Projects Abroad is the leading volunteer abroad organization. They offer a diverse range of international service projects, plus the opportunity to become part of one of the volunteer communities abroad. On their website the founder and director Dr. Peter Slowe let us know: “Our continuous presence overseas and unparalleled in-country support from our international staff ensures that your experience will be far more worthwhile and genuine than those of the average tourist”.
Until 1997, Projects Abroad was a small organization with just two part time staff sending university students to teach English in Eastern Europe. But with more and more people taking time out on academic and work-related breaks, and with many developing countries in need of self-funded volunteers, their organized volunteer programs started to mushroom around the world. The volunteers can still teach English in Eastern Europe, but can also do many other types of work in many other places.
Projects Abroad now has two North American offices located in New York City and Toronto. With more than 500 trained staff in our destinations, and offering over 100 generic projects in 27 countries all over the world. In Africa 7 different countries are provided as choice, in Asia 9, Southern and Central America 8, Eastern Europe 2 and the South Pacific1. They are the world's leading international volunteer organization providing a broad spectrum of choice for any taste or interest.
Projects Abroad volunteers are aged from 16 to 75! University students and recent graduates still make up the majority of the volunteers, but increasing numbers join for gap years or summer breaks before starting university or while still in high school. Furthermore, the fastest growing demographics are career breakers and retirees choosing to take some time out volunteering on the several projects. People volunteer for a variety of reasons. There is obviously a strong sense of altruism associated with offering time without payment, following the notion that they want to do something for others - to 'give something back'. The money provided by the volunteers contributes to the international staff, accommodation fees for staying in the host family and development in the local area. But it is also important that they themselves gain something too, whether it is work-experience in a particular field, personal development, or even simply a sense of fulfillment from doing something for others. Volunteers learn from their chosen projects and the people they meet -- and vice versa. During the volunteer work they stay at host families. Mutual learning and respect is what cultural exchange is all about.
Projects Abroad helps to create local employment wherever they send volunteers. They employ many people directly and provide plenty of work indirectly through the services they provide for volunteers. They have also devolved various "Head Office" functions, such as management accountancy, which is done in Mongolia and design work in Mexico.
Because Projects Abroad works with local colleagues at all levels, the extensive network of local knowledge enables them to channel the skills of the volunteers to places they are really needed. Peter Slowe proudly informed us that, "In 2009, we channelled into less developed countries the energy, skills and commitment of some 5,500 volunteers, not to mention over £8,000,000. This is a major achievement."
Ghana is one of the most popular destinations chosen by volunteers. There are a lot of organizations sending volunteers to Ghana. Projects Abroad is one of them. In 2010 Projects Abroad sent 2,400 volunteers from several western countries to Ghana. Most of them come from Western European countries like United Kingdom, Denmark, The Netherlands, Germany and Belgium. There also volunteers from USA, Australia and Japan.
There are five Regional Offices in Ghana - Accra, Cape Coast, Ho, Kumasi and the Akuapem Hills, meaning the field staff are never far away wherever the project is. The volunteers primary contact is the Regional Coordinator for the area, who is the full-time member of our local staff, trained by Projects Abroad, with a detailed knowledge of all the projects and host families in that region. The volunteers can make a choice between these 5 regions and between several projects. The projects in Ghana are in the field of care (orphanage, daycare), healthcare (hospital, outreach), building (primary schools, sanitation), journalism (newspaper, radio television) teaching, sports, human rights, farming and veterinary medicine.
- Ap te Winkel (Projects Abroad)
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