Remember Max, who we introduced back in the summer? He has since returned safely and we have the rest of his story! Read about his criminology and law programme in Ghana below!
Arriving in Accra, Settling In and Meeting the Other Volunteers!
I arrived late on a Friday night and was surprised with how busy and bustling the airport was, but also by how friendly everyone was and I immediately felt welcomed by everyone with how much help I was offered.
I thought the accommodation was of a very good standard and found settling in quite easy to begin with, especially with how friendly and welcoming Birgit was. People were always willing to help with anything and made me feel very welcomed.
On my first day at the partner project, I was welcomed by everyone in the team and was introduced to everyone straight away. I was also surprised and impressed with how much work the foundation can manage with such a small team. I found it very easy to get on with everyone and the other volunteers, as you’re all there for the same reason and can easily share interests which makes it easy to make friends and get along together. It was very easy to talk to anyone if I needed anything as everyone is so kind and welcoming.
The Criminology and Law Volunteer Programme
I felt I was aware of the work the organisation do as I was aware of the situation of the prison systems after watching the documentaries and reading the information provided by vocational impact.
We had several field trips which included visits to four different prisons, as well as visits to the High Court, a briefing with a lawyer and a police officer, a visit to the legal aid commission, and we were also able to visit the conference for the new project launch.
Upon the visits to the prisons we were able to see the production of the documentaries where the prisoners discuss how they ended up in prison and how the conditions were, it surprised me how simple some of the prisoners crimes seemed which landed them in prison for at least a year, in particular there was a man that threw stones onto the roof of his ex-girlfriend’s house was serving a year in prison.
The most educational aspect of the placement I think was the briefing with the police officer and lawyer as I was able to use my knowledge learnt already whilst I was on the placement to gather relevant and interesting questions so that I could more deeply learn about the justice system in Ghana.
In my second year at university I had a specific module related to punishment and rehabilitation here in the UK and it was very interesting to be able to compare the difference and the further impacts on the prisoners mental health and recidivism rates. The placement has helped me enhance my employability skills as I have been able to work in an office environment and learn about how the work is undertaken, instead of just being a student and working within the university. I’m also planning to use what I learned to help with my dissertation I am beginning to write.
The field trips and briefings stood out to me, including the briefing with lawyer Doris as we were able to have a long conversation regarding the the justice system and her personal views on the ongoing issues in Ghana, which was very insightful. Also the servers visits to the different prisons was interesting – to see the difference between the prisons here in the UK and in Ghana. The briefing with the police officer was also very insightful as I was able to ask several questions about how the police operate and also his personal opinion on how to improve how the police worked.
Adventuring While Volunteering In Ghana
I visited Cape Coast, including Kakum National park where we walked across the treetop walkway, and also visit Cape Coast Castle. I was also able to visit makola market, Kwame Nkrumah museum and Osu Castle. We also went on a trip the the eastern region where we hiked to two beautiful waterfalls.
Ghana is a beautiful country with amazingly friendly and welcoming people, I loved being in Ghana and always felt welcomed. We had freedom on the weekends and evenings and Ghana is such a safe place we could visit certain places without a guide, such as the mall and beach, so we could always explore and be busy or could rest after a long day if needed. Weekends mostly consisted of field trips away, such as the trips to Cape Coast and the Eastern Region also.
Final Advice and Parting Words!
I would advise other volunteers to have a completely open mind and be willing to change and adapt to a different culture to make it easy to open yourself up to new experiences. Don’t have expectations for what the trip will be – by not having expectations I found it so easy to settle into a different culture and loved being in Ghana the whole time I was there.
I think the experience is very beneficial especially to students as it helps you become more employable and can look very good on a CV. It’s also something that can be talked about during job interviews! I think the placement also benefits criminology students in particular with their studies.
