Fact Sheet - Ghana
International Youth Camp Staff Ghana, West Africa – August 2008

Nature of Project: Participants will assist as staff in conducting a youth camp for older UCG teens in Ghana. Church ministers will be the administrators of the camp. Youth Corps volunteers will serve as activity instructors/directors. Because of the language barrier, local members will serve as counselors and will assist with staffing needs in other areas.

Goals of Youth Corps Involvement: The United Youth Corps is designed to help motivated and desirous young adults connect with the work of the Church through service. This dimension of leadership will be awakened and directed toward the vision of the coming Kingdom of God in which Christians will help rebuild the waste places of the earth and assist God in serving humanity. To that end, all participants should understand that their involvement in this project should lead them 1) to understand the vision of and need for the Kingdom of God, 2) to experience and live the vision of the Kingdom, 3) to identify with and participate in the “Work of the Church” and 4) to understand that by such participation, they will have become a part of something bigger than themselves. All Youth Corps participants will take part in pretrip teleconferences and postproject discussions of these outcomes.

Dates of Project: Aug. 6 to 20, 2008.

Number of Youth Corps Participants Needed: Four—two men and two women.

Participant prerequisites:

• Minimum of 18 years of age.
• High school graduate.
• A valid passport (a visa will be required for all participants).
• The desire to serve with enthusiasm in spite of sometimes challenging circumstances.
• The ability to set an excellent example of personal Christian conduct at all times.
• The ability to adapt to different environments and cultures and to get along well with people.
• Sufficient health and stamina to work in a developing-world environment. A yellow fever vaccination is required for entry into Ghana. The use of antimalarial medication is required by Youth Corps. Other vaccinations, such as hepatitis A and B and typhoid are also recommended but left up to individual discretion. A medical examination will be required of all participants.
• Experience on staff of United Youth Camps is preferred.
• The applicant’s pastor’s recommendation.

Lodging: Lodging and meals will be provided once in the country. During camp housing and meals will be on camp or nearby. There will also be some travel time before or after the camp to see more of the country and visit some of the brethren.

Environment: Working in the developing world presents special rewards and challenges. It offers the chance to make a positive difference in people’s lives in a much more dramatic way than in Western nations. Participants will have the opportunity to represent their individual countries as well as the Church, and in a limited way help advance the cause of international cooperation. They will have the chance to make a lasting impression on the youth of the Church in a developing country.

Location of Ghana, West Africa

At the same time, due to lesser development of the sanitation and health care infrastructures, special care must be taken to avoid illness. Personal care in cleanliness and hygiene takes on crucial importance. Vigilance in matters of food and liquid intake is also critical. For example drinking untreated water (such as untreated tap water), or eating improperly prepared food, including food prepared with untreated water, can cause serious illness. Mosquito-borne illnesses such as yellow fever and malaria necessitate additional precautions, as detailed above. However, when reasonable precautions are taken and the procedures we outline are followed, the risk of serious illness is small.

Many of the luxuries generally taken for granted in the West, such as running water, hot water for showers, electricity, air-conditioning and television will not often be available. Participants should be prepared to face Spartan living conditions with a positive attitude. These challenges and opportunities provide the chance for each volunteer to experience great personal growth as well as provide a lasting positive impact on the campers and staff of the camp.

Estimated Cost to Youth Corps Participants: The Youth Corps program will commit to paying half of the cost of the airfare. The cost to each participate for the remaining costs (half of the airfare and other costs) is estimated to be approximately $1,500.

Deadline for Application: April 1, 2008.

Fact Sheet - Ghana 2008 (MS Word Document; 203k)