VOLU - Voluntary WorkCamps Association of Ghana

Application

FAQs


	1. GYANKUFA, JAAMAN BRONG AHAFO REGION 2. ABUTIA KPOTA, HO VOLTA REGION 3. WA, WA UPPER WEST REGION 4. BOAKO, SEFWI WIAWSO WESTERN REGION 5. TEREBO, GA GT ACCRA REGION 6. ABIRA, SEKYERE WEST ASHANTI REGION 7. AKONTOMBRA NKWADUM SEFWI WIAWSO WESTERN REGION 8. DWENEASE KWAEBIBIREM EASTERN REGION 9. NKWANTA (Gomoa Fetteh Kakraba) WINNEBA CENTRAL REGION 10. AKIM TEKYIMAN KWABIBIREM EASTERN REGION 11. JUKWA TWIFO HEMANG LOWER DENKYIRA CENTRAL REGION 12. BECHIWA SEFWI WAIWSO WESTERN REGION 13. KORDIABE DANGME WEST GT. ACCRA REGION

WORKCAMPS

Each year VOLU organizes about 25 to 35 workcamps. Most camps are held during the summer vacations (May – October) with a small number during Christmas and Easter vacation. Camps usually last between 2 to 4 weeks. These camps involve about 1000 participants of whom over 150 come from other African countries, Europe, North American and Asia.

THE AIMS OF THE WORKCAMPS ARE

* To encourage voluntary service to the community, both among the
   campers and the communities for which the campers work.

* To bring together literate and non-literate, townspeople and villagers,
   Africans and non-Africans in common respect for each other and for
   manual work.

* To help poor communities to work which they would otherwise be
   unable to do for themselves.

* To further national and international understanding by inviting people
   from abroad to attend camps in Ghana and by sponsoring Ghanaians
   to attend camps abroad.

* All workcamps are organized upon request. Requests come mainly
   from local communities and organizations seeking VOLU’s assistance
   for the realization of particular community scheme. Request also come
   from the Government Departments of Social Welfare and Community
   Development. These departments and VOLU maintain a list of projects    seeking assistance.

Types of Work Camps
VOLU organizes six different types of camps:

1. A local or national camp is open to Ghanaians only. For various
    reasons some are unsuitable for foreigners.

2. An International camp is open to volunteers from all countries,
    including Ghana

3. An Experimental Living camp is where volunteers stay in the houses
   of local families. Meals, camp meetings, entertainment and common
   meetings of villagers and workcampers are held at the camp leader’s
   place or the chief’s palace.

4. An Ecumenical camp is for religious people: one such camp is
    organized each year.

5. A Leadership Training camp is for selected VOLU members for
    training in leadership.

6. A weekend camp is for VOLU members who due to their occupation
are unable to attend a full-length camp, and to tackle urgent or
smaller work project.

LONG TERM PROJECTS

Since 1977, VOLU has embarked on the development of long-term farming projects. The main objective of this venture in agriculture is to help curb the anti-development trend which has engaged the minds of successive government – that is to lower the rural – urban drift pattern of the youth which has led to a decline in agricultural production as well as the creation of a great disparity between urban cities and rural communities. To this and VOLU acquired land at Amafie, Anhwiam, Akontombra and Bodi in the Sefwi area (Western Region), Hoviefe (Volta Region), Suhum (Eastern Region) and Pomadze (Central Region).

RELATIONSHIP WITH OTHER ORGANIZATIONS

International
From early in its history, VOLU regarded action and cooperation on an international level as fundamental to its aims. This is reflected in change of the Association’s motto form ‘’service to my Nation’’ to ‘’service to Mankind’’. The foundation of VOLU marked the beginning of the work camp movement in the West African Region, and VOLU played key role in initiating the Union of West African Voluntary Work camps Associations (UWAVWA). VOLU hosted the first ‘’West African Leadership Training Course as far back as 1958, and has hosted several more UWAVWA courses and seminars.

NATIONAL
VOLU has established itself as one of the key voluntary youth organizations in Ghana. It has successfully survived political changes in the Country, and always managed to maintain good cooperation with the government of the time. One of VOLU’s main achievements is that it is a truly national organization with activities in all areas of Ghana with all kinds of people, unlike lot of youth organizations, which have a tribal or sectarian basis. VOLU has good relations with all governments of Ghana, and in particular the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the Ministry of Mobilization and Social Welfare. VOLU is clearly respected by the government for its ability to mobilize the youth of Ghana to work for the benefit of the wider community.