Idea & Ideology

Introduction

Idea & Ideology nursery school is a small family run nursery school in the heart of the capital city, Accra.  The ocean front is not far away. Although it cannot be seen, the beach breezes can be felt.

Currently there are 20 children enrolled in the nursery from ages 2 to 5. All the children share one open classroom. Grace Haligah is the one and only teacher at the school, caring for all the children by herself.

The school is held in one room that is also a church sanctuary during non-school hours. Grace cooks lunch for the school children daily in an outdoor kitchen.

Project Manager

The project is managed by Kofi “Arun” Haligah. He is the brother of Grace. Kofi has worked with different NGOs is Ghana. He has his bachelor’s degree in Archeology. He  is also the volunteer coordinator for the project. He’ll communicate with you as you book and plan your journey. He lives in the family compound, where the school is held, with his daughter and family.

Environment

Idea & Ideology is located in an area of Accra called Mamprobi. It is a lower-middle class part of town.

The main streets are paved, but all of the side roads are unpaved and dusty. Although it is the capital city, you will still see chickens and goats wandering about the roads freely.

Being near the ocean, Idea & Ideology gets cooler during the nights but is still very humid and hot during the day. You may even need a blanket or long-sleeved shirt from time to time!

Educational Realities in Ghana

Your first day at the school will open your eyes to the shortfalls of education in post-colonial Ghana. There is little equipment besides desks and chairs. From an early age children are taught to be obedient and never to question people older than them. Teachers tend to use beating as a common method of punishment (despite requests not to) because it was the way they were taught – a sad consequence of colonialism.

Memorizing and repetition are the main teaching methods. Not taught to think for themselves, most students are shy in school because they don’t want to give the wrong answer. Learning is hard work, especially in this environment. Everyone can learn from examples of great classroom management, discipline, and teaching methods.

Accomodation and Food Costs:

Who do we need?

• Patient and caring volunteers- both male & female.

• Experience working in early childhood  education is desired but not required (if you do not have experience we recommend that you volunteer at or visit a nursery school within your home country before coming to the project).

• Anyone who is broadminded and ready to live in an urban setting, the capital city of a developing country.

• Be prepared to be the only volunteer at the project.

• Both long and short term volunteers are welcomed.

• Qualified teachers are especially encouraged!!

Volunteers are encouraged to start their own initiatives and be involved in sustaining the project once they have finished volunteering. We welcome your participation and ideas!

Accomodation

Volunteers can stay at the family compound which is the same compound that the school is in. Kofi, Grace, and their extended families also live in the same compound. There is no formal kitchen and all of the cooking is done outdoors. The family also raise chickens.

Rooms are clean and simple. The house has no running water, but running water is available just nearby. There is electricity, but it goes out sometimes. There is a fan in the volunteer’s room. Showers are taken by bucket in an outdoor shower. An outhouse serves as the bathroom. Volunteers will get their own room.

There is another room for volunteers available at a family compound across the street from the school. This room is located in a very large house with a beautiful backyard covered in green grass and gorgeous trees. 

There is a full bathroom inside the house with running water.  There is also a full kitchen with a fridge and stove. Volunteers can chose in which location they will stay.

Your Job

You'll teach at the school, in coordination with Grace. While sometimes Grace teaches with the volunteers, volunteers should plan to teach, assess, and evaluate on their own with very little guidance. A word of warning: the school system is absolutely NOTHING like education in most of Western Europe or North America.

You are encouraged to give your input and try (or share) new teaching techniques. The children take some time to get used to each volunteer’s unique style, but the results you will see are wonderful!

You will be in much demand and whatever you put your mind to will be an inspiration for the children.

On Your Own Time
In the evening, children may visit the house to play. If volunteers are interested in sports (especially football/soccer) they can start games near the house at a nearby field. You can help the neighborhood children with their reading and homework, teach them games, dance - whatever! There are a couple of internet cafes in walking distance nearby.

On weekends and holidays, it is great to travel around Accra. “The beaches of the Atlantic coast are popular with visitors and Ghanaians alike. La Pleasure and Kokrobite Beach, just 25km west of Accra, are particularly popular at weekends.  Among the highlights of Accra are the National Museum, with its splendid display of exhibits that reflect the heritage of Ghana from prehistoric times to modern times; the National Theatre with its distinctive modern architecture, the Centre for National Cultural, Independence Square, the Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum; the fishing port at James Town and Makola Market.”

What you can do before you come:

Check out the ideas in the Treasure Hunt and think of as many creative things that you can.

Another possibility that you could try to organise is that of finding a school in your home country to "adopt" an African school such as Idea & Ideology. They could also fundraise for example for the sponsorship of Idea & Ideology’s own school building

If you don’t have much experience teaching and if you have some free time, it would benefit you to get some experience planning lessons/units, teaching, and working with kids.

Rosie Srao, an international volunteer, visits Idea and Ideology.