Steven in Ghana

My story

At the start of October I flew to Accra to begin my adventure in Ghana. I had no idea what was waiting for me, but I knew I would be coaching football to a group of talented young Ghanaians. What I hadn’t expected, though, was how much fun it would be working with those lads.

In the evening I was picked up from the airport and then taken to the volunteer house in the city. I spent about half my time at this location. That’s because we went there when we played tournaments for scouts, who came from all over the world to give the best lads a chance abroad. During these tournaments it was great fun coaching the lads; the atmosphere was competitive and relaxed at the same time, and I could really throw myself into the sporting side of coaching. Accra itself was very chaotic and hectic, by the way, but that’s exactly why it gave me the real ‘immersion’ I had hoped to find in Ghana.

I felt even more at home in Kyebi, a small town two hours inland, where the training camp was located. At this training camp I coached the lads twice a day, together with Bekoe (the African fellow coach). I really loved the football, the contact with the lads and the beautiful surroundings. I had lots of free time, which I used by riding the (half-broken) mountain bike I bought there. At the accommodation they did everything they could to give me a great time, and the lads were very grateful. I got a lot of joy out of the contact with the ‘locals’, who welcomed me with great enthusiasm and taught me the local language. In short, I had a fantastic time here too.

In other words, my trip to Ghana was a wonderful experience for me. I laughed, explored the area, spent loads of time on the pitch and, most importantly for me, felt part of a culture completely different from the Dutch one. There were moments when I was feeling a bit low, but those moments in no way outweighed the unique nature of the experiences I had (together with the lads).

Do you love football, coaching and adventure? Are you open to an unforgettable experience? Then go to Ghana, you won’t regret it!

What advice would you like to give future interns and volunteers?

Just let the whole adventure come to you and don’t go there with too many expectations! It’s good to have a picture of the country and of what you hope to get out of your trip, but being too attached to an ideal picture will only work against you. I also think it’s good to be prepared for the fact that you simply take ‘yourself’ with you; the things you can run into here, you’ll never leave completely behind when you’re abroad. It’s never fun the whole time, and there will undoubtedly be moments when you’re grumpy or tired. As long as you’re at peace with that, it should all be absolutely fine!