Application Process and Volunteer Fit
Application Process
Application and resume: we hope to understand your story—what drives you, the experiences you bring, and how you might meaningfully contribute to a session as part of a collaborative team.
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There is a $20 application fee that will be applied to the total program fee should you be accepted and decide to participate in our program.
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Rolling admissions: we accept applications on a rolling basis and offer spots to the first qualified candidates. We recommend applying early for the best chance of joining your preferred session.
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​Accepted applicants will be required to pay a non-refundable $750 deposit to secure their space. The total cost of the program is $2,550.
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You may apply to two sessions if desired. Just mark this on the application. You will pay 2x the deposit and receive a $1,000 discount on the second session.
Fit
This program could be a great fit for you if you are passionate about grassroots development, excited to live and work in a rural village and open to new cultures.
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We look for volunteers who are:
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Culturally respectful: Our Ghanaian team leads with deep knowledge of the community’s needs. International volunteers and staff offer additional skills and fresh perspectives to support that local expertise.
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Flexible: Power outages, heavy rains, or unexpected illnesses can change plans quickly. We ask that volunteers approach these moments with patience, adaptability, and a positive spirit.
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Collaborative: you'll be working with a team composed of non-Ghanaians and our Ghanaian staff. It's a lovely experience, but does require openness and humility.
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We welcome applicants ages 18 and older from all backgrounds. No specific academic or professional experience is required.
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The Girls' Leadership Camp session is open to those who identify as female applicants only. All other sessions are open to all genders.
"I've done development work before in Asia and South Africa, but GHEI provided us with such a unique opportunity where we could actively assimilate to the culture and environment in Humjibre and feel like a part of the community."
Keira Govender, 2025 volunteer
GHEI vs. others
(by Diana Rickard, MD MS, co-founder of GHEI)
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There are so many volunteer programs. Why choose GHEI?
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The first time I went to Ghana, it was to volunteer in a clinic after my first year of medical school.​ I had very little to offer, and what I gained was primarily the drive and passion to contribute meaningfully.
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Our volunteer programs strongly benefit both the volunteer and the community by design.
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Benefits for the community:
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Volunteers make a profound difference in the lives of the kids they interact with. Imagine a 14 year old girl given the space for the first time in her life to strategize about how her future could look, in a safe place.
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GHEI runs programming year-round that helps thousands. Volunteers add their skills working with data and subject matter.​
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Profound impact on volunteers
Working in Ghana has changed the trajectory of my personal and professional career. Working with us could change your perspective on what it means to grow up in a completely different setting with different barriers. It may make you a fierce advocate for children and their right to health, a good education, and opportunities- all children deserve this. ​​​​
GHEI vs. others (cont'd)
Deep knowledge of the local community + evidence based programming
We understand our communities and the nuances of doing this kind of work. We know this because we are a Ghanaian run organization, and our staff is almost entirely from the local area.
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Abroad, we have support from others in monitoring and evaluation, as well as fundraising and volunteer programming.​
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Beautiful rural community set in a rainforest with locals excited to embrace you​
Volunteers are welcomed to the village in a formal ceremony with the village chief and elders. They are warmly embraced by staff members and introduced to Ghanaian customs and experiences.
Perhaps the best experiences are talking with children and others in the community: volunteers are encouraged to walk around the village, chat with anyone, buy food at the local market, play a pick up soccer game or teach kids frisbee. Share your passion or past time with Humjibre.
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We know some of you are pre-med and considering medical observation opportunities as an option. We offer something different: a chance to develop your passion as a humanitarian- one that you can talk about in essays and in interviews in an authentic way that will set you apart. Empathy and perspective are attributes of the best doctors.
"Before coming here, I viewed and understood development works through the large scaled projects. Being in Humjibre and working with GHEI showed me how important education, community engagements, local /cultural contexts and understanding are for a real impact and change. I also saw the importance of flexibilityfor development works here."
Kano Arai, 2025 volunteer
Session Comparison
Session | Transform a Library | Child Development Evaluation | Girls' Leadership Camp | How My Body Works |
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Pre-departure time commitment | 5-10 hrs total | Minimal | 5-10 hrs total | 5-10 hrs total |
Age group of kids | 3-17 years | 2-9 years and families | 14-16 years | 11-15 years |
Primary activities | Leading games, story times; organizing library | Household visits, measuring children, verifying data | Leading sessions with girls | Leading sessions with teens |
Best for | Literacy, education, library science | Public health, pre-health | Equality, public health, education | Pre-health, education |
Session Leader commitment | 2-5 hrs/wk x 2-3 months pre-departure | 2-5 hrs/wk x 2-3 months pre-departure and 1-2 months after | 2-5 hrs/wk x 2-3 months pre-departure | 2-5 hrs/wk x 2-3 months pre-departure |
Duration | 15 days | 15 days | 15 days | 15 days |
