Volunteering in Ghana

Volunteering in Kinder Paradise

Volunteers, especially those with professional background, are very welcome in Kinder Paradise. Gain experience and do something good!

Application

Childcare, social work, physiotherapy, music lessons, … – volunteers can support our work in Kinder Paradise in many ways. Having a professional background is an advantage, but no requirement. Do you want to experience an unforgettable time in Africa while doing good? We are looking forward to your registration!

Requirements

The well-being of our children and adolescents in Kinder Paradise ist most important to us. Therefore, not everyone is suitable for volunteering in the Children’s Home or Day Center. Independence, personal responsibility / initiative, adaptability and of course empathy and lots of interest in dealing with humans – these are all qualities a volunteer should bring along.

What volunteering also requires

Minimum age: 23 years

Fluent in English

Length of stay: 3 months or more

preferably professional background

Application process

Please send your application via email to kinderparadise2000@yahoo.de and provide following information:

  • Name/Surname
  • Date of birth
  • Previous tropical stays
  • English language skills
  • Volunteering period
  • Motivational letter and preferred application area

After a successful registration, we will review your application and get back to you as soon as possible. If all requirements are met and there are free spaces left, we get to know each other better. In most cases via telephone.

After being accepted, volunteers make their own travel arrangements to and from Accra. There will be a shuttle by KP staff to and from the children’s home.

During their stay in Kinder Paradise, we offer free food and accomodation for the volunteers. An attestation of internship can be issued.

What other volunteers say

Not only the children, but also our volunteers regularly excel in maturity. We gathered a few testimonials from Kinder Paradise volunteers. Find out what others have to say about their volunteer work in Ghana

Volontariat-Ghana-JohannaP

"By organizing your own structures, you are led up to work independently and to take on responsibility. In many of my internships, during my training as an occupational therapist, I had difficulty changing from therapy design with supervision to working independently. Kinder Paradise has provided me with a large practice field in this area and I was able to gain my own individual experience.

To be honest, I always thought that I needed someone to guide me in my actions. After a while it turned out that I can make my own decisions regarding the therapy content and adapt it individually to the needs of the children. I never dared to do that before I started my internship.

Communication was also special for me. I have learned to perceive each individual person holistically and to identify needs not only based on the verbal but also on non-verbal expression.

I would recommend an internship to get to know yourself, your values ​​and principles better and on a deeper level. Through the many impressions that you experience in a very short time, you learn how to behave in unprecedented situations, whether in the streets of Ghana or in Kinder Paradise. You get a deeper insight into your self-perception and the perception of others, which I can only recommend to anyone working with people.

Over time, you learn how to behave in different situations and how important it is to react flexibly to challenges in order to reach your goal. I also consider it important that you allow yourself enough time to "arrive" in the new world at the beginning. I would recommend a internship of at least 5 months, because it takes a month or two to get used to the tropical climate, new conditions, everyday life and needs of the children.

Every child touched me in their own individual way. I was very happy with every little advance in therapy. The dynamics and perspective of the Ghanaian population, as well as the children, has left its mark on me. Since my internship and the trip to a foreign country, I have had more motivation and the will to make a difference. You learn how to live life with simple and few things. That you can also be happy when you have exactly what you need to live.

Ghana taught me to take life a little slower, be more attentive and take more time for things that seem important to me. Taking things actively in hand, being reflective in dealing with people, taking nothing for granted, showing gratitude for even the smallest things and paying attention to your own belongings, both material and immaterial, are some priceless findings, which I take with me from the internship."

Johanna P. - Occupational Therapist in Ghana 2019/2020

Volontariat-Ghana-Kinder-Paradise-Dana

"My trip to Kinder Paradise enabled me to see the world with open eyes. May journey to Ghana answered my questions regarding the individuality of people, culture (religion, food culture), mentality, animals and nature. It was for my personal strength it is important that I started this trip on my own and that I managed to get these answers, and I am grateful for that.

What is special about Kinder Paradise is that it works like a family, and gives everyone (the child, house mother, social workers, cooks, the rest of the team including myself) a conducive environment and an opportunity to develop their personality.

