Frequently Asked Questions
If you have any further questions, or would like more in-depth answers to any of the follow questions, please do not hesitate to contact us. Please email either Jimmy Carey ([email protected]) or Amanda Cordray ([email protected]).
Questions about SPIMA
How is SPIMA affiliated with William and Mary?
SPIMA is member of Branch Out International, which is a part of the Branch Out Alternative Breaks program. Branch Out is run by W&M's Office of Community Engagement and Scholarship (OCES). To become a member of Branch Out, SPIMA had to complete an application process, and to ensure that our trip meets Branch Out's high standards, we must apply annually for membership renewal through a similar application process. For more information about Branch Out Alternative Breaks, please visit their website at:
http://www.wm.edu/offices/oces/communityengagement/branchout/index.php.
Who does SPIMA work with in Ghana?
We work with a local non-profit organization called Humanity and Community Development Projects (HCDP). For more information on HCDP, you can visit our Meet Our Partner page or visit HCDP's website directly at:
www.hcdprojects.org/index.html.
How much does the trip cost?
The trip costs fluctuate year to year, but generally average total cost per student is somewhere between $1800-$2200. BUT, this is only the total cost per student, which is usually NOT the cost that students actually pay. Throughout the year, we will engage in a large amount of group fundraising, and all of the money we raise will go to collectively lowering the cost for each member. In addition, each team member is encouraged to both fundraise and apply for grants on their own. Every year William and Mary's Office of Community Engagement (OCE) offers financial aid specifically for international service trips. The amount students receive varies by year, but one year nearly every student that applied got at least a little aid (not true for every year). Any money that students raise individually is applied directly to lowering their own trip costs, and in the past there have been cases of highly motivated individuals raising enough funds to cover then entire trip cost. Furthermore, the majority of the cost comes from the cost of plane tickets (roughly $1400 this past year). Students that have large amounts of frequent flier miles are welcome to purchase their tickets through their rewards points, and doing so can significantly reduce that student's overall trip cost. For your reference, the breakdown of where the money goes is roughly as follows (this is just a general estimate based on last years trip):
- Plane ticket: $1400
- Food/living costs: $ 300
- Project costs: $ 500
- Total: $2200
Questions about individual pre-departure preparation
Do students need a visa?
Yes, team members will need to get tourist visas, but will not have to do this on their own. We will be taking care of all of the details and paperwork, and will be applying for the visas as a team sometime around the beginning of the spring semester. Around that time, team members will be provided with a list of the documents they must submit to meet the visa requirements. There are a few things that we ask team members to do in advance and on their own:
- Students must let us know if they are not a US citizen and therefore do not have a US passport. Visa rules vary based on the passport's issuing country, so we need to determine what these requirements are.
- US citizens must make sure that they have a US passport that is valid for 6 months passed the time of travel. Any passport that expires before January 2014 must be renewed before we apply for visas. Passport renewal can be a long process, so do this early!
- Students have the option of choosing one of two types of visas: a single entry visa or multiple entry visa. The single entry visa costs $60 and is valid for one trip within 3 months of being issued. The multiple entry visa costs $100 and is valid for multiple trips within a 2 year period of being issued. Both visas work for our one trip, the only difference is whether or not students believe they may return to Ghana again (such as on the following year's trip). Students considering on returning may want to get the multiple entry visa because they would not have to apply and pay for another visa for subsequent travel.
What medications and vaccinations should my student have?
Please click here for a list of the CDC's recommended medications and vaccinations.
Should my student bring credit or debit cards?
We suggest that team members should bring one VISA debit card with them, with which they can withdraw from ATM's. It is important that the card is a VISA debit card because we have found that MasterCard is generally not accepted at most ATM's in Ghana. We do not advise bringing credit cards because credit cards are relatively useless in Ghana as the places we will be going will not have credit card machines. With that said, students are able to use credit cards to withdraw cash at ATM's (in place of a debit card), but just be aware that many card company's charge high fees for international cash advances (and the card must again be a VISA). Bringing multiple credit/debit cards is also not advised because it would be a huge hassle to call and get cards cancelled if they are lost or stolen since we will have limited phone reception (the less to keep track of the better). No matter what card students bring, they must make sure to call and let their card company know they will be traveling to Ghana prior to departure, otherwise their card will not work.
Should my student bring their own cell phone?
