Ad1: To apply
See To apply.  

Ad 2: Final application
After about two weeks, we'll inform you if your application has been honored for the first round. For Dutch people the info meetings are obligated as well as an interview conversation in one of the main cities (in The Netherlands). For applicants from abroad a applicant-specific plan will be made for screening. It is aimed that a final decision is made at least 3 months before the applicant (when permitted) will start to work. The screening procedure is not a strict interview and test phase as you'll probably will know when you are applying for a job. Our screening phase is only meant to make sure we can have the best possible match between one of our projects and your fields of interest, education and experiences. So, don't worry, we do not bite. 

Ad 3: Program costs
Costs for the NorGhaVo program are €595 for the first three months of your stay; every extra month will be €75 extra (including the allowance for the hostfamilies). What you will receive for that is written under volunteers work. This amount needs to be transferred to account number 9397346 to "Stichting NorGhaVo" Nijmegen, in the Netherlands (see also at the section costs).

Ad 4: Flight
When you apply for a visa it is compulsory to buy a return ticket. It's advisable, when you're younger than 27, to ask for a student discount (in combination with a ISIC card for example). With this card or a similar one you'll get a large discount at KLM and British airways (via London) Try to schedule your date of arrival, around the time we advised. We advise that you arrive the last Wednesday of every month. If you arrive on any other day, there will be nobody to pick you up from the airport. In case you will not arrive on the advised day, you will have to reach a hotel on your own. If you later (on the advised day) want to join the introduction you will have to acquire information by telephone from the staff in Ghana (see contact) in which guesthouse NorGhaVo has reserved a bed for you.  

Please notify NorGhaVo about your flight data as soon as possible.

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Ad 5 Orientation
Start reading the Bradt Travel Guide and other literature (see also the web-links mentioned at information about Ghana , in order to prepare yourself. The Bradt Guide does not only describe the tourist attractions and the means to travel there, but the first part of the guide is full of useful tips about how to travel in general, money, health, historic background and especially how to prepare yourself. The guide will enlighten your perceptions about a complete different culture and hopefully reading will lead to a more open-minded view. This is why NorGhaVo does not only recommend the Bradt Guide, but even made it obligatory for its program. How to buy? In every good bookshop or very simply via the Internet at www.bradt-travelguides.com). 

For the latest news about Tamale, you can also have a look on page: Tamale in the menu information about Ghana en Tamale!

Ad 6: Vaccinaties
Ask your general practitioner for more information. Otherwise a hospital, health service or Travel Clinic (for example located at every airport), depending on what is available in your country can help you with advice, too. It is your own responsibility that you receive all the necessary vaccinations and the right prophylactic drugs against malaria and that you receive the 'International Certificate of Vaccination', which is compulsory for yellow fever in order to receive a visa. Save this certificate with your passport. And finally it is wise to have your teeth checked before you leave.

The usual vaccinations are:

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Ad 7: Insurances
It is hard to give an advice on this for people from outside The Netherlands. Please ask your own agent for the options or search on the internet. To compare Dutch policies: www.wellowell.nl.

Ad 11: Visum
Ask the embassy in your own country for the exact procedures, for the embassy in The Hague (Den Haag) you should visit the website: www.ghanaembassy.nl. Please pay attention that you follow the most up to date procedures and that you know on what days en on what times you are welcome at the embassy.

The procedure in short: you will need the following supplies and documents: a valid passport (valid until a minimum of 6 months after planned return), 'International Certificate of Vaccination' for yellow fever, an invitation letter (including 2 addresses), which NorGhaVo will send you, proof that you have booked a return flight and proof of enough financial means (from your own bank-account or a letter from your parents that they will guarantee for you), 4 recent passport photographs and 4 fully filled in "application" forms (available at the embassy and sometimes at the travel- agency). It takes about four days to two weeks after which you can pick up your passport. You can also apply for a visa in person but request to have your passport sent back to you home address by registered post. A visa will cost you around €50 for a single entry, and around €100 for multiple entries. When you visit any of the bordering countries your visa expires automatically, and you'll have to request a new visa at the Ghanaian embassy in the country you visit. When you get a multiple entry visa you can travel in and out of Ghana without renewing it.

