Ghana Service and Learning Trip

$2000 (Airfare not included)

TBA

Group size: 10 people including high school students and adults.

A different perspective from a different country.

You are invited to join us on a journey to Ghana to learn about the history of slavery and get a real-time understanding of modern-day slavery. When you come face to face with the injustices surrounding slavery and human trafficking it becomes nearly impossible to simply stand by and do nothing. Allow yourself to be stretched, burdened, and forced to consider your role in addressing these travesties.

We will stay at City of Refuge Ministries and Shekinah Children’s Home where we will spend quantity and quality time with the leaders and children. We will help out in the classroom, do various projects, and develop great relationships. So often service trips are focused on doing, but Ghana is focused on relationships and expanding our perspectives of the world.

HIGHLIGHTS

  • Assist in the class room
  • Visit a local castle that was a holding place for Ghanians before coming to the west as slaves.
  • See Lake Volta, the largest man made lake in the world where children are enslaved to fish.
  • Be loved an encouraged like you have never been before.
  • Grow in your relationship with God.

FAQS

Where are we going?

Ghana is a beautiful country with beautiful people. Ghana and the United States are connected through our history. Sadly, Ghana was a country that was ravaged by the trans-Atlantic slave trade between 1500-early 1800s. Ghana was a British colony between 1867 until March 6th, 1957. Because of this colonization, English is one of the main languages in the country. Ghana was one of the first African colonized countries to gain their independence. Since then, Ghana has slowly progressed to where they are on the verge of becoming a first world country. The country is growing and progressing. Though extreme poverty is still prevalent along with modern day slavery along the coast and on Lake Volta, it is considered one of the most stable countries in West Africa.

Ghana is a completely different country than what we are used to in the West. Though the language is similar (English), the climate, the food, and the culture are very different. Ghana’s climate can be very hot and humid, think Florida in August times ten.

Where are we staying?

  • We will spend some of our time at City of Refuge Ministries and Shekinah Children’s home. We will lodge in their volunteer house.
  • Food will be provided by our hosts and the food will be authentic Ghanian food.
  • Our service projects will include helping in the classroom, some manual labor, and whatever they need to accomplish.
  • We will visit Cape Coast and tour the slave castles. These slave castles were holding places for slaves before coming to the west.
  • We will also take a boat ride on Lake Volta, the largest man-made lake in the world.

How many people will be on my trip?

Trips are limited to 10 participants.

What are the leaders like?

We are proud of our commitment to keeping our student-to-leader ratio at the incredibly low level of five students for every leader.  The quality of your child’s experience is our primary objective and we think you will see the results in the testimonials from past trips!

What kind of projects will we be doing?

  • Educational, learning about the history of slavery the trans-Atlantic slave trade and modern-day slavery in Ghana
  • Relational as we will spend time with the staff and children at City of Refuge Ministries playing soccer, basketball, art, assisting in the classroom, as well as other opportunities to build relationships.
  • Spiritual as we will spend time discussing God’s view of justice and our role in joining him in making things right in the world.

Are there any student pre-requisites?

Yes, you must currently be a sophomore in High School or older. Yes, adults are welcome to apply but we require you to pass a background check if you are over18. Participation on a previous Be2Live trip is not required but is helpful to the application process.
Students and adults will need to fill out an application, obtain one reference letter, and go through an interview process. This is NOT a first come first serve trip.
 

What are the student expectations?

The Pre-Work

  • You will be required to participate in three pre-trip meetings via zoom.
  • You will be required to do some reading for these meetings (nothing major, but important reading to prepare yourself mentally, emotionally, and spiritually).

The hard stuff

  • The weather will be very hot, humid, and uncomfortable, even at night.
  • There will be limited vegetables and fruit. The food tends to be a little spicy food with a lot of rice.
  • There will be little to no cold drinking water, but there will be plenty of purified water.
  • There are no hot showers, only cold showers that we can take once a day.
  • We will sleep in bunkhouses with bunk beds.
  • There is a seven-hour time difference between the West Coast to Ghana.
  • There are many mosquitos so bug repellent is necessary.
  • Because we are guests in their homes, we will be expected to follow their guidelines for what we wear. This is a must!

The fun stuff

  • We will attend a 2 1/2 hour church service on Sunday.
  • We will spend a lot of time with the children in the children’s village.
  • We will assist in the classroom at Faith Roots Academy.
  • There is plenty of soccer and basketball to be played.
  • We will visit Cape Coast Castle to learn about the history of Slavery from Ghana.
  • We might also visit the coastal community.

An attitude of humility, flexibility, and teachability is essential for this trip.

No electronic devices (cell phones, I-pods, PSPs, etc.) cameras are the only exception

How will I know what to expect?

We will have three pre-trip meetings either in person or online. These meetings are required for participation.

Is the food and water safe?

Filtered drink water is provided. The food in Ghana is very different than in the United States. It is more spicey and high in carbohydrates. A lot of rice, beans, and some chicken for lunch and dinner. Breakfast is oat meal and or bread with occasional eggs.

Is there an application deadline?

Due to the nature of this trip, we are requiring an application to be submitted for this trip. The Ghana trip is NOT a first come first serve trip. The application deadline is January 15th. Once an application is submitted we will contact you to set up an interview.

What expenses can I expect?

The cost of the trip is $2000 (airfare not included). If you are accepted onto the trip there will be a $500 non-refundable deposit due on February 15th. Balance due, will be one month from departure.

Details on additional fees:
    • Round Trip Airfare: $1200 – $2,000
    • Ghana requires a VISA. The VISA cost is $150. We will help you through this process.
    • Ghana also requires a Yellow Fever Vaccination as well as Malaria pills. The cost will be dependent on your medical provider.
    • Three COVID tests are $150/each test (regardless of COVID vaccination). One test within 72 hours of departure, one when we arrive in Ghana, one 72 hours prior to departure from Ghana. Of course, this may change by our departure date.
    • Spending money – You will be responsible to cover your meals while traveling to and from Ghana and when we travel to Cape Coast (plan on 5 meals ranging from $10-$25). You will also want some money for souvenirs and snacks. We would suggest $150- $250 depending on how much you eat. Yes, you can bring plenty of snacks and protein/granola bars.

How does fundraising work? Do you offer scholarships?

We understand that this is a very expensive trip. We offer one fundraiser where you can write your friends and family asking them for financial support. If you want this letter, please let us know. Unfortunately, we do not have any scholarship money available.

CONTACT US!

We can’t wait for you to join us!

Please call or email us with any questions you have about Be2Live. We will be in touch to answer any questions you have about the experience. 

Have any questions? Contact us!

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