June 2012
henry woodburn
Position
Overall Rating:
HCDP was so hospitable and friendly. I had never been to Africa before but they helped me adjust quickly, giving me a home away from home.
Did you feel like you made a difference?:
HCDP is very in touch with the community, so they know what projects the community would like to see. That's what we did.
Organization and communication:
Very well organized, and always had a HCDP member with our group.
Accommodation:
They found us a place to stay in a government officials house, which turned out to be one of the nicest houses in the village. It had electricity, bathroom, and shower. Also, HCDP cooked for us and helped us flag down the water truck. They took very good care of us. My mom approved.
Safety:
Our safety was never in question. Again, a HCDP member escorted us to and from the airport. Also, a night watch was employed to guard the house at night.
HCDP helped me get the most out of my experience by being friendly, accommodating, organized, safe, and having good communication. Thanks to them, I was well fed, had access to shower, toilet, and electricity, had some Ghanaians looking out for me and my group, made a difference in a community, made lots of friends in Ghana, visited natural wonders like the Wli waterfalls, and loved my experience in Ghana. Don't second guess yourself for going to Ghana with HCDP, they're awesome!
July 2012
Gianna Baiges Parrilla
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It was an incredible experience--one of the best I've yet to have! HCDP is a great organization that is able to provide aid that will impact individuals much after the project is finished.
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I am eternally grateful for the time that I've worked with HCDP Ghana. While partnering with HCDP to help in the construction of Fodome-Ahor's public toilet I was able to experience the true meaning of hard work and cooperation, because it's leaders made sure to make use resources efficiently and wisely. HCDP has immense potential to carry out many sustainable projects within Ghanaian communities.
July 2012
Gloria Driessnack
Position
Overall Rating:
HCDP is an amazing organization run by young, inspiring folks. This trip was filled with hard-work, thoughtfulness, and big laughs. The HCDP team truly showed us the beauty of Ghana.
Did you feel like you made a difference?:
Director Richard Anku is always considering the people he serves. We never made decisions before talking with our fellow community members and hearing their ideas. Because of this, we made a big difference TOGETHER!
Organization and communication:
I communicated with Richard throughout the whole year, planning logistics and project details (skype/email). It seemed like we were always on the same page. During the actual trip we checked in with each other - made any changes as necessary. Richard is so on top of everything. He even made a bound copy booklet of all our receipts so every dollar was accounted for!
Accommodation:
We slept in tents outside the Assembly Woman's house (there were simply too many students on the trip for us all to sleep inside). She was very generous and allowed us to use her house as needed (bathroom, shower, kitchen, living area etc.) The traditional Ghanaian food cooked by Precious was also super delicious!
Safety:
A local community member acted as our security guard at night - Daniel. He was very nice and would even stay up late playing cards with us.
This was my fourth time volunteering in Ghana and my second time working with HCDP. I have always had an inspiring and encouraging experience with the HCDP gang. I met the founder, Mr. Richard Anku, in 2010 and have known him since the creation of his non-profit. Now we work together every year on various service projects.
We partnered this summer with the community Fodome-Axor to build a 10-seater public toilet. When this project was decided upon Richard organized the design of the toilet, got a 3-D model made, hooked us up with contractors, hardware sellers, and the list goes on. For three weeks our students and HCDP team worked side by side with the entire community. We slept in tents outside the Assembly Woman’s house, ate traditional Ghanaian food cooked by HCDP Co-Coordinator Precious Gbadegbe, and learned how to balance buckets of water on our heads. We were so quickly engulfed into the community – we couldn’t walk down the main dirt road without running into friends and shouts of welcome.
If you want to have a heartfelt, thoughtful experience volunteering in Ghana, then contact Richard and his HCDP team. Don’t wait! They are some of the best folks I’ve ever met. I am so grateful I know these guys and got to experience Ghana with them at my side.
July 2012
Mikey Kim
Position
Overall Rating:
It was a wonderful experience. The community was completely open and friendly which made the entire 3 1/2 weeks a wonderful stay.
Did you feel like you made a difference?:
Yes! It was a little sad that we couldn't see the public toilet being completed, but I left knowing that I accomplished something. Even outside of the project, I feel that I made a lot of connections with people in the village, and they've made a difference in my life. I hope that I've made a difference in their lives as well.
Organization and communication:
Overall, I think most everything went smoothly. I think there were some problems with communication. We didn't always know what was going on at the site. Sometimes we got to the site and just sat around for a couple hours because there was no work for us to do.
Accommodation:
Our host home was so great in providing whatever we needed for us. Our trip leader, cooks, neighbors, and the entire village provided us with everything we could need and more. I don't think there was ever a time where I felt like I was missing something.
Safety:
It was great to have a security guard during the night, but we were all still pretty vulnerable sleeping in the tents outside. I know that most Ghanaians would never think of stealing anything from us, but there always are a few bad people around. I say this from personal experience, knowing two people who were robbed in Hohoe last year. However, I feel the chances of something like that happening in Fodome Ahoe would be a lot less likely, and there wasn't really much else that could have been done to provide much better safety.
I participated in my second trip to Ghana through HCDP, and I could not have been happier with the trip. HCDP made sure that I was constantly in touch with the community whether it was a welcoming ceremony, two hour dance party, or just the flocks of jubilant kids running over to play after school.
