At a glance
- Join our Midwifery internship in Ghana and observe the work of qualified midwives. You will learn more about maternity healthcare and the challenges faced by expectant mothers.
- You will gain essential midwifery work experience and this is a great addition to any CV and you will benefit your future career. You will learn medical skills, as well as how to treat pregnant women.
Is a Midwifery Internship in Ghana right for me?
This internship is perfect for anyone interested in gaining work experience in midwifery. It will add value to your CV, and give you interesting points to talk about during interviews and in essays and applications. You can also use your midwifery work experience in Ghana to decide whether a career as a midwife is the best option for you.
You don’t need previous experience to join. You’ll have an observational role, and the midwives you shadow will answer your questions so you can learn.
All interns will be allowed in the maternity ward. However, hospital regulations only allow students in their third year of studies to be allowed into the delivery wards.
You can join our Midwifery internship for a minimum of two weeks, but we encourage you to stay as long as possible. This internship runs all year round so you can join whenever it suits your schedule.
What will I do on my Midwifery placement in Ghana?
While in Ghana, you’ll be learning from and assisting midwives at a local hospital. You’ll be involved in the following activities:
1
Observe the work of qualified midwives as they go about their day-to-day tasks
2
Learn more about midwifery in a developing country and the issues experienced by pregnant women in Ghana
3
Provide assistance to the midwives as you lend a hand in the maternity ward
4
Take part in medical outreaches in leprosy camps and schools
Your work will focus on the following areas:
Observe the work of qualified midwives
You’ll learn through shadowing the midwives as they go about their day-to-day tasks. Follow them around during hospital rounds, watch them as they treat patients, and ask questions if there is anything you are unsure of. Your qualifications and experience determine how much responsibility you’ll be given.
Provide assistance to the midwives
Although your main focus will be to observe and shadow the midwives, you may be given the opportunity to take on more hands-on responsibilities. This will depend largely on the initiative you show and your level of experience. Under supervision, you may be allowed to carry out basic consultations and health checks on patients in the maternity ward.
Learn more about midwifery in a developing country
As you work in the maternity ward, you’ll learn more than just how to deliver babies. You’ll learn how to treat patients from the start of their pregnancy right until the end. You may even come across some conditions that you would not normally see back home. Pregnant women sometimes come into the hospital experiencing malaria symptoms or the early onset of diabetes. As you observe the midwives, you’ll also learn how to comfort and treat these patients.
Lend a hand at medical outreaches in leprosy camps and schools
If you’d like to get a more well rounded view of medical care in the community, you can join a few of our medical outreaches at local schools and a leprosy camp. You’ll assist with basic health checks like blood pressure and blood sugar monitoring. You’ll also help treat and wrap wounds, measure temperatures, and help test for malaria and ringworm.
Where will I be working in Ghana?
As a midwifery intern, you’ll either work in the town of Cape Coast or in the more traditional area of Dodowa. Where you work will all depend on your experience.
Accra
As a prosperous trading centre and capital city, Accra is the perfect place to start your journey into West Africa. With a population of over 2.7 million of the most hospitable people, Accra is a city constant humid buzz of colourful happenings. You can expect crazy traffic, a vibrant culture, and streets dotted with Ghanaian restaurants and market vendors selling their handmade goods.
Akuapem Hills
Located in the Eastern Region of Ghana, Akuapem Hills is characterised by vibrant green vegetation and rich red earth. As one of the quieter regions, children calling 'Obroni’ (foreigner) as they try to catch your attention will be unmistakable. The villages are welcoming and know how to entertain! When volunteering in Ghana, join in on the street festivities or try dried fish and yams at a food stall on the main street. The bustling city of Accra is within easy reach for a day trip.
A typical day on the Midwifery Internship in Ghana
Your work day will usually start around 8am and finish at 2pm, Monday to Friday. The hospital works on shifts, so you can stay later if your supervisor approves it.
You can enjoy a well deserved lunch break around 12. At this time, you can break out your packed lunch or use the time to rest your feet and have a late lunch back at your host family.
