Gap Year Programs in Ghana

Ghana is located pretty much dead smack in the middle of a world map, and there is great diversity here when it comes times to choosing where to spend a gap year living abroad.

Cape Coast. Located right along the Gulf of Guinea, Cape Coast is a living museum for the transatlantic slave trade. With a mingle of history that will flummox the reality out of you yet a modern day buoyancy to lift your spirits, this city is a great place for any gapper looking to get boots-on-the-Earth experience working with community empowerment. Nearby, there is also Kakum National Park, a gorgeous tropical rainforest protected area filled with opportunities to work with animals such as elephants, bongo antelopes, African grey parrots, and primates.

Kumasi. Nestled a little bit farther inland from Cape Coast, Kumasi is another great gap year destination zone. Kumasi is glowing with colorful street markets (some of the best in West Africa), reminders from the leftover Ashanti kingdom. There are plenty of opportunities here to spend your gap year exploring dance and the arts or working in wildlife conservation. And luckily, Kumasi is centrally located, giving you great access to other places in the country to explore. You want to make the best of your gap year, don’t you?!

Though a small country, Ghana is an open opportunity to get great experience in an assortment of ways.

Wilderness. For all you wilderness and wildlife lovers out there, Ghana is gold. There are a handful of national parks that you can work at to help protect land, dense tropical forests, and fauna some endangered. You can also find opportunities here to get involved in natural resource management in a developing and growing country. Feel the thunder of elephants walking across Earth, hear the orchestratic call of monkeys hidden in the treetops, or see majestic rhinos or crocodiles sunbathing near a river.

Medical. Who doesn’t need medical care every once and a while? Maybe a rock, or a fallen log. Lulz. Dry jokes aside, Ghana is perfect for those wishing to get some hands-on experience working a clinical rotation, beefing up a resume for medical school, lending a helping hand to some of the friendliest people in the world, developing existing medical services, or empowering locals with more preventative measures. There are opportunities for travelers with all experience levels to get experience in the medical field while taking a gap year in Ghana.

Volunteering. Volunteering is perhaps the most diverse category of work possible. Whatever your skills are, if you have the will, you can find a way to apply them to your gap year volunteering in Ghana. Whether that be hospitality, tourism, or creative arts, you’ll find a way to make your interests into a working year abroad in no time. The great thing about volunteering for an entire year is that you experience multiple phases during project development and implementation and have more time to form connections with other people.

Costs. Ghana is quite affordable to live in by most American standards. Though, the pay while living in Ghana isn’t luxurious. It might be helpful to rent a scooter or car while living abroad, but keep in mind that while in certain places (Kumasi in particular) you’ll be spending a lot of patience getting around the traffic. Get a headstart on your budget success by using tools like FundMyTravel, an online crowdsourcing website to help you, well, fund your travel.

Accommodations. For gappers, host families are the way to go. Whether volunteering in Ghana, doing historical research, or working to conserve the African manatee, living in Ghana for a full year will get you nice and close with people. And with the opportunity to learn a new culture while living with some of the nicest and most hospitable people possible, your gap year in Ghana experience will continue to shine through you years down the road.

Visas. Every gapper will probably need a visa to let them stay in a country; Ghana is one of these countries that requires travelers of all types to apply for a visa ahead of time. Check out the GoAbroad embassy directory to find out what you’ll need while living in Ghana.

Safety. Anywhere in the world that you travel to requires common sense regarding safety. Ghana is no different, but luckily it’s also a relatively safe place to spend a gap year abroad. Keep some street smarts with you, though still make the most out of your gap year by taking risks and trying new things.

Hmm...so why do gap years ROCK YOUR SOCKS?!? Is it because your world perspective is shifted, thrown upside down, and then expanded? Yes. Is it because you get to have a chance to start fresh in your life and create a new year? Yeppers. Gap years kick ass for many reasons… just find out for yourself ;)

Bring insect repellent, a long-sleeve shirt and pants, and a wide-brimmed hat. Your comfort level during your adventure in Ghana will thank you later, as it is a tropical country. Don’t get too worked up if your standard of living takes a twist, it will be made up for and then some with the people in Ghana that you will meet and befriend.

Hesitant to take a gap year abroad? Read more about gap year fears and why they shouldn’t hold you back.