Jur in Ghana

My story

In March I flew to Ghana to coach football. I went without too many expectations and just let everything come to me.

When I arrived in Accra, I was picked up by someone from the organisation and another volunteer. The first week was mainly about getting to know the different culture, and I even took a trip with other volunteers to Kumasi (Ghana’s second-largest city). It was nice that at the start you could gradually get used to the new culture and get to know everyone better.

From week two I started coaching football. I coached talented young Ghanaians. The football academy was based in a little village called ‘Kibi’. Kibi was a completely different experience from the capital, Accra. Whereas Accra can be very busy, lively and sometimes a bit chaotic, Kibi was a very quiet little village set in beautiful nature. In the end I stayed in Kibi for two weeks, spending a lot of time on the pitch coaching.

After those two weeks we went back to Accra to play matches and tournaments. I also lived in accommodation together with the boys from the football academy and other volunteers. The weeks in Accra flew by. There’s lots to do in Accra itself, so I regularly went out in the evenings with other volunteers.

In the last two weeks of my adventure in Ghana I had time to travel. I spent a week at another football foundation in Swedru (a town 3 hours from Accra) and a week teaching at a school in Cape Coast.

All in all, I had a really wonderful time and I would recommend everyone to take on this adventure!

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

Apply for your visa in good time. The embassy can be a bit vague at times, so start on this early!