My Lord Jesus Cares Daycare Centre is striving to provide affordable and quality early education to the young children living in the Labadi district of Accra. At the present time there are approximately 75 children between the ages of 2 and 7 years old who attend the daycare.
Childcare volunteers are needed at this daycare to assist the staff in their numerous duties in the care of these children.
Many of the children at the daycare are toddlers who require almost constant attention. Volunteers would be expected to help with their personal care, play with them and teach them English language skills during their time with them.
Some of the children who are in their early two's may still need to have their diaper's changed, assistance with their potty training and/or help at feeding time and childcare volunteers would be expected to help in all areas of care.
Volunteers would be expected to strive to ensure that the children are happily occupied in fun and learning activities during their active hours and that the environment is always safe for the children.
Volunteers do not need to have any specialized training in childcare but should have experience in caring for the needs of young children. Volunteers who are still students in high school may be accepted at this placement but they need to be mature individuals who are eager to work with young children and willing to contribute quality time to this worthwhile endeavour.
The children at the daycare are between 2 and 7 years old, so they demand a lot of energy all day long. Childcare volunteers must be prepared to be very active. Creativity will be an important tool to help the children keep busy. Create new games, fun and learning activities to help stimulate their young minds.
Childcare volunteers would be expected to help at meal and snack time by serving and feeding the children. The kids also have a nap time, so volunteers will help with that process every afternoon. When children are sleeping volunteers would assist with the general cleaning of the daycare.
Children between 1 to 5 years old learn a second language faster than older kids. Childcare volunteers would be responsible to create activities where children would be able to learn English. This can be done through games, songs, dancing and books.
Childcare volunteers would be expected to create activities for the children to do when they are indoors, as well as when they can play outside. If these sessions require supplies of any kind they would have to be provided by the volunteer.
My Lord Jesus Cares Daycare Centre is a private educational centre that is striving to provide affordable and quality early education to the young children living in the Labadi district of Accra.
The GOAL of the daycare is to provide supportive, quality and accessible early education for children who are not old enough to attend primary school.
Before My Lord Jesus Cares Daycare Centre was opened, there were no centres in the Labadi community that catered specifically towards the young children who were not yet old enough to attend primary school.
Due to the socio-economic background of many families in the community many parents had no choice but to bring their children to work with them. Many of these families worked in the nearby Makola Market and therefore, children were spending their early years in the market with their parents instead of receiving an early childhood education.
By opening the daycare, the Amoah sisters,(founders), have provided these families with an affordable centre to send their children during the day. The Amoah sisters also provide the unique feature of extended hours. Many daycare centres and schools in Ghana finish early in the afternoon and parents are forced to leaved work early to go pick up their children. By extending their hours the My Lord Jesus Cares Daycare Centre, is able to accommodate the working families in the Labadi community..
The daycare started with 6 enrolled students and has grown into approximately 75 students! The centre is dedicated to children in the Labadi area who are between the ages of 2 and 7 years old and who are not yet ready to attend primary school.
The daycare is situated in a central location of the Labadi community, therefore, many of the children are dropped off each morning by their older siblings who are on their way to school! The Amoah sisters have turned their home into a welcoming daycare for the Labadi community.
The subjects taught at My Lord Jesus Cares Daycare Centre, are offered completely in English. The founders believe that by teaching the children how to learn, communicate and understand English at an early age, will greatly enhance their educational requirements in the future, geared towards future employment.
Children at the daycare are taught counting, alphabet, colours, basic mathematics, weather, English, singing and dancing! Every Friday at the daycare the schedule is regular classes in the morning and then structured playing in the afternoon, organized by the teachers.
Since the opening of the daycare in 2004, they have had six classes of students successfully graduate and move on to primary school. With increasing enrolment at the school more children are receiving a proper early childhood education and the daycare has been able to employ community members to help at the centre. Currently there are four teachers and one caretaker from the Labadi community who work there.
My Lord Jesus Cares Daycare Centre, is a Christian School. The students participate in religious activities such as morning prayers, religion studies and learning about the basic principals of Christianity. Volunteers are not required to participate in religious activities nor do they have to be Christian to work at this centre.
My Lord Jesus Cares Daycare Centre was founded in 2004 by Mrs. Charlotte Amoah and her sister Dina Amoah. Both sisters reside in the Labadi district and are involved citizens of their community. When Charlotte Amoah realized that many children in the community were not receiving a proper early childhood education because of lack of available centers, she derived a plan to turn her own home into a daycare! The Amoah sisters worked very hard with their own hands painting, pouring cement and converting the outside courtyard into a canopied classroom. In 2004 their hard work paid off and the daycare was opened! .
My Lord Jesus Cares Daycare is located in the Labadi district of Accra. The population of the Labadi community is roughly 35,000 people, mostly young families. This district is located approximately twenty minutes from downtown central Accra where the largest Market in Accra is located, the Makola market. With its close proximity to Makola, many residents living in the Labadi district work at the market.