What was really nice about my “volunteering” was getting to know such great and warm people with so many different character traits. I would also like to thank Silke and Heike for their trust, which enabled me to gain this experience.

I would wish / recommend everyone to take a trip outside of their comfort zone to become more open in many ways. It is an indescribably valuable experience and an enrichment for life. Recalling my time in Ghana showed me how grateful and happy one should be, no matter what you have.

In a common situation everyone may experience, a child gave me a nice advice. I was asked to sing and responded that I don´t know how to sing. The child told me not to say that you can't do something but that you can achieve anything, and I should just trust myself. These words have accompanied me in everyday life to this day. Thanks for that."

Dana S. - Volunteering in 2017

Volontariat-Ghana-Kinder-Paradise-Janina

"To leave my comfort zone, to deal with a different culture and way of life, to reflect on my own culture and way of life and to focus on essentials in life.

Kinder Paradise provides care that is not meant to be only short-term, but comprehensive and holistic. It is nice to see that the children are reintegrated into society and receive the support they need to be able to act independently and confidently later in society. The individual strengths of the children are perceived and valued.

The children touched my heart. Each in its own way and with their own story. The open-mindedness and trust in me have shaped me a lot. My view has changed so that I no longer consider some things as important which I previously did. I am very grateful to God for giving me this time that challenged and shaped me.

Janina H. - Trainee 2014 and 2016

"When I decided to do my internship at Kinder Paradise in 2014, I still thought that the whole thing would work a bit like a "checklist". A checklist that I will fully devote myself to and by means of which I would contribute my pedagogical knowledge. In reality it turned out differently, because to this day no check has been made. It has always drawn me back there, and meanwhile I am a fulltime worker in the children's home.

Something that touches me again and again is the liveliness and open-mindedness of the children and young people. There may be rainy days and everyone carries a package of experiences with them, but the belief in the positive and the joy of now prevail.

In my time as a volunteer and as an employee, I was always able to experience that young and old can quickly get enthusiastic about various activities and that you yourself have a lot of freedom in how you spend time with the children. The offer is varied and everyone can find something to make good use of the time. Both children and volunteers.

A real enrichment is the mutual cooperation and learning from each other, which is shown on the different levels between the children, young people, but also the employees. For the girls and boys, I see it as an incredible benefit to be able to grow up in this facility, to be able to recover from the past, to heal mentally and to be made strong for their own future.

Because the facility works holistically and plans and acts in the long term, this type of support creates many positive opportunities for the girls and boys. Because you have to reschedule every now and then, you can learn to familiarize yourself with something new, but also, to use a flexible approach and just see what happens.

For me, an internship is always worthwhile if it is done with all your heart and a certain degree of steadfastness, if you are ready to really get involved with the new and unknown, and to be willing to accept differences respectfully.“

Janina M. – first volunteering in 2014 & meanwhile works in the Children's Home

"Kinder Paradise is a special place with an unbelievably high number of different and open-hearted characters. From the first to the last day, I always felt welcome with all the loving people. My work went far beyond music lessons. It doesn't matter whether tuition, dance lessons or morning devotions, it was incredibly nice to accompany the children. Simple encounters with other people converged to become my huge Ghana family, and I am incredibly grateful for this experience. "

Sofie S. – Music lessons in Ghana 2015 & 2018

"My internship at Kinder Paradise was a real stroke of luck!

The project is well organized and is carried out with a lot of love for everyone involved. The fact that a children's home of this size can exist is primarily due to the great commitment of the leaders. They pursue the goal of enabling children and young people to live independently through educational opportunities.

I spent six months at Kinder Paradise Prampram and today, I can look back on many wonderful moments. There were always nice and funny conversations, I was able to work musically and creatively with the children. A special moment was a big Christmas party to which many supporters were invited. Together with the children we have rehearsed a program for this event. It was such a joy!

It was also important for me to get the opportunity to embark on small trips, which enabled me to get to know Ghana better.

I can only recommend an internship! Anyone who wants to work independently with children and young people, and get to know a new culture is at the right place doing an internship with Kinder Paradise! Remembering my time in Ghana brings back good memories! It shaped me significantly."

Christina S. - Internship 2012