Name: Shiri Lev-Ari

Name of Organization / Place I volunteered:
1. VOLU (voluntary work camps association), but not in a work camp.
2. Planned Parenthood Association of Ghana.

Location: Kumasi and its surroundings, Ghana, Africa.

Type of Activity: AIDS education.

Year I volunteered: 2001

Duration: 3 months.

Specialty needed: none.

Recommendations: Recommended to people who either don't mind initiating work or people who want to travel and have a lot of free time and not only work.

Notice: There are more than a few problems with the way VOLU operates.

Room & Board: Local family, usually with no running water and often no electricity.

Food and water: Dinner with the family. The rest must be bought independently.

Contact the place: An organization named SYTO linked between the organizations and myself. I found out about SYTO through www.idealist.org

To hear more in details please contact in Israel: Shiri: 03-6919616 , 052-599933. or: lev_shiri@hotmail.com


Shiri Lev Ari's Story

In the summer of 2001 I spent 3 months in Ghana doing volunteer work. An organization named SYTO, which was listed on the idealist.org website, linked me with a local organization that was looking for volunteers. I had to pay SYTO a fee, but a relatively small one. I asked to work in AIDS education, but they offer volunteers other options as well, mostly childcare in orphanages. SYTO has branches all around Ghana and most of the volunteers stay in rural areas, although there are a few placements in large cities. All volunteers stay with local families and most have no running water and often no electricity.

At first I worked with VOLU (volunteer workcamps association). It was their first attempt at starting a project not in the frame of a workcamp. I visited schools, communities and such and talked about AIDS. A lady who's in charge of the education in the district accompanied me in most of my visits and translated both all I said to the local language and people's questions to English.

In the midst of my stay I decided to volunteer at another organization - Planned Parenthood Association of Ghana. My job was to walk the streets with 2 local girls, gather groups, talk to them about AIDS, answer any questions they may have and sell them condoms at 1/10 of the subsidized price.

During my whole stay people showed great interest in finding out more about AIDS and I kept finding myself lecturing about AIDS outside my work hours.

Ghana is a beautiful and very safe country. It's even safe enough to hitchhike and travel alone. The people are very friendly (on the verge of being too friendly) and always glad to offer assistance. It's been a great experience.