Safety in Accra, Ghana What do other Racers need to know in order to be safe? Current safety protocols/precautions in place? Any relevant issues/concerns? Any precautionary suggestions?
People’s Opinions
We stayed in a suburb of Accra/Greater Accra called Oyarifa with Pastor Calvary. During the day, it was safe to go out alone as long as it wasn’t far, and at night, we could go out in pairs.
We felt mostly safe in the area, especially during the day. Many females even went out alone during the day. We were only there for a debrief of 5 days though. At night, I would not go out alone. There were a few advances made on some of the girls who went out at night though nothing came of it.
Felt very safe everyone was friendly just remember not to go out to late
Ministry Summary
Ministry Summary in Accra, Ghana Breakthroughs? Suggestions? Concerns? On a scale of 1-4 (1 being not at all, 4 being absolutely) how strongly would you recommend another World Race team go to this ministry location & why?
People’s Opinions
We also were with Pastor Calvary in the suburb of Oyarifa. We each taught in different classrooms at the school Calvary and Abigail run. Some of the classes already had teachers and some didn’t, so some of my team taught every lesson and some of us were more of a teacher’s aid. I had a teacher, so I taught some lessons, graded homework, etc.On Sunday and Tuesday nights, we went to leadership class with the pastors in training. Usually Calvary taught, but he sometimes wanted one of us to teach.On Sunday mornings and Wednesday nights, we went to church. They always expected us to sing a couple of songs (so prepare!!) and then we each preached once throughout the month.A few times during the month, we had other ministry things such as a youth retreat where we went to Aburi Botanical Gardens in the mountains or we had a Crusade for three nights in a row, so there may be a few other things besides school and church.Overall for our ministry, I found it super helpful to have a lists of things such as worship songs, children’s songs, devotions, etc. for any time where we were asked to do something last minute. But we loved this ministry and our hosts SO MUCH.
We were in a suburb of Accra/Greater Accra called Oyarifa with Pastor Calvary at Grace Life Church. We stayed with our hosts and loved it!For ministry we primarily worked in the school run by the church, it was long days but a lot of fun. Abigail is awesome and will give you a lot of freedom as far as what you teach. We also preached/shared a message and sang every church service on Sundays and Wednesday evenings.
Lodging
Lodging in Accra, Ghana Where did you stay? What were the accommodations (sleeping arrangements, toilets, showers, etc.)? Cost (per person per night in USD), Contact info.
People’s Opinions
We stayed at Crystal Hostel ( http://www.crystalhostel.com/ ). It was about 40 minutes from the airport. We had a random throw together of rooms and room assignments. Rooms slept anywhere from 2-6 people per room and we had a total of 35 of us staying there. Each room had its own toilet and shower. One room the toilet did not work properly so you had to use a bucket to flush. They had places for hammocks if you put them up and had a covered balcony upstairs that we used for all squad activities and sessions. It was only 8.50 USD per person per night (which was a discounted group rate). They also had a kitchenette for cooking but you could get street food around anywhere very closely. Uncle and Auntie (the married owners) are sweet, hospitable, and welcoming. The Union Oil gas station was frequently visited for drinks and ice cream and it was just on the corner of the street from our hostel.
We stayed at the crystal hostel off of Darkuman street was a really nice place was 8:50 per person per night. we had debrief here and they had a meeting area for all 40 people. The host provided a free meal and was super nice definitely recommend there for the team or squad.
Food / Meals
Food / Meals in Accra, Ghana What did you eat? Where did you get the food? Cost (per person per day in USD)? Contact info (if applicable).
People’s Opinions
We had cheap fried rice and chicken that our host showed us about a 5 minute walk from the hostel. We only paid about 7 or 8 cedi for a lot of food. We used the union oil gas station for a cold drink and ice cream and some snacks. We also ate some other street food that was up and down Darkuman Street; there’s plenty right there. Others also opted to take a 30 minute drive in taxi to Accra Mall and ate food there (burgers, pizza, chicken, etc).
Transportation
Transportation in Accra, Ghana What transportation did you use to enter the country? Where were you coming from? What transportation was used to move throughout the country? Be sure to include the cost per person in USD and contact info if applicable.
