Pricing

When we initially volunteered in Africa we realised that volunteering does not have to be expensive. Ikando offers volunteers a quality experience at an honest price.

How we do it:
• Our main office is located in Ghana and as such we don't have expensive operating costs for European Offices
• We don't drive expensive, fuel guzzling cars.
• Our marketing and website design & maintenance are all done in-house.
• To save us time and you money, we prefer to communicate to you by email cutting out the need for expensive call centres.

97% of your monies go to Ghana to run our volunteer placements there. The remaining 3% pays for administrative costs in Europe, such as bank fees, accountancy and legal fess.

Ikando is a register Non Governemental Organisation in Ghana. Please click here to download our NGO Certificate. This certificate confirms that Ikando operates as a Non-Profit Making Organisation in Ghana.

Why do I have to pay to volunteer?
How much does it cost?
Which free placements do you have?

Why do I have to pay to volunteer?

The reasons why you have to pay to volunteer are best explained in HOW TO LIVE YOUR DREAM OF VOLUNTEERING OVERSEAS by Joseph Collins, Stefano DeZerega, and Zahara Heckscher (2002):

"Prospective volunteers are surprised to learn that many programs charge their volunteers a fee to participate. At first, this can seem ridiculous - Why should you pay money to work for free? Aren't you already forgoing income you could be making? Here are a few things to keep in mind while trying to understand why the vast majority of programs charge international volunteers a fee:

• The local organisations and projects with which you volunteer overseas have limited resources and are seldom able to subsidize your trip or cover the costs of hosting you. (These costs include housing, feeding and transporting you, among numerous other things.) If they did have the financial resources to pay an international volunteer, it would almost certainly be more beneficial and cost-effective to hire a local person instead, someone who already knows the language and culture and is likely to stick around.
• Identifying appropriate host organisations overseas and working with them is time-consuming, takes resources, and requires an experienced and professional staff.
• The process of preparing, training, transporting, housing, feeding, and supervising volunteers is not cheap.
• The costs of recruiting volunteers, producing literature, answering the phones, sending mailings, developing a website, and interviewing potential volunteers are significant."

How much does it cost?

Unless otherwise stated on the individual placement pages, the following pricing structure will be maintained.

Currency	2 weeks (incl deposit)	Each additional week	Deposit
British Pounds	£ 531	£ 92	£ 150
US Dollars (approx)	$ 850	$ 147	$ 240
Euros (approx)	€ 613	€ 106	€ 173

Payment of the deposit will secure your placement for you. Please note that the above deposit is included in the project fee:
For example a 6 week internship with the Foundation for Contemporary Art will cost you a total of:
2 weeks: £ 531
4 weeks: £ 92 x 4= £ 368
Total 6 week cost = £ 531 + £ 368 = £ 899
A £150 deposit will secure the placement for you, leaving a remainder of £749 (£899- £150) to pay 2 months before departure.

What’s included in the project fees?

• Accommodation
• Welcome pack
• $100 donation to the host organisation (does not apply to placements with Profit-Making Organisations)
• 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)

To pay for your placement please email us including your full name and project code.