Journalism - GHANA Daily Life

Life of a Journalism Volunteer in Ghana

My first placement was with a newspaper Daily Guide in Accra, the capital. While I worked for Daily Guide, I had to start at 8:30 am, so I woke up at 7 am. I would take a shower (with a bucket), get dressed, and when I came downstairs the table was always set for breakfast. I could choose between cereal and bread and there was fresh orange juice. The maid of the house would make me a packed lunch every day.

I would ride my bike to work and when I arrived my colleagues would already be there. Sometimes I had to run errands around town using tro-tro's and taxis. Other days I would sit in the office and type letters. I ate my lunch behind the computer or standing in the kitchen.

At 5 pm I would take my bike and go back home, where I would wait for my house mates and we would have dinner together. We would always have something with fish because none of us ate meat, but we could have had meat if we wanted. Our meals included redred, Palavov sauce, fufu, vegetables and rice, jams or pasta.

My second placement was with Vision. When I worked for Vision, I went to the refugee camp twice a week. I would wake up at 6 am, take a shower and skip breakfast at the house but instead buy kosi on the street. And of course a frozen strawberry fan-ice.

I went to camp by tro-tro and the journey took around 2 ½ hours. In the camp we would have a journalism class on Wednesdays that lasted till noon and after that we would have an editorial meeting. That ended around 1.30 pm and the volunteers would walk to the exit together. I would usually buy some roasted peanuts and some pineapple for lunch. Then we would go back to town where I would be around 4 pm. Sometimes I did some work at an internet café and other times I walked home straight away.

Most days I would be home around 5 pm for dinner. I would always take a shower before eating. About once a week I would eat out with volunteers, either for pizza or for salads. At night we would go out for a movie or for quiz night or I would stay in and chat with the other volunteers in my house.

During the weekends I always went on trips with other volunteers to see the country. I made a few day trips to places close by and a couple of night trips to see some beautiful areas a bit farther away. On Sunday I would be home in time for dinner and a nice rest, so I could start my next week feeling fresh.