Safety

Thrive Africa has its own houses which are for volunteer use only, our houses are located in safe neighbourhoods, built in secure compounds and are staffed 24/7.

Thrive Africa has its own vehicles and drivers, we ensure vehicles are well maintained and that our drivers have the correct licenses, insurance and training. In addition we give our drivers a set of rules they must abide to while transporting staff and volunteers.

If in the event of a volunteer falling ill we have very good relationships with local hospitals which will ensure they are seen to by a qualified doctor as soon as possible. Our volunteer accommodation is no more than 30 minutes from a major hospital, when working on projects and visiting excursions volunteers will never be more than 2 hours from a major hospital.
Almost every case of a volunteer falling ill has been resolved at the local hospital, however if there ever is a need for a volunteer to leave Ghana we can use our own vehicle and staff to transport them to the main airport as quickly as possible for them to return home.

If events were to unfold where volunteers needed to be evacuated from Ghana we would use our volunteer accommodation to keep volunteers safe and secure, then use our own vehicles to make direct transfers to the international airport for their departure. We have good relationships with the Ghana police force and several embassies, we would be in contact with these organisations and take their advice on how to best proceed. Please note this has never happened and if we anticipate this could happen we will not run our trips.

Our project managers are briefed on how to keep volunteers safe while working on projects. All volunteers will receive training and an induction before starting any project and our first aid trained project managers are on site at all times while volunteers are working.

From the moment volunteers arrive at the airport to when they depart staff will be with them at all times. If a family member or friend needs to contact a volunteer in Ghana they can do so by using the office & emergency numbers located on our contact page.

We have strong relationships with the Ghana Police Force whom are aware of our organisation and the activities we undertake. We have direct contact with several key staff who can assist us wherever we are in Ghana. Local police forces are aware of the location of our volunteer accommodation and are ready to assist if needed. We have never had any incidents where the police have had to assist but we work closely with them to ensure we keep staff, volunteers and our accommodation as safe as possible.

Our volunteer accommodation is no more than 30 minutes from a major hospital, when working on projects and visiting excursions volunteers will never be more than 2 hours from a major hospital. We have good relationships with several senior staff/doctors at our local hospitals who assist us when necessary.

We accompany volunteers on excursions to ensure they are safe and happy throughout. We will only take volunteers on excursions and to places of interest that we deem to be safe.

Volunteers will be provided with a mobile phone sim card which they can use if they bring an unlocked phone. Credit can be purchased locally so volunteers can keep in contact with family and friends. Shared internet access is available in our volunteer houses and volunteers can use staff phones on arrival to call/text home to inform they have arrived safely.

While volunteers are staying in our accommodation and working on projects they are provided with 3 meals per day cooked by an experienced kitchen team. We aim to provide good quality food, cooked by experienced staff in a clean environment. When on excursions our staff will advise volunteers on the best and safest places to eat.
Clean drinking water is provided at all times while volunteers are staying in our accommodation and can be purchased locally when volunteers are on excursions.

If you have any questions regarding your safety as a volunteer please email us. us.