Laptop in exchange for accomodation...isthis normal?

I assume you are paying for the privilege volunteering, right? So the host family will be paid for your accomodation and meals. To me this sounds like someone trying to keep more money for himself by not paying the family properly but asking you for an expensive gift (in addtion to what you pay) to keep them happy.
If they (whoever organise your volunteering) paid their families an adequate price, they wouldn't have to worry about one family dropping out - there would be plenty of others to take their place.

I think what this guy, your contact, is doing is blackmail of a really mean kind "If you can move past this laptop bit (after all you are are all loaded, aren't you) you will be made welcome".

If your are not paying anything for your stay but the people who accomodate you do it out of sheer goodness, I think you should pay them in a way (maybe not with a laptop, though, I'm sure they can use money better) but then again they wouldn't ne requesting a gift like that.

If I were you, I would just go there on holidays, forget about the volunteering and spend your money locally in shops, guesthouses, taxis etc. - you will most likely help more people that way.

I'm with Stefo, firstly I hate the idea of paying to volunteer but secondly asking for a gift is ridiculous.

Call your contacts bluff, tell him you'll find somewhere else to stay (I'm sure people on here or if you go to Couchsurfing.com you'll find someone more worthy)

Or as Stefo says, just buy the ticket to Ghana and enjoy yourself! It'll cost a lot less!

Kira

while i don't agree with the above posts about paying to volunteer (i think you should be expected to contribute in developing countries where volunteers can sometimes be a burden on local NGOs who have limited resources), i do agree with everything else!
If you are paying for your placement you should not be expected to provide gifts. if you aren't paying, maybe look for alternative accommodation, or ask them to suggest a reasonable rate for food and board. a laptop seems a bit much.
Best of luck!

i think you should be expected to contribute in developing countries where volunteers can sometimes be a burden on local NGOs who have limited resources

That somehow defies the purpose of volunteering, doesn't it?

I also think one should contribute in developing countries - but not by volunteering and paying for it. If you want to donate, why not give the same money to the local NGOs, relieve them of the burden of volunteers and let them employ local people with your money. Or alternatively, just pay for your holiday, stay and eat locally etc.

What's the name of the NGO you are in contact with OP?

It sounds to me as though those in charge aren't paying the host families a fair price and this is their way of keeping them happy without having to give them any more (of your) money.

Here are some options:

-Go ahead with your plans to volunteer with this NGO but do not take any gifts to your host family. Make the NGO aware of this before you arrive; maybe then they will pay the host a little more.

-Find another NGO to work with.

-Go to Ghana as a tourist rather than a volunteer; follow some of the suggestions above.

-Go somewhere else

There is a nuance here between paying to volunteer (where you pay an agency which sets everything up for you), and contributing monetarily to programs on the ground.

It is quite possible to go to Africa on your own and set up your own volunteer situation.

But I also agree with inuganda and stefo--you should expect to pay for your own expenses and also to fund projects. (The great thing about doing it yourself is that you can choose what you want to do--i.e. build new desks for a school, buy mosquito nets for an orphanage...)

The suggestion of a laptop as payment is creepy and I would also feel sketched out about this. Trust your intuition and find another program. Or just go and travel--there will be plenty of opportunities to stop and lend a hand.

Peace,

BB

I'd move on right away, without a backwards glance. All else aside, if you did bring a laptop you'd be setting yourself up for more of the same. But this is not necessarily a criticism of the person doing the asking, and I believe it's important not to get too worked up about these sorts of requests/demands/expectations.

Local culture throughout much of Africa dictates that those with little are entitled to try and guilt trip or con those with a lot--it is done among Africans as well as between Africans and Westerners. In fact, people with a lot of money or possessions are expected to contribute something when asked by friends, acquaintances or (especially) relatives--that's just the way things work. Usually they bargain the amounts down to whatever they're willing to part with.

I feel totally entitled to decline to participate in this sort of dynamic, and I usually do. I just don't see any reason to get moralistic, much less to get upset about it. And I do expect that in situations where I've got an ongoing relationship of some sort with a local person, they are likely to feel genuinely resentful if I don't contribute some small portion of my obvious wealth, regardless of the facts of our stated arrangement. Again, this would be true were I a fellow African instead of an American tourist (or volunteer).

I'm also not opposed to bringing some small gifts for host families. Or, small gifts can be purchased locally; I sometimes print enlarged photos, then have them laminated, and these are always appreciated. Lots of people leave stuff behind for local friends or hosts--clothes, shoes, cameras--but I don't care for this approach.

Hope that helps.

Mark

Local culture throughout much of Africa dictates that those with little are entitled to try and guilt trip or con those with a lot

That's an interesting thought.

Agree, interesting thought, and very true from my experiences. My husband has a much harder time saying "no" (which he really only does as a last resort) to the constant requests for money from friends and extended familiy than I have.
My guess in this particular case, however, is that it's not actually the host family demanding a lap-top, but the volunteering agency not paying the host families appropriately and asking the volunteer to compensate for this by paying double. I could be wrong of course, since the OP has not come back yet to provide more info about whether she is paying an agency or the host family directly etc.