country :Canada City :Montreal Project : Medical & Teaching Duration :5 Weeks Overall Ratting: Did you feel like you made a difference? Yes Your Accommodation, Food & water: Throughout my stay in Ho, I felt welcomed by Richard, Precious, James and the rest of the neighborhood. My accommodation was clean and comfortable. The house was secure with running water and electricity. Safety: I never felt unsafe while I was in Ghana. Richard gave me a tour of the town early on so I was always able to find my way around or hail a taxi home. He, Precious and my driver, Olivier, were always just a phone call away. General Comment I had an absolutely amazing time in Ghana. It is clear how much Richard cares about his community and its development. He and Precious were always welcoming and it was great getting to know them over banku or with our favorite Brazilian soap opera on tv in the background. There was a great balance between work and fun.
March,2015
Gloria Driessnack Sclar
country :America City :US Project : Others Duration :2 Weeks Overall Ratting: Did you feel like you made a difference? Yes Your Accommodation, Food & water: We Slept In Tents Outside The Assembly Woman\'s House (there Were Simply Too Many Students On The Trip For Us All To Sleep Inside). She Was Very Generous And Allowed Us To Use Her House As Needed (bathroom, Shower, Kitchen, Living Area Etc.) The Traditional Ghanaian Food Cooked By Precious Was Also Super Delicious! Safety: A Local Community Member Acted As Our Security Guard At Night - Daniel. He Was Very Nice And Would Even Stay Up Late Playing Cards With Us. General Comment Public Toilet Dream Team!
This was my fourth time volunteering in Ghana and my second time working with HCDP. I have always had an inspiring and encouraging experience with the HCDP gang. I met the founder, Mr. Richard Anku, in 2010 and have known him since the creation of his non-profit. Now we work together every year on various service projects.
We partnered this summer with the community Fodome-Axor to build a 10-seater public toilet. When this project was decided upon Richard organized the design of the toilet, got a 3-D model made, hooked us up with contractors, hardware sellers, and the list goes on. For three weeks our students and HCDP team worked side by side with the entire community. We slept in tents outside the Assembly Woman�s house, ate traditional Ghanaian food cooked by HCDP Co-Coordinator Precious Gbadegbe, and learned how to balance buckets of water on our heads. We were so quickly engulfed into the community � we couldn�t walk down the main dirt road without running into friends and shouts of welcome.
If you want to have a heartfelt, thoughtful experience volunteering in Ghana, then contact Richard and his HCDP team. Don�t wait! They are some of the best folks I�ve ever met. I am so grateful I know these guys and got to experience Ghana with them at my side.
March,2015
Mikey Kim
country :America City :US Project : Others Duration :1 week Overall Ratting: Did you feel like you made a difference? Yes Your Accommodation, Food & water: Our Host Home Was So Great In Providing Whatever We Needed For Us. Our Trip Leader, Cooks, Neighbors, And The Entire Village Provided Us With Everything We Could Need And More. I Don\'t Think There Was Ever A Time Where I Felt Like I Was Missing Something. Safety: It Was Great To Have A Security Guard During The Night, But We Were All Still Pretty Vulnerable Sleeping In The Tents Outside. I Know That Most Ghanaians Would Never Think Of Stealing Anything From Us, But There Always Are A Few Bad People Around. I Say T General Comment HCDP All The Way!
I participated in my second trip to Ghana through HCDP, and I could not have been happier with the trip. HCDP made sure that I was constantly in touch with the community whether it was a welcoming ceremony, two hour dance party, or just the flocks of jubilant kids running over to play after school.
My host home was all too kind, and our wonderful chefs prepared us three meals a day. If we needed anything, they would be more than happy to oblige. Not to mention the villagers who would come and drop off bags of fruit everyday to show their appreciation.
Working on the project was a reward in itself. I felt like I was actually accomplishing something with my time. I was able to watch and see how my actions would carry on through the village in the coming years.
I could go on and on about this trip, but simply put, HCDP all the way!
March,2015
Jessica Brewer
country :America City :US Project : Community Development Duration :2 Weeks Overall Ratting: Did you feel like you made a difference? Yes Your Accommodation, Food & water: During Our Stay, We Slept In Tents We Had Packed And Set Up In Front Of The Assembly Woman\'s House. We Were Able To Use Her House For Many Other Purposes- Showering, Using The Restroom, Eating Meals, And Resting During The Day. HCDP Co-Coordinator Precious Gbadegbe Prepared Fantastic Traditional Ghanaian Meals For Us Three Times A Day As Well. Safety: Overall, I Felt Very Safe During My Stay In Ghana. A Local Community Member Acted As Night Guard, Watching The House While We Slept. General Comment If you\'re thinking about volunteering in Ghana, think HCDP!
Getting to work with and get to know the members of HCDP while in Fodome Ahor, Ghana was an amazing experience. Richard Anku, the founder of HCDP, is a great guy- he was so compassionate and concerned for every single member of our volunteer team and really had the knowledge, experience, and connections to allow us to partner with the community in a positive way. I loved working with HCDP while in Ghana- I really cannot say it enough!
March,2015
Henry Woodburn
country :America City :US Project : Others Duration :2 Weeks Overall Ratting: Did you feel like you made a difference? Yes Your Accommodation, Food & water: They Found Us A Place To Stay In A Government Officials House, Which Turned Out To Be One Of The Nicest Houses In The Village. It Had Electricity, Bathroom, And Shower. Also, HCDP Cooked For Us And Helped Us Flag Down The Water Truck. They Took Very Good Care Of Us. My Mom Approved. Safety: Our Safety Was Never In Question. Again, A HCDP Member Escorted Us To And From The Airport. Also, A Night Watch Was Employed To Guard The House At Night. General Comment I Love Ghana
HCDP helped me get the most out of my experience by being friendly, accommodating, organized, safe, and having good communication. Thanks to them, I was well fed, had access to shower, toilet, and electricity, had some Ghanaians looking out for me and my group, made a difference in a community, made lots of friends in Ghana, visited natural wonders like the Wli waterfalls, and loved my experience in Ghana. Don\'t second guess yourself for going to Ghana with HCDP, they\'re awesome!