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Monday June 18, 2018

Everyone arrived safely! Here is our group! Student orientation will be underway tomorrow!

Tuesday June 19, 2018

Hello from GLA Tanzania in Arusha! All 29 students have arrived safe and sound yesterday and had their first full day together today. Today was student orientation and it was jam packed full of information ranging from how to greet in Swahili to home base logistics to how to best support one another and beyond.

The day was full of games, stories, and laughter as new connections were formed. We reaffirmed our code of conduct and collectively made a community agreement, which will guide us for the rest of our 20 days together. We decided as a group that Jua the lion would embody our agreement and team values- Jua means sun in Swahili. We determined that Jua represents respect, trust, friendship, acceptance, purpose, gratitude, and compassion. We look forward to living these values and cultivating our community over the next three weeks.

To close our first day together, we stood in a circle around a ribbon all holding an object that represents what we are bringing to the program. After each of us shared our object, we stepped inside the ribbon to mark the beginning of our journey together. We are very excited for everything that is to come!

Written by our program mentors: Lolly, Megan, and Kate

Thursday June 21, 2018

This morning the group woke up early to have breakfast at 7:15am. After a nice breakfast of toast, eggs, potatoes, fruit, coffee, and tea the group got ready for their first day to sit in with the Patandi Primary School students. After a short walk to school, the group broke into two with half going to fifth grade and the other going to sixth. There the groups worked with the students on their English skills. It was full of laughs and smiles as the groups got to meet the students that they would be spending the next few weeks with. After our time at the school was over, we discussed the difference between “helping, fixing, and serving,” reflected about our role as volunteers in an international setting, and deepened our understanding of “service learning” methodology.

After lunch, the students broke into groups to work on lesson planning for their upcoming work with the students. They also took turns meeting with the local seamstress to turn the fabric they bought into whatever creation they wanted. There were dresses, backpacks, shirts, and other items ordered for the seamstress to make. After this the students had time to hang out and either journal or play cards or get some rest. After the short break, a leader from the community came in to teach about the education system in Tanzania. He answered any questions the group had and gave insight into how schooling works in this country. We are looking forward to learning more about Tanzania and having our first full day with the students tomorrow!

Saturday June 23, 2018

Hey everyone! It was a tiring day, but nonetheless an amazing one! After waking up early we took a long bus ride to Mount Kilimanjaro. We hiked the base and visited three beautiful waterfalls and ate lunch; some of us swam and it was so cold, but so worth it.

Along the trail back we greeted many locals and made some friends; some of the children even hiked next to us along the trail and many high fives were given along the way. After another long bus ride back to home base we all got together for a great dinner and are ready to get a good nights sleep for tomorrow’s adventures.

Sunday June 24, 2018

Hi everyone! Today we luckily got to sleep in and rest after the previous day at Mount Kilimanjaro. Today is host family day! The mentors split us up into small groups and we eagerly awaited our chosen families. After they arrived we joined together for a yummy lunch we left home base to go visit our host family homes’. My host families’ home was a cozy, surrounded by many others.

My host family was two parents, a boy, and a girl . As you walk to the home, you see chickens running around, mothers carrying their babies, and goats being walked on leashes. On our way back to home base, some children followed and we played with bubbles, there were also kids playing soccer and volleyball. Overall it was an amazing day filled with culture and fun!

Monday June 25, 2018

Hey family and friends. Today was an early morning service day! After breakfast we headed down to Patandi Primary School to observe and teach English language classes; half us in fifth grade and half of us in sixth grade. After observing, some students got the opportunity to teach. Topics include parts of speech and relative pronouns. After teaching we play games with the kids outside, which is many of our favorite part! Then we changed clothes and began physical service where we started to paint the classroom walls a beautiful cream color and repair broken desks.

It was only the first day of painting so there is much more to come. Later in the day we had guests come to home base to show us Batik painting; they brought some pants and handmade paintings with them. We all gazed at the beautiful artwork and many works were bought. Students split in half and between Batik painting and a Tanzanian cooking lesson. Tomorrow we will switch groups and do the activity that we did not do today. We all had a great time learning to try new things that we have never done and the dinner was delicious! We can’t wait for the adventures that are to come tomorrow.