You’ll spend the day observing qualified midwives as they consult with patients in the maternity ward. This will give you the chance to see the different conditions pregnant women in Ghana face. Depending on your qualifications, you may even be able to witness a birth in the delivery room.
When you get back to your host family, spend time getting to know them and their culture over a deliciously home cooked Ghanaian meal of jollof rice.
Ghana has many interesting sites to see and explore. In your spare time, you can take a hike through the countryside, get a tan on the beach, or enjoy a more urban feel when visiting the capital city of Accra.
What are the aims and impact of this project?
This aim of this internship is to provide you with an educational experience at your midwifery placement in Ghana.
You’ll shadow qualified midwives in the maternity ward of a local hospital and learn how to treat different conditions faced by pregnant women in a developing country like Ghana. You’ll find yourself coming into contact with pregnant women experiencing complications that you don’t normally see in your home country. These include diseases like malaria and typhoid. You will find this experience challenging, but it will give you significant insight.
In addition, you’ll also help by working at community outreaches. You’ll do health checks, providing basic medical care to people who can’t access it regularly.
We are currently working towards the following goals laid out In our Medicine Management Plan:
- Encourage an understanding of medical practices and promoting an exchange of medical knowledge
- Improve the quality of healthcare provided to patients
- Reduce the number of cases of malaria
- Improve access to basic healthcare for disadvantaged groups through outreach work in leprosy camps and schools
- Promote awareness of non-communicable diseases
Join us on the Midwifery Internship in Ghana were you’ll expand your skills while providing assistance to expecting mothers in the heart of Ghana.
Medical electives for students
This project is also perfect for university medical and healthcare elective students. The real-world insight and knowledge you gain will help shape you as a future medical professional. You will also learn to work with different people and get a broader perspective of global healthcare systems and issues. This benefits your career for years to come. We can organise a placement that meets all of your university's requirements.
Management plans
We set out the aims and objectives of our projects in documents called Management Plans. We use them to properly plan the work you’ll do. They also help us measure and evaluate our achievements and impact each year.
Ultimately, our Management Plans help us make our projects better. This in turn means you get to be part of something that makes a real impact where it’s needed. Read more about our Management Plans.
Measuring our impact
Our projects work towards clear long-term goals, with specific annual objectives. Every volunteer and intern we send to these projects helps us work towards these goals, no matter how long they spend on our projects.
Every year we take a step back and look at how much progress we've made towards these goals. We put together a Global Impact Report, which documents our achievements. Find out more about the impact our global community of volunteers, interns and staff make, and read the latest report.
Food and accommodation
You'll stay with a host family in Ghana. They will welcome you into their home, eager to share their customs and have you teach them about your own culture. We believe that this is the best way to immerse yourself in the culture of Ghana and have a truly unique experience.
We will always try to let you live alongside at least one other Projects Abroad volunteer or intern at the same host family. Your room will be modest, but comfortable, clean, and safe.
Your programme fee includes three meals a day.
Find out more about our accommodation.
Leisure activities and free time
Volunteering in Ghana is an ideal way to explore this colourful West African country. There’s a huge variety of different activities to do while you’re there, giving you plenty of exciting ways to spend your free time.
Music is a central part of Ghanaian culture. In the bigger towns, especially Accra, you will hear some great live bands and have some memorable nights out. Evenings spent at buzzing restaurants will also give you a taste of some of the delicious local cuisine.
For a look into Ghana’s history, you can tour the slave forts of Cape Coast and visit museums. Nature lovers will relish trekking through the rainforests of Kakum National Park or Mole National Park.
We run a wide range of projects in Ghana so there’s sure to be other volunteers there during your trip. This means you can explore the country solo or connect with other volunteers and travel as a group.
Safety and staff support
Your safety and security is our prime concern. We have many procedures and systems to ensure you have the support you need to enjoy your trip with peace of mind. Our Projects Abroad staff are available 24 hours a day to help, and will be on hand to make sure you settle in well at your accommodation and placement. If you encounter any problems, they will be available to help at any time.
Find out more about safety and backup.
This placement is fully researched, safety audited, and risk assessed in accordance with the British Standard BS8848 for the Adventure Travel Sector.
Meet the team in Ghana
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