People’s Opinions
My team was in Oyarifa, a suburb of Accra, and we either walked to the main road (about 1-2 miles away) or to the Alaska Gravel Pit Bus stop where we waited for a tro-tro (van public transport). We took the tro-tro to Madina, and then took another one to the Accra Mall (for WiFi and shopping). Overall, the tro-tros are very cheap but you may have to wait for a little while to get one going to the right place. On the way back to our host home in Oyarifa, you will very rarely get a tro-tro that goes back to the Alaska Gravel pit stop, so you should have the turn-off pinned on Maps.Me so the tro-tro will let you off in the right spot. If you say Oyarifa Gravel Pit as your stop, they should know where to go. We either walked back from the main road or took motos. We did take taxis back from the mall a few times, but they were a lot more expensive. If you are in Oyarifa, you should definitely have the host home pinned or know how to get there because the taxis don’t really know the area and often got lost.
During debrief, everyone generally walked or grabbed a taxi. We had so much within walking distance. If using a taxi, always discuss price first and try to negotiate; we found that many of them upcharged us.
Tro-Tros! That’s what the locals call the small buses that they used. We felt relatively safe but always aware of our surroundings. We only used them from Oyarifa to Accra Central and to Medina. They were very cheap, usually less than 1 USD per ride depending on how far we were going.We also used taxis, just make sure to be clear about price before you get in.
Medical
Medical in Accra, Ghana Information on local hospitals / doctors / pharmacies. Where would someone go in a medical emergency? (addresses and contact info).
People’s Opinions
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Communication
Communication in Accra, Ghana Did you have cell reception / Internet service? Where? Carrier / Provider, where did you get phones / SIM cards, cost? Country code?
People’s Opinions
We were in Oyarifa and went to the Accra Mall for WiFi. KFC was good most of the time and the coffee shop was alright, but not as fast. I didn’t go to some of the other places that probably had WiFi.Some people went to a coffee shop near the mall called Cafe Kwae for WiFi and said it was good.
For debrief, most of used the internet at the mall. It was slow though. You could specifically go to the coffee shop in the mall though and use their wifi and it was better.
Financial
Financial in Accra, Ghana Location of banks or ATMs, notes about transaction fees, best places to exchange money, and other money related advice.
People’s Opinions
We used the ATMs at the Accra Mall. If you are in Oyarifa, Calvary showed us an ATM and supermarket near Madina, so you could ask him the name of it and tro-tro there.
We found an ATM about a 30 minute walk away at Ecobank at Darkuman Junction. If you taxi, it only takes about 5 minutes to get together for about 5-7 cedis. There was also several ATMs at the Accra mall.
Translators
Translators in Accra, Ghana List any local translators – name and contact information, languages spoken
People’s Opinions
For debrief, we found that since most people speak English that we did not need translators.
Off Days / Fun Activities
Off Days / Fun Activities in Accra, Ghana What activities did your team experience? Recommendations? List locations/contact info. Any locations to be avoided? Any extra safety tips for off days?
People’s Opinions
Our host took us to Boti Falls a few hours away in the mountains, and we all loved it. We took a couple hour hike to Umbrella Rock and the views were nice all throughout the hike! I thought the hike was very pretty and totally worth it. There is also a waterfall there, but we were there in February when it wasn’t rainy season, so it was pretty much dried up. However, there was a beach area and little lake where the waterfall usually dumps into, so some people went swimming in the waist-high water (not cleanest water ever, but it was typical lake water). There were a few little canoes, so we canoed around the little lake. The area was beautiful with or without the waterfall, so I can only imagine the waterfall would be awesome during rainy season! We were at Boti Falls for maybe around 5 hours or so. We paid around 800 Cedi for a tro-tro to take us there and back (our host called one), split among however many passengers you have, so pile as many people as you can in there! Our host had invited some people from the church to go, which helped with the price. We paid 30 Cedi to get into Boti Falls itself, so I think each of us paid less than $30 for the day. It was also fun to see more of the mountains and villages on the way and the mountain view of Accra at night on the way back!
We went to the beach was super dirty but swimming was fine. Locals would stand very close to where you set up so beware of theft it was one cedi to get into the beach . The Accra mall was nice 20 cedi from the crystal hostel has everything you need and great food and WiFi.
There is a nice movie theater in the Accra Mall if you want to catch a movie. There are a lot of other possibilities around Accra if you have the time to explore. Unfortunately we did not get to any because of our schedule.
Other Important Contacts
Other Important Contacts in Accra, Ghana Additional ministry opportunities, local pastors, etc. Relationship & follow up suggestions
People’s Opinions
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Tips
People’s Opinions
If traveling into Ghana you can exchange money at the Accra mall but if you know the exchange rate you can negotiate a better deal at the borders.
Additional Info
Additional Info in Accra, Ghana Anything we’ve left out? Any additional suggestions to make travel easier for others?