About G-lish:
G-lish Foundation is a registered NGO in Ghana, West Africa, that works to create lasting social, economic and environmental change in impoverished rural communities in Ghana. The three “e”s underpin our approach: environment, economics, and equity—a sustainable approach for current and future generations.
How Does Your Volunteer Contribution Help?
Your volunteer abroad project in Africa is designed to support this approach. Our international volunteer projects in Africa deliver practical solutions that are tailored to suit each volunteer’s skills and experience. Volunteer projects include tasks to support core activities which help develop sustainable sources of income, support environmental regeneration, and lay the foundation for lasting, holistic development in rural Africa.
In addition to the valuable contribution you make as a volunteer abroad, your volunteer experience will, in turn, provide you with a deep sense of personal achievement and help you gain valuable work experience.
Here are key documents to plan your volunteer in Ghana, Africa, experience.
2. Fundraising for volunteer costs guide
3. Pre-departure checklist for volunteers
4. Volunteer in Ghana, Africa, brochure which outlines everything from who G-lish is, what projects are available, what you can do, who is involved, accomplishments, and costs. Aside from text, it gives you excellent visuals of where you will be located and what you will be doing.
5. A page of really, really extensive Frequently Asked Questions.
Where is G-lish in Ghana?
Our main office and project is located in Bolgatanga, Upper East Region of Ghana—classic Savannah landscape, where poverty is widespread and the need for income generation is urgent. We are assessing the viability of establishing a branch in other locations in Ghana.
Who Manages G-lish?
G-lish is governed by an accomplished board (see About Us page) and managed by Ghanaian and Australian co-founders. G-lish won a SEED Initiative Award in 2010 in recognition for its efforts in social entrepreneurship. The Award included a rigorous application process explained in the volunteer brochure.
You Work Directly with G-lish, Not Outsourced
We are not a volunteer placement program and we do not have offices in overseas cities, which accounts for our lower fees scale. That means, we are not an agency or broker between you and your volunteer project. In other words, we do not outsource you to an external volunteer project. G-lish volunteers work with G-lish founders, our staff, our producers and other volunteers who arrive at the same time as you directly on G-lish projects.
More questions?
Refer to our list of most commonly asked questions about volunteering with G-lish and Ghana in general.
Which of our international volunteer projects are you passionate about?
Apply to volunteer in Africa with G-lish Foundation today. Alternative volunteer application download location here. Our detailed application form helps us understand you better and tailor our challenging volunteer projects to your skills and competencies. You do not need to make any payment with your volunteer application.
Some of the places you can experience as a volunteer in Ghana:

In March, G-lish was honoured by a visit from a tour group from In Focus with Michele Burgess tour company: www.infocustravel.com–the first ever to visit our village and see Bolga baskets in production. The group of 10 from the USA and Canada visited various craft making and cultural sites around Ghana and came to Bolgatanga…
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G-lish is excited to announce 2 week sale on all products at our online store: Recycled Bolga Baskets. New products include the recycled mats, recycled storage pots, recycled shoulder bags and recycled baskets. We hope you like the new products we’re showing here for the first time today. The G-lish producers are benefiting more than…
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We believe that when you buy a product you should enable prosperity, not poverty. Yet, every third day in Bolga, market day, thousands of basket makers head in to town to try and sell their Bolga baskets. Every market day dozens return home with baskets in hand, unable to sell them for one reason or…
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We were honoured that G-lish’s recycled Bolga baskets were included in the Sainsbury Centre for Visual Art’s, Basketry, Making Human Arts exhibition which was shown between February to June this year. You will see many weaving techniques that have been used to create designs ranging from simple geometric herringbone twill to the most complex sculptural…
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“Oh, that is beautiful! Where did you get that basket?” is what you get asked when toting your basket around and about. You can buy Bolga baskets here. A lot of people have asked us how the baskets are made. This is how it works. Our producers cut recycled, plastic water sachets into strips, then…
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G-lish Foundation and the Dulugu Youth Association marked the United Nations’ Global Day to Combat Desertification and Drought–June 17–on Sunday, June 19, with a tree planting exercise in Bolgatanga, Upper East Region of Ghana. Background of the Day The General Assembly of the UN declared June 17 the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought…
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The impact of climate change is been disproportionately felt by the three northern regions of Ghana. It is clear that the Upper East Region will continue to feel the impact of climate change because of land degradation and desertification due to its geographical location. This will impact negatively on food security and livelihoods if serious efforts…
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The ability to save money is key to personal economic development. Savings serves as a safety net for families and households during emergencies and helps everyone to accumulate wealth that will support their lives. G-lish Foundation held a savings forum on Friday, May 27, 2011 at the Dulugu Primary School for the women and youth…
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The SEED Initiative identifies and supports promising small scale social and environmental entrepreneurs that work towards greener economy while also tackling poverty, marginalization and social exclusion. In 2010, G-lish Foundation won the 2010 SEED Initiative Award for Entrepreneurship in Sustainable Development. The 2010 SEED Initiative Award Ceremony The SEED Initiative is hosted by the United Nations…
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Ghana, located on the West African coast, has much to offer international volunteers who spend time travelling while undertaking volunteer work in Africa.
Ghana was voted in the top 10 places to visit in 2012 by Frommer’s, coming in at No.6. To quote:
Ghana provides a perfect introduction to African travel…for anybody seeking a holistic experience that embraces traditional and contemporary cultures as well as beaches and safaris, Ghana’s microcosmic travel circuit is the perfect African primer.
From the jungles and beaches of the southern Ghana, to the the rolling, savannah plains of the north, Ghana offers culture, history, including UNESCO listed former slave trading forts, arts and crafts, drumming and dancing, eco-travel to waterfalls, beaches, wetlands, and savannah lands and a very friendly welcome: “Zaare” in the local language where G-lish works.
Of the north of Ghana, where G-lish’s main project is located, Frommer’s says:
Further north, on the arid verge of the Sahel, are numerous ancient mosques and homesteads built in the curvaceous Sahelian style. It is also in the north that you can visit Ghana’s top two wildlife viewing destinations: the vast Mole National Park, where guided walks frequently involve eyeball-popping encounters with elephants, and the community sanctuary of Boabeng-Fiema, with its sacred mona and colobus monkeys.
We have dedicated pages to travel in Ghana in our Volunteer in Africa brochure. You can also see dozens of photos at our Flickr profile. We also wrote a popular travel guide to Ghana (we produced the blog this is linked to–we can answer most questions about Ghana. If you have any, contact us through the contact page here). We provide our travel guide to G-lish volunteers to help you prepare before coming to Ghana, as well as to enjoy your time in Ghana.
The final Frommer word on Ghana:
Where Ghana really stands out — and the reason it has become so popular with backpackers and volunteers — is its suitability to unpackaged travel. You could spend months, even months, exploring this safe and affordable Anglophone country, traveling as whim dictates, and still find yourself confronted with something different and special on a daily basis.