Location
  • Ghana
    • Accra
    • Cape Coast
    • Kumasi
Length
1 to 52 weeks

Program Details

Age Min.
18
Age Max
70
Timeframe
Short Term Spring Break Summer Winter Year Round
Housing
Apartment Host Family Hostel
Groups
Small Group (1-15) Medium Group (16-30) Large Group (31+)
Travel Type
Budget Family Older Travelers Solo Women

Pricing

Starting Price
85
Price Details
This price is for a 1 week stay with us. Some education placements require a 4 week minimum duration with us to ensure a high social impact and chance for you to experience a new way of life. The longer our volunteers join our program, the lower the program fees reduce - dropping down to $70 per week.

This weekly program fee covers your pre departure support, accommodation, utility bills, support staff and orientation day.
What's Included
Accommodation Some Activities
What's Not Included
Some Activities Airfare Airport Transfers Equipment Meals SIM cards Transportation Travel Insurance Visa Wifi
Dec 29, 2024
Jun 03, 2025
29 travelers are looking at this program

About Program

Atlas offers the lowest volunteering fees in Ghana and various volunteering placement types providing a high and meaningful social impact. Our projects are located around the Abetifi district which is based on top of the Kwahu mountain plateau and Akwidaa coastline.

The shared volunteer houses and surrounding rainforests offer breathtaking views. We focus our placements across Education, Sports Development, Renovation, Eco Protection and Sea Turtle Conservation.

Our placements run throughout the year and there's always a team of volunteers out with us, so you can plan when fits best with your schedule to join us. As previous volunteers in the local area we set this organisation up to remove the business element out of volunteering and work with the local community to assist in their development, one step at a time.

Ghana is often referred to as Africa for beginners and offers a safe, serene environment for your trip whilst experiencing new cultures and warm welcoming people.

Video and Photos

Program Highlights

  • Low Cost - Lowest available weekly fees in Ghana. Starting from only $65 per week.
  • Support Staff - A wide range of support staff will be on hand to answer any question you may have, from drivers to project coordinators.
  • Shared Housing - You will stay with your fellow volunteers in a shared volunteer house overlooking the rainforest - the perfect backdrop to create friends for life.
  • Sustainability - We work alongside the local communities in all our projects to ensure that our impact has a long and lasting affect.
  • Free Time - Weekends are free to travel the local waterfalls, national parks, safari and canopy walks.

Program Impact

You will be working directly alongside the local communities and authorities to provide assistance and further development where we can. Depending on your placement and area of focus we aim just a small travelling distance from some of the most remote communities off the beaten track. Projects and proposals are Ghanaian led to ensure that we are making as strong and relevant an impact as possible.

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Program Reviews

4.98 Rating
based on 102 reviews
  • 5 rating 98.04%
  • 4 rating 1.96%
  • 3 rating 0%
  • 2 rating 0%
  • 1 rating 0%
  • Impact 4.8
  • Support 4.9
  • Fun 4.95
  • Value 4.9
  • Safety 5
Showing 17 - 24 of 102 reviews
Default avatar
Rosemarie
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

A lifetime experience!

During my time in Ghana, I volunteered at a primary school in Abetifi, where I supported the teachers and worked closely with the children. My days started with rides to school, where I was welcomed each day by the enthusiastic smiles of the children. At school, I helped with various activities, from assisting the children during their lessons to organizing playtime. I enjoyed creating a safe and playful environment where the children could learn and have fun.

In addition to my work at the school, I also had the chance to get to know the local community better and participate in cultural events, which enriched my experience even more. The Atlas staff were always available and ready to help me with any questions or challenges. Thanks to their support and the warm welcome from the community, I quickly felt at home, even though I was far from my own home.

This experience was not only an opportunity to contribute to education but also to build strong connections with the children and local people. A lifetime experience! I hope I can visit again soon.

What was your funniest moment?
The funniest moment was a completely unexpected situation. I was having a drink at a local spot. It was early in the evening, and still pretty quiet. Later, a lot of local people came in and almost immediately started dancing exuberantly to the music. We were also entertained. It was so lively, vibrant, and fun. It still makes me smile whenever I think about it.
Pros
  • Cultural immersion: The program offers a deep dive into local traditions, lifestyles and community dynamics, providing a rich and unique learning experience.
  • Personal growth: The program challenges participants to step out of their comfort zones, adapt to new environments and develop resilience, problem-solving skills and cross-cultural understanding.
  • Flexibility and freedom: The program offers a lot of freedom, allowing you to tailor your experience and choose how you want to contribute or spend your time.
Cons
  • Waste disposal challenges: Proper waste bins aren’t always available, which means you often need to carry your trash with you until you find a suitable place to dispose of it.
  • Menstrual preparation: As a woman, extra planning is essential during menstruation, especially when heading out for the day, as facilities may not always accommodate your needs.
  • Toilet essentials: Not all toilets are equipped with toilet paper, so it’s a must to carry your own supplies to ensure you’re prepared.
17 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Laura
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Amazing

I really enjoyed this project a lot! Before my arrival, the coordinators Sam, Rii and Emmanuel were all very helpful and reached out to me to make sure I didn’t need anything or had any questions. Moreover, the project itself was very nice and I really felt like I made a difference. I especially liked that it was scheduled what we had to do throughout the week but at the same time, Rii and Emmanuel made it very flexible so adjustments could be made according to our needs as volunteers. Lastly, one thing I really appreciated was how engaged Rii and Emmanuel themselves were in the project - both regarding the turtles but they also took the initiative to arrange some afternoon activities and on the weekends as well in which they took part themselves. This added to the “family feeling” and was a big part of my experience. Even though most of our work was from morning til around midday, every day we had a theme for the afternoon/night such as “family dinner” or “twi lessons” which I enjoyed a lot. It made us closer as a group and it was a great opportunity to get to know the Ghanaian culture and each other better. I want to give a lot of credit to Rii and Emmanuel as I saw how hard they are working to make everyone feel welcomed and included. Moreover, they had a great way of communicating the terms of the project and the expectations in a clear and professional way while they at the same time made it clear that our opinions as a volunteer is highly appreciated. They truly made it feel like one big teamwork - as it should be, so thank you!

