Ghana Planetarium Project

There is a severe shortage of interactive educational science centres in East, West and Central Africa, and very few active planetariums in the whole continent. There is just one mention of a hands-on science centre and a couple of planetariums in Southern Africa, one in North Africa, and little else in between.

From a background of teaching Biochemistry to University students and a range of other activities, Dr Jacob Ashong has had a dream to create a science centre and planetarium in Ghana for a number of years. Part of the inspiration came from a visit to the Exploratorium in San Francisco in the 1980's, and later from centres nearer home such as the Science Centre in Herstmonceux, Sussex, UK, located at the site where the Royal Greenwich Observatory was housed for many years after its move from London. Up until recently a shortage of funds and lack of a suitable space have made it difficult to proceed with the Ghana Science Project.

Now though, the planetarium project has become a reality and they are looking for volunteers with an interest in running planetarium shows, who may wish to stay for a few weeks or a month or two.

View pictures of the Ghana Planetarium Project.

Available Positions

To maintain the high performance and sustainability of projects all Volunteers and Interns are required to submit a handover document for future volunteers. Click here to see the relevant placement review for the Planetarium Project..

Requirements:

• You must be at least 18 years of age upon application.
• You must have a background of relevance to the individual position and have a strong interest in the sciences.
• In order to maintain the sustainability and high performance of this project all interns are required to complete a detailed hand-over document for successive interns .
• You will need to be flexible and tolerant, show initiative and enthusiasm to face the many hurdles and challenges that you will encounter.
• Please be aware that the centre is very small and you will have to be able to work with limited resources.

Documentation Requirements:

• A completed application form - required for application.
• A personal or professional reference given by an employer, teacher, lawyer or doctor. This reference must include detail of the context in which the referee knows you, verifying your CV and stating that he/she knows of no reason why you should not volunteer. The referee should also provide their contact details in order that Ikando can contact them prior to your departure to confirm the reference given. This reference should be emailed by the referee to info [at] ikando.org.
• A copy by email to info [at] ikando.org of your travel (including medical) insurance certificates.
• Information on your travel arrangements (flight number, airline, arrival and departure time and dates). We always recommend volunteers who book online to email us their booking.
• A copy of the photo page of your passport to be emailed to info [at] ikando.org.

All Documentation must be sent to us at least two weeks before arrival.

Academic credit is available for this placement. Email us for more information.

Important Details

Click here for more information on our pricing.

What’s included in the project fees?
• Accommodation
• Welcome pack
• In-country introduction to life in Ghana.
• Airport pick-up & drop-off
• 24/7 Emergency support.

What’s not included?
• Flights & Visa
• Vaccinations (please speak to your local GP)
• Insurance (required)

Health and Safety
Ghana is one of the safest countries in Africa. In the Global Peace Index it is ranked above the US. It is the perfect introduction for first time volunteers to Africa. It has a democratic electoral process and a stable economy. Our ten-strong team in Ghana is there to ensure your health and safety at all times and you'll have emergency support 24/7.

Accommodation
The volunteer will be housed in our accommodation in the centre of town, with it possible to walk from the accommodation to nearby shops, communication centres, bars and restaurants. The spacious accommodation with a fully furnished kitchen is well maintained and has live-in staff to ensure you are well looked after. The surrounding garden and balconies overlooking Accra are perfect for chill out sessions with fellow volunteer housemates.

Food
Food is not included in our placements as in our experience volunteers prefer to cater for themselves. We have a fully furnished kitchen and our staff will show you where you can do your shopping. Western-style supermarkets and the bustling markets can be found nearby. A weekly vegetable & fruit shop can cost as little at $10, however shopping at the western-style supermarkets can be quite dear as most goods are imported.

"Quarshi (Ikando Staff) will introduce you to a woman named Felicia who sells mangos and bananas. Her mangos may very well be the sweetest in town. And, you will love shopping in the market." Elise Wray.

Airport Pick up
An Ikando member of staff will be at the airport arrivals to meet you and take you to the Accra accommodation. Please be aware that arrivals is located outside the airport, just keep an eye out for a sign with your name on it. Please ensure you send us your flight details two weeks before arrival.

Flights
Volunteers must arrange their own flights to Accra Airport (ACC). Please be aware that you should aim to arrive on the day your placement is due to start. If you are unable to do so please just check first with your volunteer coordinator whether the new dates also work for us. The following airlines fly into Accra:

• Alitalia (Lagos, Rome-Fiumicino)
• British Airways (London-Heathrow)
• Delta Air Lines (New York-JFK)
• EgyptAir (Cairo)
• Emirates (Abidjan, Dubai)
• Ethiopian Airlines (Abidjan, Addis Ababa, Lagos, Lome)
• Ghana International Airlines (London-Gatwick, Dusseldorf)
• Kenya Airways (Nairobi, Freetown, Monrovia)
• KLM (Amsterdam)
• Lufthansa (Frankfurt, Lagos)
• South African Airways (Johannesburg)

Volunteer Visa