Tom in Ghana

My story

In the summer of 2022 I went to Ghana for a month to volunteer as a football coach. After flying overnight from Amsterdam to Accra, everything took a lot of getting used to when I arrived. All sorts of different languages were being spoken around me and I was surrounded by people I didn’t know yet. That soon changed, and I got on well with a number of Ghanaian locals and several European volunteers.

Whereas I had first thought I would have to start coaching football straight away, on the third day I was already able to go on a trip to a special place on the coast of Ghana. We went there with about 12 volunteers and 2 Ghanaian coordinators, and they really looked after me. By doing lots of sport and playing games, I soon started to feel at home. A few days after this trip we went away again for a few days, so my first 10 days in Ghana felt like I was on a tour. That was great fun, but I also really wanted to do what I had come to Ghana for. So for the rest of the month I didn’t join any more short trips, so that I could coach football almost every day.

The football training sessions I attended always took place on small sandy pitches. At first I was really surprised at how good most of the children’s ball control was on the sand. In the mornings I helped with training sessions for lads my own age, and in the afternoons there were sessions for children aged roughly 6 to 17. Sometimes there were 60 children at these sessions with just 2 coaches in total, so it was hard work. The energy and appreciation I got back from the boys made a big impression on me.

I lived in a house with other volunteers and Ghanaian coordinators. In the garden there were always people who wanted to play football, or otherwise a coordinator could arrange for me to play in a football match. As well as coaching football, I also went to the orphanage a few times to play with the children there.

Above all, I had a really impressive time. I often enjoyed the contact with the people there, and I’m still in touch with some of them.

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

One piece of advice I can give is to get in touch with people you’ll be seeing there before you leave for Ghana. It’s also useful to realise that there can be difficult moments when you go to live in a completely different culture and environment. When lots of volunteers had left towards the end, it was sometimes hard to feel so different from the people around me. But do know that the coordinators there and the coordinator in Holland are happy to help you if you feel you need it.