Photos from Monday!

Tuesday June 26, 2018

Hey everyone! Today after a breakfast of sambusas, Tanzanian samosas, we taught English with our 5th and 6th grade classes before continuing to our physical service. One group hoed garden beds that will be planted with vegetables for the Patandi Special Needs Teacher College. The other group sang and danced to music as we continued with the oil paint layer on a classroom and the teachers room. Afterward, we walked back to home base and had lunch. Then we spilt into two groups, one group learned Batik cloth dyeing while the other learned Tanzania cooking including fresh fruit juice, tomato sauce, salad, and a pea dish. Both came out amazing! Some of our group enjoyed a walk to a nearby soccer field, some played with kids, while the rest relaxed at home base.

Thank you,
Kate

Wednesday June 27, 2018

Today, we walked to school where we continued to teach our 5th and 6th graders whom we are getting closer to each day. We then performed our physical service work, all the while bonding with our students and each other. Later on, we walked to a beautiful lake about 20 minutes from our home base. We had the opportunity to get a soda and sit down and relax for a bit before our second Swahili lesson started. We learned a lot of practical words and songs that we could use in the classroom when interacting with our 5th and 6th graders. After Swahili, we had a debate/simulation of FIFA’s impact on Brazil in the past World Cup. We discussed how certain decisions affect different groups of people and tied this back to our roles as leaders. As the day came to an end, we finished the night with family fun, singing, “Mafia”, and drinking hot chocolate around a bonfire.

Thursday June 28, 2018

Hey everyone! Today was a busy day, which started off with our usual service. Some students started to paint the windows of the school and other students hoed the land to prepare the garden to plant vegetables for some of the kids who sleep at school; the school will be growing fresh veggies and fruits. Then it was time for lunch and so we departed from school and took a long peaceful walk to home base with many detours as we encountered lots of excited young children along the way; this is definitely the best part of walking through the village.

We had to eat a quick lunch as today is Maasai market day! The Maasai market can be overwhelming at first but nonetheless very exciting. There are alleys upon alleys of traditional African jewelry, art, and lots more items. Students really had to test their bargaining skills as the first price isn’t usually the fair one! It was quite an experience. We can’t wait for the adventures to come tomorrow and this weekend.

Friday June 29, 2018

Hey!! We had a great start to the morning with a yummy breakfast prepared by our favorite chefs, Joseph and Jackie. It was a bit cloudier and cold today, so the streets of Arusha were quieter than usual. At school, the students continued to work on their English skills with lessons prepared and taught by GLA students. After class, we got to play with the adorable kids after which is so much fun because we are really bonding with them. After an amazing lunch we prepared for an HIV/AIDS discussion panel. This panel was comprised of seven women who live in Tanzania and have HIV.

They were really open with their stories and the session was very informative. None of the women who spoke to us had contracted HIV through their own fault, yet they were not resentful or vengeful. These women had been ostracized and blamed by society and their own families, yet they are still strong and loving. After the panel, we were given a shopping list and sent in groups to the local market. The catch was that the list was in Swahili and the local program coordinators weren’t allowed to translate for us. It was a very interesting experience to say the least, but everyone successfully got their items. In the evening we had dinner and talked about preparations for the following day with the Maasai, then got an early night for our 3:30AM wake up call!

Saturday June 30, 2018

Hujambo from Tanzania!

Today we woke up at 3:30AM in order to visit a Maasai boma, or home for sunrise. Although our bus temporarily got stuck in a rut formed from big rains after ten years of drought on one of the seven switchbacks as we descended into the Rift Valley, we were able to get some really cool shots of the sunrise! At the Maasai boma, we started our day by milking a bunch of goats before they headed out of the boma to graze for the day! Shortly after, we ate breakfast and began our three-hour safari or hike around the village. Throughout the hike, we got to see a lot of giraffes and antelopes, and learned about how the Maasai use cows as a sign of their wealth; the Maasai even go as far as to hunt down lions if their cows are attacked. In addition, our hike included getting stuck on a bunch of thorny bushes and trees, but we all came back in one piece! After the hike, we started learning about how the giraffes use their prehensile tongues (which are apparently blue!) to navigate around the thorns and eat the leaves.

