Media work experience (TV, radio, newspapers)

You will rarely find press in Africa as lively as the media in Ghana. Ghana has a population of about 20 million people and yet boasts numerous radio shows, TV stations and newspapers. Most of the media is produced in English as this is officially the national language of Ghana so this means that there are no requirements for language skills as with some of our other media projects.

We have opportunities for you to spend time gaining experience in either print or broadcast media, possibly both. If you are interested in broadcast media, such as radio or TV work, you will be based in Cape Coast or Takoradi. You can work at a TV or radio station as a broadcast journalist, or as part of the production team as a broadcast assistant, sound engineer or camera operator. Very limited opportunities also exist in presenting either behind a microphone or in front of a camera!

Most of the TV and radio stations are independent and are renowned for their energetic phone ins during which no subject is taboo, from the current political issues of the day, through religion to the performance of the local and national football teams (another religion in Ghana). They also cover a wide range of international, regional and local topics. You could be covering the visit of an international dignitary one day and a local music festival the next.

If you have not yet decided where your interests lie, you can spend some time in print, radio and TV in Cape Coast. The local newspaper is published twice a week which makes this placement easily combined with work on our TV or radio projects.

If you are interested solely in print media, you will be based in Accra, Ghana’s capital city. You will spend your time working alongside Ghana’s writers learning about how to write a feature, the secrets of interviewing and much more. You will spend time on assignment with your Ghanaian partner co-researching and co-writing features or news reports, submitting them before the crucial deadline. Your partner will work with you to ensure that you have an understanding of the tools you will need - page layout software etc, as well as give you an understanding of the rules and regulations journalists in Ghana must stick to.

We’ll ask for a CV and some examples of your work when you join us. We’ll also ask you what experience you hope to gain from this programme. From this, your project supervisor will be able to design a programme that is tailored to your interests and that is designed to challenge you.

In short, these projects are not about just making the coffee! If you are good enough, you could find yourself published or on air, imagine having that kind of experience in your portfolio rather than some time spent on your local rag!

• Accommodation
• UK support (including predeparture information on your placement and accommodation)
• Airport pick-up
• Local induction
• Culture and language course (where applicable)
• Local overseas support
• Food (in project accommodation)

During your time with us in Ghana, you will be staying with other volunteers in our house in Cape Coast. It is possible to stay with local families if you prefer but please let us know when you apply.

Whether you are teaching, on the journalism placement or working in hospitals, all the volunteers stay together in the same house which means that you are never too far away from someone to socialise with in the evenings or travel with at weekends. Usually, four to six people will share a room in the accommodation.

The standard of the accommodation will basic (please see the pictures on this page) and not be what you are used to at home so please don’t expect all mod cons, but it will be clean and tidy.

The house has running water and electricity, but please be aware that the water is delivered and stored in a tank above the house so there may be times when it runs out, and the electricity supply is unreliable and may often fail. Ghana's electricity mostly comes from a massive hydro-electric plant at Lake Volta. It is not unheard of for the electricity company to simply cut supply when water levels in the lake are too low!

Even though there is running water, there will be no hot running water. Most houses in Ghana don't have hot running water - although some may have small boilers for washing dishes. When temperatures rarely drop below 25 degrees, even at night, you will find that a cold shower in the morning is just what you need!

There will be someone there to look after the house and they will cook your meals which means that if you can't quite get used to Ghanaian food then they can cook something similar to what you are used to at home.

The cost of the programme in Ghana includes drumming lessons. Music is an integral part of Ghanaian culture so learning a bit about music in Ghana will give you more of an insight into the Ghanaian way of life.

Weekends are free and, depending on how many volunteers are overseas with you, you are based in the same accommodation which means that you can easily go travelling at weekends. Our location in Ghana means that you are close to some of the Ghana's most popular attractions.

Kakum national park, home to our conservation projects in Ghana is a short drive away. The forest reserve at Kakum is famous for it's canopy walkway. Those with a good head for heights can literally walk through the canopy of the rainforest thanks to a walkway that spans the tops of the trees. Those without a head for heights can wander the numerous trails that run through the forest, some that have been renovated by Global Volunteer Projects conservation volunteers.

Also within easy reach is the coast. Great if you just want to chill out and relax by the beach and watch the fishermen land their days trawl. The coast is also home to the colonial forts. many of the forts were used during the sinister trade of slaves from Ghana and it's well worth taking the tour around these forts to learn a bit more about Ghana's colonial past.

Further afield, you can visit the vibrant capital city Accra or fishing villages along the coast. Time it right and you might be lucky enough to visit one of the villages during their annual festivals.

Further north, you can journey to the capital of the Ashanti empire at Kumasi, visiting the huge market for souvenirs to take home. It's this market where you're likely to find the best deals on Ghana's famous Kente cloth as well as numerous hand carved crafts.