Coming to live in any foreign country can be both an exciting and difficult experience. Exciting because it is exploration into unknown waters…..difficult because one is far from all that is familiar and dear - family, friends and familiar places. To help Ghana 50th Anniversary Celebration participants to immerse themselves in traditional African life, we have introduced our host family programme. CATO's Host Family programme provides the Golden Jubilee participant a continuing friendship, involvement and cultural immersion with a family in Africa. CATO developed this programme in order to offer hospitality to international visitors. Everyone involved in this programme has enriching experience of a cultural exchange and a new perspective about the world.

Ghana 50th Anniversary Celebration Family Stay

You've probably been out of the house for a few years now and may have some reservations about living under someone else's roof again. We - and our host families - understand this! But there are many advantages of living with a Ghanaian family and sharing their everyday life and traditions during this 50th Anniversary celebration in Ghana.

You should consider the family stay option only if:

You plan to save some money but celebrate the 50th Anniversary Celebration in Ghana.

You hope to celebrate the Ghana 50th Anniversary with a Ghanaian family and discover part of Ghanaian traditions and 50th Anniversary celebration the Ghanaian way.

You want to make a genuine effort to become a new member of the family

You are willing to take responsibility for cleaning your own room and helping out in daily duties

Why Choose CATO Host Family Stay for the Celebration?

Saves you money. The average cost of an economy class hotel per night in Ghana is about $70.00. One month stay in a hotel in Ghana will cost you about $70.00 X 30 Days =$2100. This cost excludes Food and airport pickup and drop off. The cost of our host family programme is $600 for a month and this includes meals, three times a day.

Ghanaian families are liberal and down-to-earth. They will treat you accordingly, like an adult son or daughter who has returned home to live for a while. Family values are strong in Ghana. Ghanaians are in general open-minded and tolerant towards other cultures.

Staying with a family will not limit your freedom. However, this does not mean that your host family is a hotel! You become a member of the family and will be expected to help around the house. CATO host families only get a small reimbursement (relative to actual cost of living) for housing a participant. This means that they choose to be a host family because they are interested in the cross-cultural experience and because they want to spend time with you.

You will be a member of the family, not just a boarder. You will share their daily life, learn about their passions and concerns, engage in dinner discussions and participate in festive moments. This is a great way of experiencing Ghanaian culture from the inside! All meals are provided by the family, but you should expect to pack your own lunches and cook an occasional dinner.

International network. Families host our participants because they value the intercultural exchange that occurs between them and our programme participants. Your family stay may very well lead to long-lasting attachments and you may stay in touch with your family for years after your time in Ghana. We have many families who have visited their participants in their home country, and participants who come back to Ghana, years after leaving Ghana, to visit.

You will be conscientiously matched. The CATO host family programme will match you with a compatible family based on the profile you provide us in your application, and staff visits to all potential host families' homes. Our families are as different as the participants who join them in terms of lifestyle, interests, routines, age and composition; and the housing staff takes compatibility seriously.

Families of all shapes, sizes, and colours. A family may have young children, grown-up children or none at all. They may be young, middle-aged, or retired, and some hosts may be single. Also, Ghanaian society is becoming more and more international. This means that our host families may have different ethnic backgrounds though they are Ghanaian citizens. This only enriches the cultural exchange between family and student. The typical CATO host family generally speak English very well.

Where Will You Be Living?

Families live in single-family homes or apartments. You will have your own bedroom and share other rooms with the rest of the family. An important note is that many Ghanaian homes only have one shared bathroom, which makes it necessary to be flexible about time spent in the bathroom.

Most families live in the quiet suburbs of the city. You'll commute to the 50th Anniversary celebration using the convenient, frequent and safe trotros, taxis with the help of the host family.This gives you an insight in the variety of Ghanaian culture and landscape.

WE BELIEVE YOUR MEMORIES IN GHANA WILL LIVE FOREVER.