Below are some of our frequently asked questions about the Saha Global Leadership Program. You can also click through the gallery below for advice from past Field Representatives. They are an awesome resource, and if you are interested in getting in touch with a past Field Rep, contact us and we will connect you! Please keep in mind that at this time are are not planning to host a program in Ghana in 2020. Click here to learn about other ways to get involved in our work!
Saha is looking for Saha Field Reps who are self starters, are passionate about social innovation and sustainable development, take initiative, give and absorb constructive feedback, take pride in their work, approach problems with patience and pluck, dedicate themselves to constant improvement, help others to excel, are open to new experiences, possess the highest personal integrity, and approach projects with passion and professionalism.
Because the Global Leadership Program field work is only 3 weeks long many students ask if they can extend the Field Repship to count for things like internship credit. Saha considers the Global Leadership Program to be a 3 month commitment. The field work in Ghana only lasts for 3 weeks but your responsibility as a Field Rep begins as soon as you accept your position in the program. Most Field Reps have 9 weeks to raise the $2,950 (depending on when you apply).
If that doesn’t suffice, you are more than welcome to extend your time in Ghana longer than 3 weeks but Saha only takes care of the organization of the actual Global Leadership Program portion. We have had many Field Reps find plenty of research opportunities in Tamale or to continue back home in the U.S. All those arrangements are not put together by Saha and are the Field Rep’s responsibility.
The average age of a Saha Field Rep is 21 years old, but we typically have Field Reps ranging in age from 18 to 35 years old.
Below you will see the typical Global Leadership Program itinerary. That being said, all of this can change by a day or two depending on your specific village’s needs and schedule.
**Field Reps are more than welcome to extend their stay in Ghana if they would like time to travel. However, Saha will not be responsible for arrange any travel that is not related to the Global Leadership Program***
Depending on when you apply, most Field Reps will have 7- 9 weeks to raise funds to cover your program fee. If you are unable to raise enough funds to cover the entire Field this fee you will be responsible for covering the remaining balance before traveling to Ghana. However, once you return home, you will be able to continue to fundraise and Saha will reimburse you for any additional donations that are made on your behalf.
The Global Leadership Program fee is used by Saha Global to cover the cost of your team’s in-country expenses. These expenses include your in-country travel, lodging & food, your project costs (project materials, water quality tests & lab materials, Field Rep training & educational materials, translator salaries, and transportation to & from your village), as well as the long-term monitoring costs of following-up with your community after your team leaves Ghana. All of our monitoring results are published online and allows you to know exactly how things are running in your community.
The program fee does not cover your flight to Ghana, your travel vaccinations (cost depends on coverage) or Visa fee ($60 single entry fee).
If you raise more than the required $3,500, the extra funds will be donated to Saha to help us grow the Global Leadership Program so that we are able to offer this opportunity to more young people in the future.
You are more than welcome to fundraise for your flight and many of our Field Reps have been able to accomplish this goal. However, this must be done separate from your program fee fundraising and donors must make their checks out directly to you, instead of Saha Global. Funds donated online to Saha through your fundraising website may not be used to pay for your flight.
Another unique way to get support for the purchase of your flight is to have friends and family donate sky miles!
The flight prices can vary greatly depending on the season and your departure city. The average price is $1,400, but typically they range from $900 to $2,000.
As your fundraising takes off you will be frequently asked specifics about “What will you be doing?” Having a little pitch put together is usually the best idea. Field Reps are the face of Saha and it is important you can explain what you’ll be doing when you are in Ghana. Check out the water businesses page to learn the exact details surrounding the work you will be doing.
The only required vaccination to enter Ghana is the Yellow Fever vaccine. Saha also requires all of our Field Reps to take anti-Malaria medication during their trip, and travel with a general antibiotic for traveler’s diarrhea.
There are many other vaccinations recommended by the CDC for travel to sub-Saharan Africa. For the full list, please visit their website. The list of recommended vaccinations is about halfway down the webpage.
The cost of your vaccinations varies based on what you need and the coverage you get through your insurance. To get a better idea of the cost, reach out to your primary care provider.
It depends whether you are going to do much traveling before or after the Global Leadership Program. We usually recommend that Field Reps bring about $200 in cash, which is more than enough to cover any gifts/souvenirs that you may want in the market and a couple dinners out (if you choose to eat out instead of eating at the guest house) but will not cover the cost of extensive post-trip travel. Do not bring travelers checks, they are not accepted by any store or vendors in Ghana. You can exchange your money when you arrive in Ghana. If you do end up needing more cash while you are in Ghana, you can use your American bankcard to withdraw money from an ATM. There are plenty of them around Tamale and they are very easy to access (Barclays, EcoBank and Standard Charter each have multiple branches in Tamale).
If you have extra room in your suitcase, feel free to bring along candy, toys, clothing, shoes, books or anything else that you, or your friends and family would like to donate to people in your village. The kids especially love soccer balls! The only thing we ask is that you wait until the end of your trip (either on opening day at your water business or on your last day in the village) to give things to people in your community.
When you are staying in Accra you will be staying at the Pink Hostel.
When you are in Tamale you will be staying at GILLBT Guest House. You can read through the Saha Blog to see some pictures of past Field Reps on the GILLBT campus.
The guesthouses do a great job of preparing food that is safe for travelers. However, may not be much variety! Packing an extra snack or two is definitely a good idea. Also, while the cooks at the guesthouses try their best to accommodate dietary restrictions, they are not used to cooking for vegetarians/vegans and there are very little non-meat protein options for them to work with in Ghana. If you do not eat meat, definitely pack other sources of protein that you can snack on (nuts, protein bars, peanut butter, etc).
Yes. Each room at GILLBT sleeps 2-3 people and has its own bathroom—sink, toilet, shower.
The guesthouses provide water filters that you can use to filter the tap water. Other than that you should only drink bottled water, which is widely available in the area.
Guesthouses will do your laundry for about $7 per basket of laundry. They will provide you with a laundry basket in your room. If you dropped off your dirty laundry basket at the reception desk in the morning, it will be ready by the next morning at the latest.
Yes, although you will be working hard and spending a lot of time in your village, you will have some down time to relax at the guesthouse, go into the market, explore, go on a run, etc. Most Field Rep Teams end up going to their village very early in the morning before it gets too hot (around 5 or 6 am), and are back from the field around 1 or 2 o’clock in the afternoon. Dinner and the “Daily Debrief” are usually around 6:30 or 7 so Field Reps typically have a couple of hours of downtime in the late afternoon and are then free for the night after the debriefs are finished.
Depending on your business implementation goes, you may have one day to explore on a day trip outside Tamale or Salaga.
If you are trying to factor in a few days before or after the trip, most Field Reps choose to go to Cape Coast to see the forts or to Takoradi for the beach. While Saha can make travel and guest house recommendations, we do not coordinate the end-of-trip or post-program travel. We would recommend picking up the Brandt Ghana Guide Book.