The group leaders will have emergency phones available for the whole team, and therefore we suggest that students do not bring cell phones for a couple of reasons. The first reason is that it is generally just not worth the trouble of having a US cell phone in country. Cell reception in the remote villages is very spotty, and there is no guarantee that your student's phone will work. The other reason is that part of the experience of being on a service trip like this is to push participants out of their comfort zones and to fully immerse themselves in the project, culture, and the moment, and having cell phones and a connection to home can provide a distraction from having such experiences. But, we do understand that for many of you this is the first time your student is traveling internationally, and are probably quite nervous about not having contact with your student. Therefore we DO NOT prohibit team members from bringing their own cell phones. We do ask that if you send your student with a phone, please limit contact to emergencies and occasional check-ins.
Questions about in-country preparation
Does SPIMA register with the State Department?
Yes! We will register with the US Embassy in Ghana through the State Department's Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP). For more information on the STEP, please follow this link to the program's website:
https://step.state.gov/step/.
What contact will parents have with the group during the trip?
Throughout the trip parents will receive periodic email updates from the trip leaders. These updates will include notices upon landing in country, arriving at the work site, arriving at the airport upon return, as well as general updates during the trip. We will collect parents' email address prior to departure, and will make sure everyone is on our email list. These emails will be our normal form of communication with parents throughout the trip.
EMERGENCIES: Trip leaders will have cell phones for the duration of the trip. These phones will be available to any group member in the case of an emergency, and parents will be provided with these phone numbers as well. In addition, in the case of a true emergency and for some reason you cannot get through to our phones directly, you can contact Branch Out Director Melody Porter at William & Mary as well as the US Embassy in Ghana. Their contact information is as follows:
Melody Porter (Associate Director of Community Engagement)
Office: (757) 221-7639
Emergency Cell: (404) 371-8783
US Embassy in Accra, Ghana
Emergency line: +233-30-2741-775 and request to speak with the Embassy Duty Officer
EMERGENCIES: Trip leaders will have cell phones for the duration of the trip. These phones will be available to any group member in the case of an emergency, and parents will be provided with these phone numbers as well. In addition, in the case of a true emergency and for some reason you cannot get through to our phones directly, you can contact Branch Out Director Melody Porter at William & Mary as well as the US Embassy in Ghana. Their contact information is as follows:
Melody Porter (Associate Director of Community Engagement)
Office: (757) 221-7639
Emergency Cell: (404) 371-8783
US Embassy in Accra, Ghana
Emergency line: +233-30-2741-775 and request to speak with the Embassy Duty Officer
What transportation is the team using?
Due to the prohibitively high costs of using privately hired transportation, we will be using public transportation (Tro-Tros). Although this is not necessarily the most ideal situation, we have to remember that we are a student run service trip operating in a developing country, and do not have unlimited resources. To travel to and from the airport, Richard (our contact), will arrange to have a public bus take us directly from the airport to our village. Once we arrive at the village, we will only need to use transportation a few times (to go into town for market days and for excursions). We will do our best to limit travel at night, as well as take other necessary precautions (such as traveling in groups, knowing trip costs, etc.). With that said, we have not had any problems with public transportation in the past, and do not anticipate having any in the future. The Tro-Tro drivers are always very friendly and helpful, and nobody has ever felt uncomfortable or unsafe.
What preparations have been taken for emergencies?
For complete information on our emergency preparations and training, please click here.
Who do I contact in the case of an emergency?
For a complete list of emergency contacts and procedures, click here.
Questions about Ghana
How prevalent is crime in Ghana?
Although there is no denying that crime does take place, Ghana is by far one of the most stable countries in Africa. If you ask nearly any returning SPIMA participant, they will tell you that they felt safer in Ghana than in most US cities. The majority of the crimes are non-violent, and are generally pick-pocketing or fraud related. These thieves are mostly located in the cities where they can easily target unsuspecting tourists. These non-violent crimes are not unique to Ghana, and present a risk to travelers in even the most developed cities around the world (who doesn't hold their bag a bit tighter when walking around in NYC?). Although we will do our best to keep an eye out for these thieves, all team members must be responsible for their own personal belongings. In addition, although it may seem counter-intuitive, by working in a small and remote village, we will not really have to worry about these problems. Most of the scams/tourist traps take place in the city where tourists are. There will be no tourists in our village, and in fact we will likely be the only foreigners the villagers have seen in months, if not since we were there last year. Therefore, the village would not make a good destination for scammers/criminals looking to prey on tourists. Our village is a small, tight knit community, and they all know that we are coming and are very excited to work with us. They will all be helping to participate in the project, and they know that if anything were to happen to us, we would leave immediately and not ever return to provide them more assistance. So, they know that our safety is in their own best interest.