In the 2000 census that was conducted in Ghana it was found that 46% of the Ghanaian population was illiterate, 21% of that in the Greater Accra region. With these staggering results initiative was taken to make the young leaders of Ghana literate. Since the last census the Ghanaian government has expanded their budget for Education and they are striving to make public education from Primary to Senior Secondary School more accessible to everyone in Ghana.
In the Labadi district there are five Primary to JSS public schools as well as four Senior Secondary Schools. The average child in Ghana starts in the public education system at around age six. Access to affordable early education such as nursery school is still quite limited, putting children at My Lord Jesus Cares at a great advantage. By having access to early education at My Lord Jesus Cares, children are starting their education at an earlier age and are increasing their chances at a higher education!
My Lord Jesus Cares Daycare Centre, is privately funded and relies completely on registration fees from the students. Teacher's salaries, school supplies and food for the children is all paid for by registration fees.
Donations of children's books, games (bowling sets, tennis rackets, twister), balls, skipping ropes, slates, chalk, pencils, notebooks, pens, markers, pencil crayons, crayons (thick ones are good!), tape, glue, rulers, curtains/cloth to hang to keep the sun out, soap, shampoo, toothpaste and toothbrushes would be greatly appreciate at the daycare.
My Lord Jesus Cares Daycare Centre has a crèche and three nursery classrooms where teaching and learning is conducted. There is an office where administrative issues are attended to, as well as a storage room for stationary.
The school is located in a nice community. It has nice painted gate and the school is painted white and if you walk for about the two kilometres you can see the Atlantic ocean.
The school doesn't have much teaching or learning material so donations are always welcome. The buildings around the school are mostly houses owned by Ghanaians, making it a nice, quiet community for the students to learn.
The school has really helped the people - especially children - of the surrounding communities and hopes to build more classrooms in the future to facilitate more students.
Volunteers will travel from the BaseCamp Center (Pink Hostel) on foot to the nearby bus station. from there they can board a tro tro (public transportation) en route Paloma Junction to Labadi Township. Three stops from the main township bus station is the Labadi Polyclinic bus stop. From this stop it is only a short walk to the school.
Distance from BaseCamp: 10 kilometers
Travel Time from BaseCamp: 0:35
The dry season in Ghana is from September to March and temperatures generally range from 25-40 degrees Celsius. The rainy season begins in April and lasts until August and the temperature is a bit cooler at 20-35 degrees Celsius. As the name of the season suggests, rainfall increases dramatically throughout these months. It is generally not constant rain, but when it does rain, it usually pours.
Often the weather can change throughout the day. At one moment it is very hot and the next moment it is pouring rain. Volunteers are advised to bring a good waterproof jacket while in this area.
Accra is a vibrant city that is steeped in history. There is a historical lighthouse in the district of Jamestown; built in 1871, by the British. Climb to the top and enjoy the fantastic view of the Gold Coast. Note the traditional fishing boats and Fort Ussher. Observe the hustle and bustle of Jamestown.
Accra is home to the National Arts Market which provides an opportunity for volunteers to practice their bartering skills for paintings, carvings, bead work, fabric, and many other unique West African Arts.
There are many places to see in Accra. Why not visit one of the many museums? Accra also has an eclectic music scene, with a good beat to be found on almost every corner.
Activities in and around Accra include biking, swimming, catching a soccer game, drumming, dancing lessons, art lessons, and much more.
la polyclinic
south la estates
Accra
TEL 1: 030 2781600.
TEL 2: 024 4569999
My Lord Jesus Cares Daycare Centre
Second Oiswe Street
Accra
Ghana
All of our volunteers begin their stay in Ghana at our BaseCamp Center in Accra. Given that this placement is less than a 1 hour and 15 minute commute from BaseCamp, volunteers working here will have the option of living with us at BaseCamp or living with a host family.
The following information outlines a brief description of life at BaseCamp and also what someone can expect living with a host family in Ghana. Once you have completed our application, you can let our staff know if you would prefer to live with a host family. Otherwise, your application will default to having you live with us at BaseCamp.
If you have any questions about the difference between life at BaseCamp or life with a host family in Ghana you can always give us a call or send us an email. Our contact details are listed in the footer of every page of the site.
C/O Pink Hostel
5th Crescent
Accra, Ghana
Tel: 233-243-745-771 (Hostel Number)
Mobile: 233-245-916-108
The BaseCamp Center in Accra is a hostel situated in the residential neighbourhood of Asylum Down. This is a relaxing and peaceful area, away from the continuous activity and hubbub of the tourist district, but central enough that we are within walking distance of many attractions in Accra including the National Museum, Kwame Nkrumah Circle and Adabraka Market.
