Frequently Asked Questions

The answer is very short; you don't have to pay to volunteer! In fact, you can do it all by yourself; that is arrange for your own trip. But we feel this task should only be undertaken by a particular type of individual that have the time and resources to take a chance.

Puzzle 1:
As a first time traveler, you arrive at the airport of your host country not knowing anybody and not speaking their language and waiting at the airport for a very long time for someone to pick you up and guide you but only to understand that nobody is coming to pick you up. (Maybe because something unexpected had happened or cultural time different! What do you do? You try calling the number given to you but there is no network. HOW WOULD YOU FEEL!

You now arrive at the airport of your designated arrival pick-up point and you are met by a GCS representative holding a placard bearing the name Global-Cultural Solution. How do you feel…?

If we fail to meet you because of irrepressible circumstances, your placement information pack will clearly instruct you what to do. Once you arrive at the airport a GCS representative would always be there to welcome you.

Puzzle 2:

You arrive at your destination and contact the host organization only to discover that the organization has been shut down due to lack of funding or the project placement is no longer available. THE MESS CANNOT BE ERASED…!

These are just a few of puzzles that can arise when you personally arrange a volunteer placement; arranging your own placement is possible and does not always end with negative results. But generally it is time consuming task. Some spend months searching for the ideal placement, others travel down to the country they want to volunteer in, and then start looking for placement.

Bear in wit that, most organisations will not offer accommodation unless you commit for a longer period thus four (4) months and above. For short term placements you will most likely have to pay for your own accommodation, food and transport, and also the cost incurred in finding the right placement.

We know that GCS’s program fees are affordable and it would most likely cost you the same amount of money, if not more, if you were just travelling around on your own paying for transportation, food and accommodation. Remember one important aspects of volunteering that most do not take into account when considering costs, are the social, support, knowledge and integration networks made immediately available to a volunteer on arrival by an organization. The links that these networks provide into the local community is priceless.

GCS offers an affordable program fees with dedication to quality of our services in hardworking developmental projects. We offer an all-inclusive package that clearly outlines and explain what is and is not included in each project. Apart from our 24/7 support services; other services include:

Airport Pick-Up

We arrange for a pick up by a representative at the airport. This is done by any of our staff members and you would definitely arrive at Kotoka International Airport.

Orientation

An introduction and welcome pack will give you pre-departure information, health and safety tips, local cultural and historical information as well as a packing list. On arrival you will be given an orientation which will include tips on customs and manners, the language the people speak, a guided tour and a project introduction.

Accommodation

We arrange your accommodations for you, so that you would have your bed waiting after arrival. Your accommodations can be a host/home stay with families in rural villages or volunteer room/house. Accommodation will also be located in safe areas at a reasonable distance from your project location.

Meal

We provide meals for twice daily, that is morning and evening which is included in your program fee. This is so because of the fact that most host families do normally stay out of homes in the afternoons to search for their daily bread and also attend to their farm lands. Arrangements can also be made for a volunteer if lunch should be included.

The number of volunteers for each project can vary depending on the type of project. Some projects may split volunteers into groups so that each group can specialize in a particular area of the project especially the rural community development which has a broader project. In the same way, since each individual volunteer is allowed to choose a time that is convenient for him/her to volunteer, there are no groups set up. The only way a volunteer will be volunteering with others is if someone else chooses that same time period and program, or if they come as a group (i.e. 2 persons & above).

We recommend a 2-4 months stay as it is the most economical for the volunteer and the most beneficial for the local community. Projects and communities we work with have to spend a considerable amount of time and effort to make sure that a volunteer gets settled in. By having longer term volunteering, volunteers are able to apply the skills and knowledge that they have acquired during the later stages of their participation.

Long term volunteers generally have a better experience because it normally takes 4 weeks to really become a part of your new community. After four weeks, you would most likely to have overcome any initial cultural shock, become adapted to living situations, be familiarized with the local language and will have found your function with the community. But again, each individual is distinctive and your adjustment period may be longer/shorter than 4 weeks.

This is not meant to daunt short term volunteers, as short term placements can just be as worthwhile as an accounting personnel. Global-Cultural Solution (GCS) understands that people have restricted time and resources to travel and as a result, we offer project placements as short as 2 weeks. In spite of the length of time that you plan on volunteering, if you demonstrate gusto and keep an open mind, you will customarily have a rewarding experience.

Volunteering makes a great choice for single volunteer who want to stay in one location, meet other volunteers, and disseminate themselves with the country/region before traveling around it.

Volunteering with Global-Cultural Solution (GCS) gives you the opportunity to meet many volunteer partners and to make friends with other volunteers, some of whom you may choose to travel with.  If you are placed in a host /home stay family there may be another volunteer also placed in your community or even in your actual host family, so you may also have the opportunity to meet other volunteers.

