Every camp has a specific aim that it tries to achieve. This aim may be a clear-cut task, such as planting trees or building a goat pen. It may be a less result-oriented but still specific job such as teaching English to children (nobody expects the students to master a foreign language in two weeks). And finally, it can be a very important aim with almost no immediately tangible results, such as conducting discussions on environmental improvement.

Always keep your camp's aim in mind as you work. If you feel that the group is getting off track, please make your opinion known.  There are also more universal goals for every camp. These include creating awareness of other people's problems, and fostering international understanding through volunteers' friendships with the Thai people and each other.

Another important aspect of your involvement is the interest you show towards traditional Thai customs; this interest on your part sparks cultural pride in the locals that you're working with.

Social change doesn't come overnight. You'll be more satisfied with your contribution if you realize that your work is not an isolated two-week endeavor, but rather a valuable part of Greenway's long-term effort.

Schedule

 Camps normally begin on a Monday and end three weeks later on Sunday. Make your best effort to arrive the weekend before the camp starts and to stay for the duration of the program. The camp is a group experience, and things run much more smoothly when everyone follows the same schedule.

We follow the schedule of a normal working week: Monday through Friday will be spent working on your project, with Saturday and Sunday off. You are free to go wherever you like on the weekend, but usually volunteers go together as a group to a beach, national park, city, etc.

All camps have a project leader and a schedule to follow. This schedule can be set by ARA or with the organization it is working with locally at a particular camp. If parts of the program are unclear to you, please ask for an explanation.

Structure

Though the camps vary quite widely, they all share some common features that are designed to help them run smoothly and effectively.

• Camps begin with an introduction meeting. Here, volunteers receive an explanation of the camp's aim, ARA's rules, the accommodation and chores. This meeting will also include a presentation about the local host organization and details about the project for the coming weeks. Here you can learn about more about the problems that your project is trying to address.
  
  

• There will be a daily group meeting to discuss the program, updates, and daily living. This can be very informal, taking place during common meals or when everyone has sat down for a break.
  
  

• At the end of the first week, there will be a Mid-Project Evaluation. This is a more formal meeting in which the effectiveness of the project is discussed, and adjustments can be made as necessary.
  
  

• A Final Evaluation, to which everyone contributes, is conducted at the end of the three weeks. The information gathered here helps ARA plan its future camps. Any constructive criticism you might have is welcome.
  
  

• And at the end, a farewell party!
  
  
  

Expected behavior from volunteers

Try to have a sense of the needs of your host community, and participate in all of your group's activities. You not only represent your country and ARA, but you also set an example for people living in the village. Like it or not, you have an influence on the local villagers, particularly children, so make a conscious effort to be responsible and to present the best aspects of your native culture.

Cultural differences can sometimes make it difficult to understand another person's behavior; try to reserve judgment, be forgiving, and make an effort to understand a person who doesn't act the way you'd expect them to. For example, volunteers who don't feel comfortable speaking English sometimes seem withdrawn and uninterested, but with a little effort on your part you can ease their loneliness and help them feel welcome in the group.

Always voice your opinions, especially during camp meetings. For the camp to be successful, everyone needs to share their ideas. Positive change can't be made if you keep silent.

Join in the daily chores; it is important that you take care of your communal responsibilities every day, as laziness breeds resentment and disorder.

"Ghana time"

The schedule set out for each project will be followed as closely as possible. However, Ghanaians are very informal in this regard. This gives an added dimension of freedom to the Ghanaian society, but there will be times that you feel this freedom has come at your expense.

Plans can change seemingly arbitrarily, and it can be frustrating when someone doesn't show up at an appointed time. ARA has asked the local organizations we work with to be punctual, but you and your camp will need to be flexible so that you are ready to take advantage of unplanned opportunities.

Solving and preventing problems

If a problem arises because the project's aim is unclear, or for any other reason, please discuss it as soon as possible in a group meeting. If you have a problem with another volunteer, take some time to think the matter over before doing anything rash. Even if you are in the right, sometimes airing your grievance isn't worth the trouble it will cause. If you feel that it is necessary to act, talk your problem over with the camp leader before doing anything else.

Nearly all projects will have some input from villagers, whether it's in the form of a grandmother's strongly voiced opinion, or from visiting children who want to get to know you and learn a little English. Unsolicited criticism can seem burdensome and irritating if you're not in the right mood to receive it; just be polite and clear in your replies.

Villagers can sometimes demand a great deal of your time. If you feel like your privacy is being encroached upon, try to remove yourself from the situation tactfully, and bring it up with the camp leader if necessary.

In general, try to be patient and forgiving so that the camps can function harmoniously.