Resourcing local government in Ghana: the potential of volunteering to deliver basic services

Abstract

Both local and foreign volunteers have been involved in community development activities in Ghana. However, there is a dearth of research on the perceived and real impacts of volunteers in delivering services, reasons for volunteering, the potential of volunteering to supplement the human and financial resources of local governments in Ghana, and the conditions required for more successful outcomes. This qualitative study examined volunteering activities across 15 communities of the Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abirem (KEEA) Municipality in Ghana’s Central Region. It found that volunteering empowered the people, triggered self-help initiatives and improved local people’s knowledge on health and environmental issues. However, there are challenges in finding political and social space for volunteers within the current local government system. The study recommends efforts to address that issue.

Incorporating Field Experience into International Agricultural Development Programs

“…Successful volunteerism occurs when international organizations and volunteers understand host community issues and find creative ways to support them [59]. International volunteers gain a plethora of knowledge, skills, and abilities during international volunteer assignments.…”

“…Exchanges between volunteers and host country nationals highlight the importance of local and global engagement [19,23,68]. Graduate students could provide technical assistance (i.e., skills and knowledge), increase collaborative and community-based research, gain cultural understanding, promote empowerment, strengthen networks, and build capacity during short-term volunteer assignments [19,23,59,69,70].…”