✓ Learn the supply chain of how gold reaches the consumer market.
✓ Visit partnered gold mines, working to improve Health & Safety standards and working conditions.
✓ Learn about Ghana’s traditional Adinkra symbols and their influence on design.
✓ Visit Vume and learn about the history of pottery.
✓ Work with schools teaching children art skills.
✓ Make pottery, paintings, jewellery all inspired by local culture.
You will have the opportunity to choose with art sector you would like to explore; from pottery to painting, to jewellery making to shoe making!
Working with local artisans
Pictured is Sefenya, a jeweller from Aburi, wearing a necklace inspired by Adinkra symbols.
Our conflict free jewellery is ethically sourced through transparent supply chains from small-scale artisan mines in Ghana. We work with Small Scale Community mines, which make up 90% of the World’s mining sector.
As a volunteer, you will visit our partnered mines to learn about how gold is extracted from the ground, and the processes that turn it into the metal that jewellers use.
Visiting the mines, you will be able to understand the origin of your gold, the miners who are producing it, the local community, and the processes it takes to reach a jeweller.
Inspirational figure
Michael Ambrose Cardew CBE (1901–1983), was an English studio potter who worked in West Africa for twenty years. In 1945 Cardew moved to Vumë on the River Volta where he set up a pottery with his own resources.
He struggled with difficult clay and kiln failures for three years and later judged the Vumë pottery to have been unsuccessful, but its products are among his most highly regarded pots.
Glut, Cobalt. 2021 by Freya Edwards
What you'll be doing
Working in your chosen arts sector, you will first spend time learning traditional methods ar1d the history. You will learn about the influence from Ghanaian culture on design.
JustGhana will pair you with a local artisan, in which you can show your skills, and also learn.
Towards the end of the placement, you will also create your own art piece. If you are working with children, you will be able to create a group collection of artwork.
For the jewellery program, you will witness the gold coming out of the ground, the refinery process, and the jewellery making process. You will see the whole supply chain.
Who is the programme suitable for?
Anyone with an artistic interest or background!
This includes;
- Gap years or mid-career breaks
- School leavers’ work experience
- University applicants
- Creative arts students (e.g. Fashion Design, Jewellery)
- Experienced jewellers who would like to inspire the local mining communities
- Aspiring jewellers
- Professional sabbaticals
- Post-career or retirement
The program – Costs and duration
For the Arts programme, we offer durations starting from 2 weeks.
The weekends are free to explore, and JustGhana will help you plan the best trips from the tourist hotspots to secret hidden gems only the locals know.
- 2 weeks £395
- 4 weeks £695
- 6 weeks £995
- 8 weeks £1295
- 10 weeks £1595
- 12 weeks £1895
- 50 weeks £5685
Longer placements are also available if you would like to do a placement, please specify in the form below.
Further Info
Please note: Our fees do not include accommodation or travel. Previous volunteers prefer to use public transport which is cheap and readily available, or JG can help to arrange private transport if needed. Accommodation is exclusive, and will be booked once preferred dates are confirmed. JG negotiate the best prices with local recommendations that can suit any budget.
The volunteering program cost covers staff costs, administration costs, and any profit is reinvested into ensuring the programmes run and continue to benefit a large number of lives.
Flights, accommodation & food, travel insurance and visas are exclusive, but JustGhana will provide support in all these areas.
JustGhana Green Club Volunteering
If you would like to become a JustGhana Green Club volunteer, please fill out the form below. The application fee is £95, this is to ensure that your trip is customised to meet your needs and requirements, but to also fit the current project status in Ghana for your preferred dates.