Costs of volunteering

The costs for a two to three week period of volunteering with the Mariëttes Child Care Foundation in Ghana are approximately between €950,- and €1500,- (excluding administration costs of €200,00)

1. Flight retour to Accra: Tickets from the Netherlands, Germany or Belgium cost about €650 to €1000,- For cheap tickets, please take a look at www.devriesreizen.nl

According to Bradt Guide to Ghana, flights from the US and Canada tend to be expensive so North Americans with more time than money may find it cheaper to fly to London and organise a ticket to Africa from there.  There are dozens upon dozens of travel agents in London offering cheap flights to Africa and it’s worth checking out the ads in magazines like Time Out and TNT and phoning around before you book anything. For example take a look at www.africatravel.co.uk www.alphaholidays.com or www.trailfinders.com

 

2. Stay in the volunteer’s home of Hanukkah: €75,- per week including board and lodging. This needs to be paid before departure to Ghana.

 

3. Stay in Accra:The costs for an overnight stay in Accra of course is dependant on what sort of lodging you choose. You can find something yourself or contact us. If you book with the De Vries agency, two nights in a humble guesthouse in  Accra may be free for volunteers. However, you do need to pay breakfast and transfer costs to and from the airport.

 

4. Transport to Sunyani:

  • A busticket to Sunyani costs about €12,- (taking eight hours)
  • A flight ticket to Sunyani costs about €108,- (taking one hour)

5. Administration Costs: €200,00

This part of the costs serve two purposes: First of all it includes the costs the foundation makes in order to place you in Hanukkah (e.g. phone bills). Secondly, it is a contribution to the orphanage.

 

6. Visa for Ghana: €50,00 (at the Dutch embassy)/$30,-/£30,-
    An application form can be obtained from the embassy or travel agency.
    You need to fill in two addresses. Please fill in the following:
    1.  Hanukkah Children's Home
               PO Box 152 Bakuniabao Area Sunyani
               Phone number: 00233 249253928 ( Mariëtte)  
          2.  Shangri-La Hotel (www.shangrilagh.com)
               Phone number: 00233-21777500
               Liberation Road Accra
                               or
          3.  Eusbett Hotel Sunyani  (www.eusbetthotel.com)
               Sunyani
               Phone number: 00233 246127116

 

Of course it is also possible to go to the embassy yourself and fill in the application forms there. For the address of the Dutch embassy, visit: www.ghanaembassy.nl Visas forms for the UK and US can be downloaded from www.ghana-com.co.uk and www.ghana-embassy.org

For an application you need the following:

  • Valid yellow fever vaccination certificate
  • Copy of your flight ticket
  • Four recent passport photographs
  • Passport

If you use Hanukkah’s address, the embassy will ask for a letter of invitation. We will send this on request.

 

7. Vaccinations: approximately €175,-

In principle there are no extra costs at Hanukkah.

If you are going to travel during your planned stay in Hanukkah and/or do not use the facilities of Hanukkah for a different reason, you will not receive restitution of the costs. All volunteers are planned. There is a maximum of six volunteers at a time, to stay in Hanukkah. Sometimes friends and/or family may come to the volunteer’s home temporarily. In that case a little improvisation concerning space, and we usually manage to accommodate us all.

Mariëtte and Moses are partially dependant on this type of income.