Volunteer Projects in Guatemala - Reto Juvenil Internacional

Ghana

2018-07-06T01:26:49+00:00

Ghana is considered one of the more stable countries in West Africa since its transition to multi-party democracy in 1992.Ghana is a democratic country led by a president who is both head of state and head of the government. Formerly known as the Gold Coast, Ghana gained independence from Britain in 1957, becoming the first sub-Saharan nation to break free from colonial rule.

Gold, cocoa and more recently oil form the cornerstone of Ghana's economy and have helped fuel an economic boom. The country is named after the great medieval trading empire that was located northwest of the modern-day state until its demise in the 13th century.

Ghana's population of approximately 28 million spans a variety of ethnic, linguistic and religious groups.Its diverse geography and ecology ranges from coastal savannahs to tropical rain forests.

Our Support

We support Cape Coast, cape coast is located in Ghana’s Central Region, Forever haunted by the ghosts of the past, Cape Coast is one of Africa's most culturally significant spots. This former European colonial capital, originally named Cabo Corso by the Portuguese, was once the largest slave-trading center in West Africa.

At the height of the slave trade it received a workforce from locations as far away as Niger and Burkina Faso, and slaves were kept locked up in the bowels of Cape Coast's imposing castle. At the shoreline, slaves were herded onto vessels like cattle, irrevocably altering the lives of generations to come. From 1500’s to 1957, the city and port changed hands between the British, Portuguese, Swedish, Danish, and Dutch.

This multicultural history speaks to the area’s importance as a trade route that transported not only slaves but gold, honey, and other African spoils; thus making this ideal spot (then called the Gold Coast) the country’s capital until 1877 when it was moved to Accra. Today, Cape Coast is an easygoing fishing town with an arty vibe, fanned by salty sea breezes and kissed by peeling waves.

Our work:

Med Campaigns
Business and Economic empowerment
Journalism
Education
Agriculture
Teaching
Engineering
Social services

Guinea-Bissau

2015-01-13T10:29:38+00:00

Guinea-Bissau, officially the Republic of Guinea-Bissau is a country in West Africa. It covers 36,125 km² (nearly 14,000 sq mi) with an estimated population of 1,600,000.

Guinea-Bissau was once part of the kingdom of Gabu, as well as part of the Mali Empire. Parts of this kingdom persisted until the 18th century, while a few others were under some rule by the Portuguese Empire since the 16th century. In the 19th century, it was colonized as Portuguese Guinea. Upon independence, declared in 1973 and recognized in 1974, the name of its capital, Bissau, was added to the country's name to prevent confusion with Guinea (formerly French Guinea). Guinea-Bissau has a history of political instability since independence, and no elected president has successfully served a full five-year term.

Only 14% of the population speaks Portuguese, established as the official language in the colonial period. Almost half the population (44%) speaks Crioulo, a Portuguese-based creole language, and the remainder speak a variety of native African languages. The main religions are African traditional religions and Islam; there is a Christian (mostly Roman Catholic) minority. The country's per-capita gross domestic product is one of the lowest in the world.

Guinea-Bissau is a republic. In the past, the government had been highly centralized. Multi-party governance was not established until mid-1991. The president is the head of state and the prime minister is the head of government. Since 1974, no president has successfully served a full five year term.

It is bordered by Senegal to the north and Guinea to the south and east, with the Atlantic Ocean to its west.

Our work:

Once praised as a role model for development in Africa, Guinea-Bissau is now one of the poorest countries in the world. However, democracy is on the rise, and progress has been made to improve the quality of life for Guineans.

With RETO, you can help orphaned and abandoned children in Guinea-Bissau in the following areas:

Youth Empowerment
Child Care Support
Children Shelter Support
Infrastructure Improvements

Ivory Coast

2015-01-13T10:20:16+00:00

Ivory Coast or Côte d'Ivoire , officially the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire is a country in West Africa. Ivory Coast's de jure capital is Yamoussoukro and the biggest city is the port city of Abidjan.

Prior to its colonization by Europeans, Ivory Coast was home to several states, including Gyaaman, the Kong Empire, and Baoulé. There were two Anyi kingdoms, Indénié and Sanwi, which attempted to retain their separate identity through the French colonial period and after independence.[8] Ivory Coast became a protectorate of France in 1843–44 and in 1893 it became a French colony as part of the European scramble for Africa. Ivory Coast became independent in 1960.

Through the production of coffee and cocoa, the country was an economic powerhouse during the 1960s and 1970s in West Africa. Ivory Coast went through an economic crisis in the 1980s, contributing to a period of political and social turmoil. The 21st-century Ivoirian economy is largely market-based and relies heavily on agriculture, with smallholder cash-crop production being dominant.

Ivory Coast is a country of western sub-Saharan Africa. It borders Liberia and Guinea in the west, Mali and Burkina Faso in the north, Ghana in the east, and the Gulf of Guinea (Atlantic Ocean) in the south

A large part of the adult population, in particular women, are illiterate. Many children between 6 and 10 years are not enrolled in school. The majority of students in secondary education are male.

Our work:

Empowering Groups
Gender
Small Bussines Plans
Cooperative
Farmer Groups
Handcraft Manufacture
Development small scale producers
Innovative Practices
Small scale production business
Cooperativism