Facilitating Learning of Women in Emerging Regions

What skills do I need to volunteer / intern?
What will I do as a volunteer / intern with FLOWER?
Why do I have to pay to volunteer?
I am a vegetarian, what am I going to eat?
Why do I have to donate $500 to FLOWER?
What are Girls’ Clubs?
Why is FLOWER involved with Girls’ Clubs?
How does FLOWER work with Girls’ Clubs?

What skills do I need to volunteer / intern?

Being an intern in Ghana is never easy, as you must adapt to the new environment and culture with a certain amount of grace. Life in Ghana is different in many ways from other parts of the world; this necessarily extends to the work environment. It is not unusual to have colleagues be quite late for meetings, for things to appear quite confusing at first and for it to take some time to get your bearings. This being said it can also be remarkably rewarding if you have the wherewithal to adapt and learn from your colleagues. The following skills are essential:

• Flexibility – schedules changes, classes get cancelled, outreach events run hours behind schedule; the ability to go with the flow is essential
• Openness - an understanding that there are many ways to get things done and that your way of life isn't necessarily the "right" way is necessary if you wish to have a positive learning experience
• Patience – assuming that others will view time with the same lens as yourself is a dangerous endeavor, the ability to be patient with colleagues, students, leaders and government workers is key
• Passion for human rights – a strong belief that all people have the right to be educated and make choices for themselves is at the core of FLOWER’s mission and is at the root of all of our placements
• Knowledge regarding sexual exploitation, poverty, HIV/AIDS and other STIs, hygiene and sanitation, malaria, and budgeting are important for individuals running workshops with Girls’ Clubs or working in public health
• Research and writing skills are very important in all positions
• Willingness to learn – we all make mistakes all the time, especially when we work in foreign environments, the ability to learn from our mistakes and take them as learning opportunities will make this internship most valuable
• Intermediate Public Speaking Skills – the ability to present information and workshops to groups of 30 – 45 people is essential for all placements, though don't feel you need to be an expert yet.
• Group Facilitation – ability to facilitate small group discussions and engage all group members is important for participatory learning

 

What will I do as a volunteer / intern with FLOWER?

We offer three main opportunities for interns. You can select a placement as a Public Health Intern, as a Girls' Club Assistant or as a Volunteer Teacher.

As a Public Health Intern you would be responsible for the following tasks:

• Assisting local health workers with community outreach in the areas of  HIV/AIDS prevention, sexual education, tuberculosis, healthy living and Malaria prevention
• Distributing bed nets
• Assisting with health baby clinics (weighing babies, disseminating nutrition guidelines / advice, etc.)
• Assisting in various departments of the hospital (OPD, pharmacy, records, laboratory, maternity ward) depending on qualifications and interest

 

As a Girls' Club Assistant you would be responsible for the following tasks:

• Visiting 3 – 4 Girls’ Clubs weekly to check their progress
• Offer 2 – 3 workshops per week with Girls’ Clubs in the region
• Further develop the existing Girls’ Club manual and deliver it to an additional 5 clubs per month
• Offer 1 training per month to club leaders on a variety of topics including the role of a mentor, community engagement, public speaking skills, program planning and informal counseling/listening skills.
• Assist FLOWER’s Executive Director with grant research and proposal writing in an attempt to secure ongoing funding for Girls’ Clubs in the region
• Provide basic computer lessons to FLOWER’s staff and Girls’ Club leaders 1 – 2 times per week
• If desired, implement a personal project throughout your stay (for example, in the past one intern delivered a reproductive health peer mentor program that equipped youth with the skills and information to address their peers questions and concerns regarding reproductive health)

 

As a Volunteer Teacher you would be responsible for the following tasks:

• Assist in the running of a classroom in an Elementary, Junior or Secondary school from Monday - Friday from approximately 8 am - 3 pm
• Work alongside teachers and local staff to deliver lessons in a variety of subjects including Mathematics, English, Integrated Science, Physical Education, Moral & Religious Studies, Social Studies, and  ICT studies using the government approved curriculum
• Offering extra lessons in an area of your personal interest / expertise (ex. drama, writing, planning, music, etc.)
• Supervising and organizing relevant extracurricular activities depending on your interests

 

Why do I have to pay to volunteer?

The majority of the money you pay to FLOWER is used to house and feed you during your stay. A very small amount (about $30 per week) is a "profit" for the organization that goes into maintaining our volunteer resources  and supporting the associated administrative expenses. Hosting volunteers isn't making us rich anytime soon! Below is an estimated break down of where your money goes per week:

 

Host Family (Food & Lodging) - $75

Work related transportation (taxis, tro-tros) - $15

Airport pickup and drop-off (averaged out over your stay) - $20

FLOWER Administration - $30

 

I am a vegetarian, what am I going to eat?

FLOWER has hosted many vegetarians. There are lots of protein alternatives available like groundnut (peanuts) and eggs. Fresh fruit is widely available including oranges, bananas, pineapples and avocadoes. It can be difficult to eat out if you are a strict vegetarian but with planning you will always have lots of good food to eat.

 

Why do I have to donate $500 to FLOWER?

The donation of $500 is to ensure that our volunteers / interns are making a contribution to the community that is welcoming them. The donation ensures that your stay with us benefits the children, families and institutions you work with. We feel this is the right thing to do given the time and energy many of your co-workers and community members will take to make your stay comfortable and meaningful. Volunteers have a great deal of input into how their $500 is spent but it is still a requirement based on our past experiences.

 

What are Girls’ Clubs?

Girls’ Clubs are run out of Junior High Schools across Ghana. Girls’ Clubs are run by volunteer female teachers at each school and are intended to provide girl students between the ages of 12 - 19 with opportunities for education, skills training, and self-esteem development. They are also intended as an education tool for parents in a country where few girls are given the opportunity to attend High School.

 

Girls’ Clubs vary widely depending on the school and the level of commitment shown by the club leader(s). In the past activities have included education on sexual exploitation/sugar daddy’s, hygiene and sanitation, HIV/AIDS, budgeting and First Aid. Training workshops in the area of baking, cooking and sewing have also been undertaken.

 

Why is FLOWER involved with Girls’ Clubs?

Girls’ Clubs are an innovation of the Ghana Education Service (GES) that has been largely unfunded by the government to date. As a result FLOWER has stepped in to attempt to develop curriculum and network the clubs so that those involved can work together to improve the plight of the girl child in the district. The Executive Director of FLOWER, Helen Attah, has been a Girls’ Club leader for the last 10 years and an educator for more than 20 years. About four years ago she decided to form an NGO to help the female students she has seen struggling year after year. Working with Girls’ Clubs is a natural progression for FLOWER as it is an excellent forum for reaching girls and involving female teachers and community leaders with a variety of different backgrounds and interests.

 

How does FLOWER work with Girls’ Clubs?

FLOWER undertakes the following activities with Girls’ Clubs; providing free Girls’ Clubs manuals to club leaders, facilitating workshops with Girls’ Clubs, applying for grants and funding opportunities on behalf of Girls’ Clubs, maintaining a registration list, loaning out resources to club leaders, hosting education sessions for parents on the benefits of Girls’ Clubs and educating Girls’ generally, providing informal support to Girls’ Club leaders and members and regularly checking in with clubs to monitor their progress and provide feedback.

With more funding FLOWER would undertake the additional activities; provide scholarships to bright, needy girls, run an annual camp for Girls’ club members in the district, run bi-monthly training sessions for Girl club leaders, undertake advocacy work with the government to secure consistent funding for clubs and build a portable resource centre for clubs in the district.