In Ghana: be aware that you should have all this information (including postal address in Ghana) with you when you are flying towards Ghana, because again you will have to fill in a new form before entering the country. Your visa is valid for 60 days from the date you arrive. After those two months you can renew your visa for one more month for free. You can renew it in Accra and other large cities including Tamale. It is necessary to renew your visa every two months and it will cost approx. €6 each time. It takes about two weeks to renew it, so don' t plan it just before it expires. NorGhaVo will hand you a letter in which we ask the immigration office for a renewal of your visa.

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Ad 12: Geldzaken
Make sure you bring enough financial means (for an example see costs). You can't use an ATM machine with a normal bankcard! The best way is to take an amount with you in travellers cheques and an amount of cash money. You can change euros at different banks or the so-called FOREX offices. Travelers cheques (preferable American Express) are changeable in all large cities (including Tamale) at the Barclays bank or the Standard Chartered bank. It's possible to use an ATM machine with a Visa credit card in al medium sized cities (including Tamale). It's not possible to use MasterCard credit cards in the ATM machines, but can be used, if the electronical systems are working, to withdraw money in the larger Barclays banks. Travelers cheques are the best option, because of relatively low transaction costs and the fact that they're insured. 

In case of emergency you can always have money transferred to a bank in Ghana using "Western Union Money Transfer" or "Money Gram", without actually having an account there (passport needed for identification. The electronic systems often fail at banks, that's why we advise you to always save some cash, just in case.".

Travel Agencies

De Vries Reizen	After bankruptcy of Ghana Airways other cheap alternatives have started flying to Ghana, but their reliability has not been proven yet. Nico de Vries Reizen  Tel: +31-(0)512-538300 email: info@devriesreizen.nl Internet: www.devriesreizen.nl
Kilroy Travel	Singel 413 Amsterdam, The Netherlands Tel: +31-(0)20-5245100 Internet: www.kilroytravels.nl
Joho-Company	Tel: +31-(0)71-5131357 Internet: www.joho.nl
Jetlink Schiphol	Tel: +31-(0)20-3163256 / 47
M & J Travel	USIT explore, 2nd Floor Benefits Plaza Ring Road Central, Accra, Ghana Tel: +233-(0)21-236879 / 236899 Fax: +233-(0)21-237038 GSM: +233-(0)24-252371 e-mail: e.usitexpl@africaonline.com.gh
KLM	KLM, Amsterdam Tel: +31-(0)20-4747747 Internet: www.klm.com
British Airways	British Airways  Internet: www.britishairways.com
Fly World Schiphol	Tel: +31-(0)20-6570000 Internet: www.reiswijs.nl/vliegen
Royal Africa	Royal Africa Travel, The Hague Tel: +31-(0)70-3882236 / 3882048
Lufthansa	Lufthansa Nederland, Amsterdam Tel Netherlands: 0900 - 1234 777 Germany, tel: +49-1803803803
Alitalia	Alitalia Nederland, Amsterdam (times of flying has proven to be unreliable over the past months) Tel: +31-20-4747747/4700118/6764479

IMPORTANT: As soon as your date and flight no. are known, you should pass on this information to NorGhaVo.

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Telephone
Phoning and receiving calls is improving in Ghana. Though the lines aren't always as good and it does require some patience, a lot has improved over the last few years. Some host families have a phone on which you're often allowed to receive calls from your family back home. Next to that, nowadays you're able to use you mobile phone in Tamale. Make sure it hasn't got a SIM lock so can you can instantly buy a new SIM card. It is relatively cheap to send text messages and call within Ghana. Momentarily is Spacefon the most reliable mobile telecom company, but ask for advice after arrival to the staff of NorGhaVo and the volunteers who are already present with a mobile phone.

Books and guides that can come in handy (next to Bradt guide which is focused on traveling and living in Ghana) are: 

• How to Teach Abroad, €16,48
• Teaching English Abroad, €24,50
• Guide to World Organisations, Times Books, €31,54
• Work & Study in Developing Countries, €19,50
  In this book are more than 400 organisations enlisted that are active in over 100 (developing) countries. It handles about paid work, volunteer work or studying abroad in a developing country.
• Where there is no Doctor (World) €15,50
• Where there is no Doctor ( Africa ) €15,50

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