My host home was all too kind, and our wonderful chefs prepared us three meals a day. If we needed anything, they would be more than happy to oblige. Not to mention the villagers who would come and drop off bags of fruit everyday to show their appreciation.
Working on the project was a reward in itself. I felt like I was actually accomplishing something with my time. I was able to watch and see how my actions would carry on through the village in the coming years.
I could go on and on about this trip, but simply put, HCDP all the way!
July 2012
Jessica Brewer
Position
Overall Rating:
My overall experience of volunteering in Fodome Ahor with HCDP was wonderful! I really cannot say it enough. I feel like I have a home away from home in Fodome Ahor and am thrilled to be returning next year to volunteer with HCDP again.
Did you feel like you made a difference?:
Absolutely! HCDP allowed us to partner with the community in a way that helped us assess the needs of the community and then work alongside of them to better their community. The founder Mr. Richard Anku seems to know nearly everyone and has great connections to a variety of communities in the Volta Region of Ghana that truly helps volunteers to make an impact during their time in Ghana.
Organization and communication:
HCDP is very well organized. There was always a member of HCDP with our group and the entire organization is very flexible in regards to planning- for example, one of our team members had to leave Ghana early to start an internship in the States, and a few members of HCDP saw him off to the airport.
Accommodation:
During our stay, we slept in tents we had packed and set up in front of the Assembly Woman's house. We were able to use her house for many other purposes- showering, using the restroom, eating meals, and resting during the day. HCDP Co-Coordinator Precious Gbadegbe prepared fantastic traditional Ghanaian meals for us three times a day as well.
Safety:
Overall, I felt very safe during my stay in Ghana. A local community member acted as night guard, watching the house while we slept.
Getting to work with and get to know the members of HCDP while in Fodome Ahor, Ghana was an amazing experience. Richard Anku, the founder of HCDP, is a great guy- he was so compassionate and concerned for every single member of our volunteer team and really had the knowledge, experience, and connections to allow us to partner with the community in a positive way. I loved working with HCDP while in Ghana- I really cannot say it enough!
July 2012
Meredith Boulos
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HCDP-Ghana is incredibly organized, efficient, productive and detail oriented. The trip was orchestrated beautifully, and the community we worked in responded very well to our presence there. The members of HCDP-Ghana are glowing with positivity and are very hard working. I believe they could accomplish any goal set out before them. This is an amazing group of people and I highly recommend working to better the lives of others with their help. Thank you HCDP!
July 2012
Rachel Neely
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July 2012
Alyssa Beda
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HCDP is a wonderful organization that is fantastic to partner with. I really appreciated how closely Richard worked with the Community members, and I think things ran as smoothly as they could.
Did you feel like you made a difference?:
Ultimately, yes.
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Safety:
I never felt unsafe during my stay, but I should also say that we stayed in a small, rural, and tightly-knit community. Regardless of where you travel (as a volunteer or not), always use common sense!
I partnered with HCDP through SPIMA (Student Partnership for International Medical Aid) from William and Mary. Working with Richard and the rest of HCDP made my second trip to Ghana extremely special, and I can't think of a better group of people. Compassionate, driven, and willing to work hard-- that's the quickest description I could make to describe those involved with HCDP.
July 2012
Position
Overall Rating:
HCDP was so easy to work with. The staff was very friendly, helpful, and extremely resourceful. Their coordination of our project was very well thought out and perfectly executed. I would definitely recommend HCDP to any organization looking for a local partner, or for anyone looking for a great grassroots organization to volunteer for in Ghana.
Did you feel like you made a difference?:
YES!! Throughout our trip the community would not stop telling us about how excited they were to have us, and to have the completed bathroom. They were all raving about how excited they were to use it! But, although our project will have a lasting physical impact on the community, HCDP was exceptional at helping us create lasting relationships with the community members. We believe that those relationships will have just as big of an impact as our project itself.
Organization and communication:
HCDP was very easy to work with. Even though they were halfway around the world, it never felt like that. Between email, Facebook, and Skype, they were always quick to respond to any questions we had. The trip itself was very well organized, as HCDP coordinated all travel, meetings we requested, and daily schedules for us. And, most importantly, they were always very flexible and made sure to make any changes we requested.
Accommodation:
Our accommodations were great. As a small, low budget college service trip we had come prepared to sleep in tents and have minimal meals. But, HCDP was able to work with the community and coordinate housing, food, and everything else we could have ever needed.
Safety:
Although Ghana is already a very safe country, HCDP went to great lengths to make sure that we were never had to worry about our security. We were provided a night security guard, and an HCDP staff member was always with us.
As one of the trip leaders for our groups service trip, I cannot express how wonderful it was to work with HCDP. The goal of our trip was to build a public toilet in the community of Fodome Ahor, and HCDP helped us to come up with the plans nearly a year in advance, worked with us throughout the year to make sure all of our bases were covered, and then was on-site with us to make sure everything went according to plan (and to help us fix it when it didn't...because it's Ghana, and the unexpected always happens in a developing country). What's more, even though the trip was completed almost two months ago, HCDP has still been checking up on the project for us and providing us consistent updates on both the community and our friends in the community! The staff is so energetic, and their passion for what they do made our experience so much more enjoyable. I would definitely recommend them to anyone!!
