Description and Impact

Rural poverty and the lack of access to opportunity are huge issues throughout Ghana, particularly for women. Without economic opportunities, and lacking resources to create opportunities of the their own, women and their families are often left without any chance to work for better lives for themselves and their families.

What is the overall goal of the project? This rural development organization was established in 1993 to promote self-help strategies toward community development and rural poverty reduction in the Western Region, Central Region and Volta Region of Ghana. The group’s work is based on the values of Christian motivation and obligation toward the development of the individual as a whole and has two program areas: Microfinance for Development Program and a Social Development Program. The Microfinance for Development Program is distinctively separate from its Social Development Program, although microfinance is a key component in many of the organization’s social development projects. Interns form ProWorld will work on the Microfinance for Development Program, which entails the following: Rural and informal sector microfinance; Extension of microcredits to poor households on both individual and group basis; Rural savings mobilization schemes based on the traditional ‘Susu’ system; and Establishment of village banks and microcredit village agencies. Today, this organization’s Microcredit Scheme has reached more than 300 families in three of Ghana’s 10 regions. Women in particular have benefited from the scheme, taking advantage of the program’s financial discipline and credit extension facilities. The program has achieved a loan repayment rate over 90 percent.

What's Included

• Homestay with a carefully-screened Ghana family
• Daily meals 3 x a day
• Project funding and support
• Onsite transportation, airport pickup and a stipend for return travel
• Health and travel insurance
• Cultural and adventure excursions
• 24-hour support from ProWorld Ghana staff
• Access to Casa ProWorld Ghana – unlimited filtered water, wireless internet, telephone access

   

What's Not Included

• Airfare, Visa, luggage fees and Airport Tax (if applicable). 
• Visa information:  A tourist visa needs to be pre-arranged with the Ghana embassy, good for three months. The Ghana onsite team can help facilitate visa extensions up to six months.  (Ghana embassy: http://www.ghanaembassy.org/index.php?page=visas)