Ofie Support Unit (NGO)
Cooperation
+233 244012313
ofie-ghana@yandex.com
Ofie Support Unit (NGO) is a Ghanaian non-governmental organisation. It was founded in 2014 by the will of a group of friends. Some of them are linked to a family who has always been active in the social life of the Akwapim Municipality (it's a town in the Akwapim North district, Eastern Region of the country).
The idea is to intervene on the living conditions of the most marginalized communities in the area, through small support actions built together with other organisations, communities, institutions, people.
Ofie Support Unit (NGO) is configured as a local articulation, a small connection node of a borderless network: the solidarity, cooperation and development network.
The local scope of its action and the fact that it's a small organisation, strictly connected to the daily life of its members, are the strength points of Ofie Support Unit (NGO).
What we offer to the world is the ability to directly interact with our territory, its real people, its problems.
We are open to volunteers who'd like to contribute to the realization of the projects in which we are involved.
First steps (and forced stops) 2015/2016
We started our activity with a shared plan for the village of Akwatiakwaso (near Adawso town). The project has been developed in collaboration and thanks to the precious support of our friends of the “Maame Mary's Foundation” (Dutch-Ghanaian foundation). Two of the three foreseen steps in this plan have been achieved (a basic census of the population, and the assessment of the 'drinking water' situation ). The construction of a small "Community Center" in the village remains the missing last step: this project is available to more structured organisations which want and can take charge of them.
Livestock farming + cultivation self-financing project 2017 - ongoing project
In 2017 we started, by ourselves, a self-financing project based on the breeding of animals (pigs) and on the cultivation for food (maize and Cassava): the work is proceeding very well, it's really suitable to the needs of our community and offers, to those who want to come here and visit us, the opportunity to understand daily life, commitments and needs in a farming place.
Of course, there are also problems. But the satisfactions are many more!
The camp with crops and animals is located near the town of Adwaso.
We hope to open this project to volunteers soon!
Follow our blog to keep updated on our work.
Volunteering 2015 - ongoing project
It's right now possible to teach as volunteer at the primary and junior high school "Nana Aframea Preparatory School", with which we intend to perform some activities, such as small maintenance jobs, school library collection development and the supply of teaching materials.
The school is very close to the house where our guest accommodations are located, less than 3 minutes on foot: a good first experience in the field of cooperation and volunteering.
The children caring activity is open for women only.
How to interact with us?
What we have to offer and how we operate: hospitality, participation in our projects, just hosting if you want to volunteer in an organisation chosen by yourself, ethical tourism.
Our proposal is simple: we aim to self-fund our activities through our work, which is in this case the provision of a service.
We offer a hostel-service for volunteers and ethical tourists.
We provide food and accommodation, and the connection to and from the International Accra Airport.
Anyone can sojourn with us: volunteers who want to participate in our projects; volunteers who want to participate in projects from other NGOs, institutions or organisations of their choice; those who want to practice a form of ethical tourism, living a full ghanaian experience, in the times and in the forms of conviviality, sharing life with an African family.
Ofie Support Unit (NGO) entirely reinvests contributions for organisational purposes.
The contributes for the service are divided into percentages: one part is to cover the costs of room and board and the commitment to assist you during your stay, a part goes to the logistics of the NGO, a part will be used to fund projects.
*If you already are in Ghana and have another accommodation, or even if you just do not need our self-financing services, wanting to participate in one of our projects, clearly you are welcome and your volunteer work will be the only kind of support required.
How contributions are used (%) :
50% for projects
20% to the family (food, housing costs + water)
30% for NGO logistics (including guest transport service to and from the Accra international airport, the renting costs for the office close to the Akwatiakwaso village, fixed costs for document renewal and electricity)
Remember that work is for us the main self-financing source.
The logic of this approach is based on a simple principle: only if we correctly operate our organisation works.
In the era of Web and real time communications, any feedback is public and globally accessible. So our guests and our volunteers will always hold the keys of our destiny.
This incentive is a guarantee for us and for our guests, for our volunteers and for organisations which want to relate and interact with us.
We provide a service, related to the goals of a non-profit social enterprise that, in its small way, works to promote the development of our disadvantaged areas.
We have a facility that can comfortably accommodate 10 people, with some accommodations just outside of the the main family-house, to allow more autonomy and privacy. A hygienic service and a shower running through the basic system of the bucket / bucket-shower (we are in a rural region of Africa, remember!); we can provide meals compatible with the the international food tastes (the Ghanaian typical food is generally a bit spicy, it depends on how you want it: but you have any way to try it).
We have many years of experience in the hospitality sector, with people of all ages and nationalities.
We can enrich your stay with small experiences such as: a contact with the world of African art, traditional Ghanaian festivals (if there are during your stay), a day spent visiting the Museum and the famous market of Accra. And for football fans there is the opportunity to train with the football team of the Akwatiakwaso village in leisure hours. You can consider to teach something to the team if you are experienced in football. Or you can simply enjoy some sport with friends.
Our name, our logo
Ofie in our language means "home".
Home for toddlers and older adults, for those who are in need. Home as a necessity, as a project.
A shared place for a family, or for those who have nothing.
In our logo is depicted a child, the future.
A circle, around he/she, is intended to indicate protection, community, meeting: in one word, home.
The colors are those of our flag: Ghana as the common home.