What is your advice to future travelers on this program?
My advice is just to engage yourself in the project! Make use of what you are good at and be curious about what you don’t know and then I’m sure you will learn all about how to take care of the turtles, bury eggs or plant seeds in the garden. It seemed like almost everything was possible and if you have any ideas you should definitely not hesitate to say them out loud.
Pros
  • Communication before the program.
  • Fun activities after work.
  • They will make sure you feel included in the project so that everybody leaves their ‘mark’.
Cons
  • For some it may be a short day of work sometimes, but it is truly possible to do more!
  • Very rural, so if you want see more of Ghana you should maybe add some days for that before or afterwards, but it is possible to travel some in the weekend.
17 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
mattia
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Great experience

Great experience. This experience allowed a new part of me to come out. I want to come back in the future, and I want to try a new project because now I want to discover other new things in Ghana and about me. In this experience, I discovered one of the biggest fortunes of my life, and this gave and give me a strong motivation to follow my passion. In this experience, I had the fortune to be able to choose what to do with my life. So I understand that I am very lucky to have my life, and the possibility to follow my passion.

20 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Lily
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Great experience

I've stayed with Atlas multiple times now and will continue to return. The variety of projects and opportunities for weekend trips means there is something for everyone.

I feel safe and at home at all times, the team are all very supportive. There is always someone on hand for advise with projects or support around the house. The house has a communal feel, there's something going on most evenings but without being on a restrictive schedule. The area is welcoming and easy to get around so you can quickly gain independence.

What was your funniest moment?
The kids at school make me laugh daily!
Pros
  • Safe and supportive
  • Variety of projects
  • Opportunities for travel around Ghana
17 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Laura
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Great experience

I have to admit I was out of my comfort zone and a bit apprehensive to travel to Ghana at first but I had the most amazing time. I loved that there were different projects to choose from like teaching in schools and ecobricking (sadly turtle conservation wasn’t there when I was). The vibe from the locals and all the staff was amazing and I couldn’t fault them. The accommodation meant that everyone was together and could share the experience, play games and have themed nights. I was collected from the airport by the organisation which made the process much easier. If you’re looking to push yourself out of your comfort zone this is a great opportunity.

Pros
  • the people
  • noodles on the street
Cons
  • I went at the end of dry season so can be dusty in places
33 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Julie
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Great new experience!

My trip there was full of new experiences. I loved doing my project, plastic recycling, as I could see the positive impact in real time (and it is an essential part in our fight against climate change).
Living with people from many different countries is really nice, as we can learn from the different cultures. Also, planning activities and meals together is fun!
I would recommend going to Atlas Volunteer especially because they are very welcoming, and will do everything in their power to make your stay a great experience.

43 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Merlin
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Amazing experience!

Where do I even start?! I came to Ghana for the volunteer work with the sea turtles. Unfortunately I was at the end of the hatching period and the eggs that were in the hatchery did not survive the crabs. So this means I did not get to see any turtles, of course that is nature so Atlas could do nothing about it and it just tells me that this project is very pure. But not for a minute did I feel bad about the turtle project because there was already a lot of other things to do for us. We did a lot of very different and fun projects such as recycling in many different ways, we got to clean the beaches (what was very much needed), we spend a lot of time with the kids who live in the village and got to help out at the local school, we also did local farming. Our ‘guide’ from Atlas was Rii and he was very kind and had lots of things for us in mind to do in our free time. He also let us meet a lot of people, other volunteers but also locals. At all times we had one or two, we called them our bodyguards around us so I always felt very safe and these guys really felt like our friends. What we did in our free time let us see a lot of Ghana, we went to a festival (which was real fun!), we went to Cape Coast to learn about the history of the country, we had a cooking lesson from a lady from our village, we learned a bit of Twi (the local language) and we got to do surf lessons. For me it was a really special experience and I will recommend it to everyone! You get to really see Africa and how the life is here and you get to be a part of that and meet lots of very nice people!

What is your advice to future travelers on this program?
Have an open mind, the program was so much more than I could ever imagine! I only came for turtles and instead I got the experience of a lifetime
Pros
  • Great variety of volunteer work
  • In the middle of the local community
  • Meeting amazing people
Cons
  • The crabs who destroyed the eggs
  • End of the breeding season
  • -
53 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Guy
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Abetefi

My trip to Abetefi (Ghana) was a great experience.
The local contact persons of "Build an Education" were a great help to get me settled and well connected with the other volunteers and colleagues.
I was happy supporting the teachers with their reading club, helping the children struggling with English reading and writing.
Next to the volunteering work, there were lots of opportunities to get out and see the country. The local contact persons often joined and were always available to help organizing the trips.
If you're in for some adventure and want to make a difference in the community, I can strongly recommend this volunteering program.

What is your advice to future travelers on this program?
Go with an open mind and expect some hurdles to get settled in. After all, you're in Africa, where there's more time to get things done... :-)
Pros
  • Very friendly, helpful people
  • Less stress to get things organized on time
Cons
  • Not guaranteed that you will do that day what you planned for
  • Less comfort and luxury at the hostel and the school than what you may be used to
87 people found this review helpful.

Questions & Answers