The centre itself is a three-story building with several dormitory rooms. There are also several quiet areas where volunteers can study and relax including a covered area outside. There is an internet cafe, allowing volunteers to stay in touch with friends and family abroad. In addition to this, free WIFI can be accessed throughout the building.
All volunteers spend their orientation in this centre when they first arrive in Ghana. The workshops and language training take place in this building as well although each day we incorporate outings to learn about the area and how to get around independently.
Living with a host family in Ghana is a fantastic way to gain a deep understanding of and appreciation for the people and customs of the country. Each home-stay will provide a bed and three meals per day for our volunteers. The majority of host families offer private rooms with only one or two volunteers living with the family.
Living with a host family can greatly enhance your performance at your placement. For one, it will have a huge influence on the speed with which you gain familiarity with the local language. This, along with your deeper understanding of cultural practices and beliefs that you are likely to gain in this environment, can go a long way to improving or strengthening your relationships with your team mates at work. Furthermore, a significant percentage of our host families are closely affiliated with the organizations with which our volunteers work. As such, even the evening meal or hanging out around the house can become valuable time during which volunteers can share their ideas and continue their support of their host organization.
All of this being said, living with a host family is not for everyone. It is very important for volunteers to honor the house rules in their host family and to be punctual. Also, depending on how remote your placement location, host families can be very rustic. Our staff in country can give you a better idea of what exactly you can expect from a host family in any particular community. However, in general, if these things sound like they might pose a challenge for you, we strongly suggest that you look at a placement within commuting distance from BaseCamp Ghana.
Our program structure and costing is completely flexible which lets our volunteers ensure that they only pay for exactly the degree of support that they want.
Some volunteers prefer to coordinate their own accommodation, meals and other support while overseas.
Anyone is welcome to use our volunteer placement search tool to help in finding a placement that is well suited to their interests. Once someone finds a placement that they wish to work with, they are welcome to make all the rest of their arrangmeents on their own.
As well, our team of staff overseas are often able to offer a few helpful pointers for volunteers 'doing it on their own'. Just send us an email with your questions and we will put you in touch with our team abroad. We only ask that you keep your requests fairly general, as this type of advice is exactly how our team earn their living. :)
Other volunteers would like assistance in selecting and confirming their placement, but they plan to manage their own accommodation and other expenses on their own.
These volunteers have the option of choosing to only have our assistance with selecting and confirming their placement. This option also includes ongoing placement support while abroad, so a volunteer would be able to ask our team for help if things at their placement were not working out.
In providing Placement Support, our team works with each volunteer through email, telephone and either Skype or Google Hangouts, to ensure that each volunteer has a clear understanding of their placement options. Our in-country staff will put together a custom list of placement options for each volunteer that they believe are the most appropriate matches with the volunteer's background, skills and interests. Then each volunteer can work with our team both in Canada and abroad to go through each of the options and narrow-down their selection.
For most volunteers who are volunteering for less than a year, they are looking for an option that includes their accommodation, meals, airport reception, country and program orientation and placement support. This is what our Program Fees are designed for.
We are proud of how over the years we have ensured that our program fees are amoungst the most reasonable of any program in the world while we continue to provide exceptional volunteer support both at home and abroad.
Our Program Fees and listings of what these do and do not include are listed below:
| Registration Fee | 250 |
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| 1 Week | 395 |
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| 2 Weeks | 535 |
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| 3 Weeks | 675 |
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| 4 Weeks | 815 |
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| 5 Weeks | 940 |
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| 6 Weeks | 1,065 |
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| 7 Weeks | 1,190 |
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| 8 Weeks | 1,315 |
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| Additional Weeks | 120 |
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| All program fees are listed in US Dollars. | |||
The following is a list of all months during which this placement is not available.
Our regularly scheduled program start dates are the first Friday of each month, every month of the year. We strongly recommend beginning your program on one of these dates as this will allow you to go through our orientation alongside other international volunteers.
If you would prefer, our application will also allow you to select a custom start date for your program. Keep in mind that there is an additional fee for a custom start date which ranges from 50 to 75 USD.
| Mar 06, 2020 | Apr 03, 2020 | May 01, 2020 |
| Jun 05, 2020 | Jul 03, 2020 | Aug 07, 2020 |
| Sep 04, 2020 | Oct 02, 2020 | Nov 06, 2020 |
| Dec 04, 2020 | Jan 01, 2021 | Feb 05, 2021 |
| Mar 05, 2021 | Apr 02, 2021 | May 07, 2021 |
| Jun 04, 2021 | Jul 02, 2021 | Aug 06, 2021 |
| Sep 03, 2021 | Oct 01, 2021 | Nov 05, 2021 |
| Dec 03, 2021 | Jan 07, 2022 | Feb 04, 2022 |
These dates are the day that volunteers should plan to arrive on the ground in country. We can accommodate arrivals in-country at any time day or night on these dates.
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