However in response to these points, you can easily get to know other volunteers before even coming to Ghana over the internet, and here you will be meeting new volunteers all the time; you just have to ask around.
In reference to the visa: your visa must be extended every three months, which involves making a trip to Accrah. However I should add that I’ve done this myself many times since being here.

Disadvantages of an organization:

– us volunteers with ICYE and other organisations ask ourselves again and again what has happened to all the money we paid. With ICYE, the reply is that we take over the costs of a volunteer wanting to come from Ghana to Europe, so we pay what a stay in our home country for the same time would cost. This itself is fair – everyone pays in accordance to their income – however one must consider whether so much money could not be invested much more effectively  in Ghana.

– in Kumasi we are cared for by Douglas and Nana. If we have a problem, if we want to switch project, we talk to them rather than the ICYE office in Accra. Douglas and Nana also set up new projects for ICYE.
This means that if you were to come without ICYE to Kumasi, you’d have exactly the same support and the same range of projects.

– Douglas knows someone in Accra, who could fetch you from the airport and get you into the bus to Kumasi.

– However, having come to Ghana with an organisation, I understand why people appreciate coming with an one because it makes them feel safer.

Now to organise your trip:

Flight:
book today rather than tomorrow, it becomes more expensive each day. If you wish to go a whole year, because you can’t book your return a year in advance, you’ll have to book your it for about four months after your arrival, and then postpone it.
Try with klm.com, ba.com or emirates.com.

Credit card:
Ideally you need a credit card, visa or mastercard. Traveller checks  work fine too, but there aren’t that many places where you can cash them in.
You can also easily convert pounds, euros or dollars.

Innoculation and malaria:
Here I can’t give you much detail, but you can go to your GP and inquire there.
A mosquito net should be impregnated with repellant, so that the mosquitoes don’t simply puncture it when you’re sleeping against it.

Visa:
You’ll need to get one from the Ghana consulate before leaving.  In Ghana they’ll stamp it for 60 days then you need to renew it in Accra. Each month extra is around 10 pounds.

Other:
With mobiles it’s easiest to bring one without a SIM and then you can buy one on the local networks for about 50p.

That’s about it, hope I helped. If you have any further questions just ask!

Greetings from deliciously warm Ghana.

Malte

p.s.: Is it ok with you if i post your mail and my answer online, in case the questions are relevant to any other volunteers.

• 06.03.08 of Julia

Hey Malte,

first of all THANKS for the fast and extensive answer!!!

I’ve been debating for some days now whether or not to come with an organisations… On the one hand i”ve been telling myself that for my first time volunteering abroad it might be wiser to come with an organisation, and that afterwards I would still have the possibility to come by myself. But then I think about how I could use my money on a more worthwhile cause in Ghana, or use it to extend my stay.

Do Douglas and Nana currently work for ICYE?
How would it be with the living situation?
Did you talk with Douglas or Nana seriously about it or was it simply mentioned in a casual way?!?

So many questions, sorry!!! I have to go over it in my head for a few days, become that a few days.  As soon as I decide what I’m doing then I’ll book my flight…

Ok enough of me for today,
thanks again,
Julia

• 09.03.08 my answer

hello

Yeah, with Douglas everything is agreed upon, the idea was mainly his to start with and he agreed that I put it up on the internet.

Malte

• 10.03.08. of Julia

Hey Malte!

hope everything’s cool with you!?!

I’ve finally decided to go with what you’ve been saying, I want to go to Ghana without an organisation!

It would be cool if I could call Douglas and talk to him about it…

Don’t know if I’m asking this too soon, but perhaps you could suggest projects to me?!

thanks,
Julia

• 10.03.08. my answer

YEAHH!
Cool that makes me very happy, you’ve made the correct decision even without my answers to your last email, lol.

Tomorrow I’ll up-load 8 projects on the page, I got a note today from Douglas with info about them all, only still without photos.

Douglas’s number is 00233 24 22 87 344
I’ll tell him to expect your call – (by the way the Ghanaian accent isn’t so easy to understand at first.)

“Do Douglas and Nana currently work for ICYE?
How would it be with the living situation?”

Douglas and Nana volunteer for ICYE. They are the only ones representing ICYE in Kumasi, and organise everything.  The people from the ICYE office in Accra call them once in a while telling them new volunteers are arriving and then they are the ones who organise the projects and look after the volunteers for them.

The living situation differs from project to project, Douglas organises it for each volunteer so if you would prefer to be with a host family that’s probably possible if you talk to him about it.

Thus, projects tomorrow, and you let me know when you want to call to quiz Douglas or me more about Ghana.

Malte