Please do to read the contents of this page very well before applying and please do contact us if you do not understand anything for assistance.
Placement, assistant & responsibility
AEO has made effort to accurately describe the placement and the location of the volunteer’s house. It is an identification of your booking on which you are prepared to be flexible in relation to your placement. Please note that your booking is accepted on the understanding that you come on the program at your own risk. It is not possible for us to be responsible for the actions or omissions of those involved in your program over whom we have no direct control, such as employees of airlines, transport undertakings and others. Please note that our volunteers are issued visas, where applicable, and are registered, where applicable, in their chosen country on the basis that their work is purely voluntary. Doing paid work while on a Projects Abroad program is illegal; Please note that we give you all reasonable assistance to obtain visas, visa renewals and work permits, when they are needed. However, these are arrangements between individuals and a state and are not under our control. We adhere to advise you of any material changes known to us prior to your departure. Such travel and volunteer work can be hazardous and involves a certain degree of risk, inherently dangerous activities and personal perils to the volunteer, both foreseen and unforeseen, all of which are fully accepted by and solely assumed by the volunteer. Therefore, AEO, including any and all of its employees, managers, directors, shareholders, host families and independent local teams, is not liable, to the maximum extent of the law, for any loss or harm the volunteer or associates may suffer, including but not limited to loss caused directly or indirectly by:
Personal injury
Emotional injury
Death
Illness or disease
Damage to or loss of property
Natural disasters
War or terrorism
If you are not happy with it or a suitable alternative cannot be found, we will refund any monies you have paid less any costs involved in processing your application and trying to find you a suitable alternative. We cannot therefore be held responsible for any changes that become known after the information has been provided.
Accommodation, food & wi-fi
We only cover the cost of your accommodation, internet wi-fi (a month), for the period agreed for your placement.
AEO accommodation is the hostile family system (living with a local family) from a well-mannered virtue. Management is responsible for providing your accommodation and food for the period of your placement. As part of your placement, your sleeping arrangements may be private or shared (depending on the number volunteers), and you will be required to share a bathroom and toilet facilities. It is important for you to realize that standards of hygiene will be in accordance with local norms, and are basic. Our criteria of choosing a host family to work with, is based on a background checkup and the status of the family in the community. Failure of a volunteer to seek permission , and then invite guests (either local or foreign) to stay overnight at your accommodations without prior approval from the relevant authority. Failure to adhere to this condition will be a disciplinary matter and will be dealt with according to ‘Complaints and Disciplinary Procedures’ below.
Volunteers are provided with a phone sim card and a one month free internet wi-fi package(5GB) data. You are entitles to renew your account by yourself when it gets exhausted.
Volunteers are advised to eat whatever food being provided by the host family either local or continental and trust me in you that you are going to enjoy the local food or you can choose to buy food from the restaurant if you desire for a specific day. Eating the local food is part of the exchange of culture and our host families are of good ethics and very good in human communication.
INSURANCE
The volunteer travel insurance is one of our major concerned. Volunteers are advised to attain insurance policy when travelling. The volunteer is solely responsible for evaluating and determining the type, extent and levels of any insurance coverage they need or desire for their planned volunteer travel period. This must cover their entire travel period.
AEO also provide medical insurance (first aid) locally for volunteers to enrich the program which is part of the program cost. The reason we provide the insurance locally to attach your foreign insurance policy is to secure the safety of a volunteer due to series of request of previous volunteers for local medical insurance policy to be provided. Star Assurance Company Ltd is our partner insurance that provide services for our volunteers throughout the program.
We therefore urge volunteers with medical complications to alert us before we place them in their host family’s home. We reserve the right to pass on the cost of any extra insurance premium that we have to pay if a volunteer's age, infirmity or special condition results in a more premium being required by our surety.
The insurance does not become valid until we have received final payment of your invoice.
Duration & Workability
AEO and you are to draw reasonable workability in organizing your duration of work, in and around the program limitation set out.
Volunteers are engage in the same normal duration of working hours likewise the people in the country practice. Your hours will typically be spread over a five day working week, and should not normally exceed 8 hours a day. You should never be required to work for more than a maximum of six days a week.
Volunteers (long staying volunteers from 3months onwards) who chooses teaching are entitle to have long vacation holidays due to the school’s calendar and can use that period to tour or be on a different program if he/she desire.
AEO normally organizes unity tour and entertainment event for all volunteers most of the weekend. The organization calendar will be provided to you once you are on the program.
You are entitles to travel and tour anywhere when there are no event organized by AEO and on holidays. You can also request for a guide during your tour or can go by yourself if you desire.