If your project placement is such that you are placed in our volunteer house/room then there will also be an opportunity to meet other volunteers. But we do have some project placements where you will be the only volunteer in the community.

1. Once we receive your initial application, we will reply to you within 48 hours to personally greet you and welcome you to our organization. If we foresee any problems arising with the initial information you supplied us, then we will tackle these issues at this stage.

2. We will then ask you to apply officially using our application form under Apply Now.

3. Complete and return the final application form.

4. Once we have received your final application form we will then proceed to search for the project of choice without any application fee/deposit as most organisations do. It is virtually free and our project securing for a volunteer(s) is very flexible and faster.

5. GCS will notify you via e-mail when we have finished processing your application. We send an e-mail to you confirming whether you were placed on the desired project and if so we congratulate you for your placement. But if we have any questions regarding your placement during this time period, we will be in contact with you to ensure that we are matching you with your ideal placement.

6. All other information for your stay would be sent to you from then in our welcome information pack in a form of newsletters.

7. Note: we do not request payment of deposit from applicants before searching and making placement for volunteer, we do that free of charge but all program fees would be paid in cash & in full upon arrival before program commences; a GCS receipt to that effect would be issued.

8. Once you have purchased your airfare please scan/ fax us a copy of your travel itinerary, travel insurance specification, a passport size photo or a picture for identification at the airport. We will confirm delivery of your travel documents and make the necessary arrangements for you. You must also come long with two (2) sized passport photos as well.

Most of our foods are spicy but all our dishes prepared by host families for our volunteers are done according to directions/instructions on tastes of each volunteer. Although vegetables do not make up an important part of the diet vegetarians can be hosted/accommodated. Some of the common dishes are fufu & light soup, banku & okro soup, ampesi & kontonmire, rice & stew/pasta etc.

55% of your volunteer fee is contributed towards supporting and managing our volunteers. This implies that we provide:

• Airport pick transportation

• Orientation (Theory and practical by the GCS and third parties)

• Transportation to the project of placement

• Accommodation (Host/Home stay / Volunteer room placement)

• 2 meals daily

• Program completion certificate & a brochure

• Trip tour arranged by GCS

• Volunteer tag/card
  

25% is contributed towards the running of the office administrative such as:

• Staff/workers allowances

• Accounting and legal fees

• Office expenses

• Answering phone calls and e-mails

• Maintenance, updating and administration of www.gcs-np.org

The rest of your fee is channeled into the two (2) funds namely “Developmental & Construction (DC) Fund” and Needy but Brilliant Child (NBBC) Fund. Since so little money out of the program cost benefits the funds and community, we suggest that one tries to raise money before arrival to donate to the funds if possible. Read more on the funds and voluntarily contribute.

Each project has specific directions on how you will arrive to your project destination. These details will be outlined in the program information pack that would be received upon completion of the application.

The amount of spending money you will need is very subjective. It will depend on how long you propose to travel and the lifestyle you intend to lead. Volunteers living in the urban areas will probably spend more money than volunteers in rural areas. Already your necessities including accommodation and daily meals are provided by your host community and GCS cover them.

You will need some spending money for personal costs such as communication with home, social activities, in-country transportation and paying for medical expenses which otherwise may occur. Most volunteers have been known to have spent between $90.00 and $175.00 per week.

Below are some price lists:

Taxi fares (varies due to continual fuel price increment) b/n 35 Cent - 50 Cent within where you live.

Long distance trips     $55.00 - $105.00 

We would encourage you to bring enough to help you in your personal buying; for yourself, friends back home, your mother /father. Transportation especially by taxi cab is the main consumption of your total cash; you need to get a reserve funds as extra monies while on the program.

GCS was founded by resilient, team players from Ghana and America with organizational management and business oriented background that have worked with different cultural ethnic groups from different countries and understand the meaning of non-profit volunteer organization.

We have also worked with non-profit organizations before founding GCS and we perfectly know different programs volunteer(s) experience and placements throughout the world and we have realized that too many of such programs were charging extreme prices and not offering quality services. We also know most of their volunteers’ experiences were not something to write home about, but GCS is always in to seek volunteer welfare supreme.

GCS understands the needs and expectations of volunteers. That is why each placement comes with a comprehensive package that includes no application fee, a list of tour sites, a welcome pack, orientation, accommodation, meals, volunteer tag for trips etc. We believe that these are essential components needed in order to have a pleasurable placement and that is why we have been able to outline the use of volunteer program fee. We specifically detail what is included and what is not included in each project placement so that you know exactly what to expect upon arriving at your destination.

Furthermore, we only place our volunteers in projects with established pathway. That is why we are constantly researching new projects and getting feedback from volunteers about current projects so that we can offer continual quality assurance.