Code of Discipline
Volunteers on our programs are expected to adhere to proper conduct, listen to the coordinator’s instructions and follow AEO code of conduct. This covers, but is not limited to, respecting others’ cultures and beliefs, working responsibly at your project, respecting the accommodation, and avoiding drugs and illegal activities. Also participants will be removed from their program without refund if they engage in illegal, violent or improper behaviour. Finally, volunteers agree to follow the laws of Ghana, the policies of the community in which they volunteer, and/or the rules of the host family, failure to do so will result in the termination of their program and forfeiture of all program fees.
Your Treaty
You must comply with any reasonable request by your placement coordinator. This may involve being transferred to a site in the locality provided it does not place you in any danger. Travel must be reasonable and suitable accommodation provided. You may not enter into any direct negotiations or contractual arrangements for employment during your placement. You must take care of and be responsible for any materials provided for your use by your placement, and are responsible for any damage or loss you cause to such materials (directly or through neglect). Likewise, you are responsible for any damage to your accommodation caused by you or your guest(s). You must behave appropriately in accordance with locally accepted behavior and custom during your place and AEO does not accept responsibility for failure to secure work or dismissal from such work due to inappropriate behavior.
AEO Rewards
AEO offers a US$100 referral reward for volunteers who refer a friend or family member to volunteer with AEO through the AEO Ambassador Program, or as an AEO Affiliate. Referred or returning volunteers, and volunteers registering on multiple AEO programs are eligible for a 20% discount on their registration fees apply to all AEO Rewards.
Force Majeure
Circumstances amounting to ‘force majeure’ include any event which we or the supplier of the service(s) in question could not, even with all due care, avoid such as, without limitation, plane delays, war or threat of war, civil strife, government intervention, natural or nuclear disaster, industrial dispute, terrorist activity, adverse weather conditions, fire, and similar events.
The volunteer agrees that AEO Volunteers shall not be responsible to pay any compensation where the performance or prompt performance of AEO Volunteers or our partner’s contractual obligations is prevented or affected by reasons or circumstances amounting to ‘force majeure’.
Travel
The volunteer is solely responsible for arranging and paying for their own travel, specifically including all airfares or other transport costs to and from the host country, as well as any local transport costs. It is the responsibility of the volunteer to carry all necessary documents when traveling abroad. While AEO may advise the volunteer on required travel documentation, AEO is responsible for any supporting documents necessary for only processing of visas. Volunteers makes are responsible for ensuring their travel documents are up to date and valid for travel.
AEO is only responsible for your airport pick-up and sent off unlike other NGO’s(this is what AEO unique) and advisable to join.
Complaints & problems duuring your pacement
Every reasonable effort will be made to resolve any disciplinary matter before it becomes serious. However, we reserve the right to take appropriate action in the event of behaviour which would reasonably be expected to give offence to host, pupils, fellow-teachers, project managers or work colleagues. This includes behaviour such as serious rowdiness or drunkenness, failure to turn up to work, or leaving work without any adequate reason, or in the event of an unreasonable inability, from whatever cause, to do the work expected.
You are responsible for showing a high level of independence, flexibility and initiative in dealing with problems yourself as they arise, taking common sense steps as an independent traveler to protect your safety on a day to day basis. Your coordinator will provide practical help if you should need to return home or seek medical assistance before completion of your placement.
Program dates
Dates of your program are agreed prior to arrival in Ghana. You may leave your placement early with agreement of the AEO, but no refund will be granted. You may extend your volunteer period at the discretion of and with prior agreement of AEO provided monies for the extra months are paid in advance. Changes prior to project confirmation can be made without charge. Once registered and before the program start date, the volunteer is entitled to change their start date and duration once at no additional cost. Any further changes to their start date, destination or duration after the initial free change requires payment of an administration fee of US$50-EUR €42 for each change. Program changes within fourteen days of the volunteer’s start date will incur a late change fee of US$150-. EUR €130.
If the volunteer changes the program start date, then the date considered for refund purposes will be the earliest of the dates planned, unless agreed otherwise in writing with AEO.
Application Fee
Application fee is refundable up to only 90 days before the program start date. Refund requests must be received ninety (90) days prior the program start date through written confirmation via email, fax or post. Upon receipt of the request the volunteer will be notified immediately via email. If the volunteer does not receive confirmation they should assume that the request has not been received.
Refund Policy
Volunteering Solutions provides highly affordable programs and our application fee is among the lowest, as a result we do not provide a complete refund policy. We always refund the program fee remaining the registration fee.
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