During lunch, we continued our educational lesson by asking the Maasai elder a few questions; some of the questions included “Why does he has eleven wives?”, “What is the initiation ritual for the Maasai tribe?” and “How did he become the village elder?”. We even got to practice spear throwing, which was a lot like javelin, looked at a traditional Maasai house, and saw the various handmade jewelry and crafts that were sold by the Maasai people. There were a bunch of flies and some of us, namely Peter, our program coordinator, even swallowed one. To culminate our visit, the Maasai people started to throat sing and jump way up high high as they taught us a traditional Maasai dance.

Then we got on the bus to leave. On the way back, we stopped at the “Village” supermarket for a bathroom break and some additional chips, candy and other goodies! We got back to home base just in time to eat the delicious dinner Joseph and Jackie cooked for us. After an exhausting day, we had some free time before going to bed! As our trip slowly comes to an end, the amazing things we saw and experienced will always be remembered! But until tomorrow…

Kwaheri! (Goodbye in Swahili)

Photos by: Nestory T. Owano (Program Coordinator)

      

Sunday July 1, 2018

Hello and Happy July,

Sunday was a chill day. We stumbled out of our rooms for breakfast at nine thirty. After breakfast we planned our lessons for school on Monday. After lesson planning we wandered out into the sunshine and made our way to the Kili Wizards. The Kili Wizards are an award-winning dance group that performs traditional Tanzanian dances. We sat outside and watched the dances and clapped along to the drums that accompanied them. After the Wizards finished up, the group was put into three lines and we tried our best to turn our other left foot into a right one.

Some succeeded and everyone enjoyed moving to the music. Our laughter carried us to our second visit to the orphanage. The children were as happy to see us as we were to see them. We hung out with the kids for an hour or so before heading back to home base where we enjoyed second and possibly third helpings of fish. After dinner we broke into mentor groups where we drew rivers to represent our time here. As with each day there are ups and downs, but we went to bed with smiles on our faces, warmed by a lazy Sunday.

Monday July 2, 2018

Today, Monday July 2nd, we started our day at Patandi Primary School. Our group of 29 students was split among the 4th, 5th and 6th grade students. We worked together to teach our students about telling time, parts of speech, and relative pronouns respectively. After class we jumped into physical service. The group divided between two jobs: desk repair and sanding. In our classrooms there is often three to four people per desk. Our help hammering and sawing desks back into great shape will help give our students more space to learn and grow. Those sanding the classroom are prepping the walls so that the painting phase of the classroom can begin.

This is all in order to create an environment to foster learning. After our service at school, we headed back to home base for lunch followed by some free time to hang out together and continue to connect with one another and grow closer as a group of individuals. In the afternoon, advocates speaking out against FGM, female genital mutilation, came to our home base to educate us and expand our awareness about women’s issues across Tanzania, greater Africa, and the world. By educating us and sharing their stories, they hope to inspire more conversation, attention, and advocacy for vulnerable young women. After an informative conversation we played soccer at a local field and made thank you cards for our staff and students at Patandi. Our day wrapped up with dinner and some group discussion.

July 2 photos coming soon!

Tuesday July 3, 2018

Today, Tuesday July 3rd, we kicked off the day by teaching English to the 4th, 5th, and 6th graders at Patandi Primary School. We continued to teach the children English skills needed for secondary school and for further education. In addition, we continued to mentor the children and be role models to the kids through outdoor activities.

After class, we resumed to our physical service. Many of us continued to paint the classrooms, while others started to sand the walls of a new classroom, in preparation for repainting. Some people were repairing desks, ensuring the safety of kids in a school setting.

After our day of service at school, we went to a luxurious hotel to listen to Uweza, Mama Simba, our Country Director talk about her life. Her stories were inspirational because they conveyed resilience. Uweza had many setbacks in her life but, with determination and passion, she was able to rise above her setbacks and become the successful woman she is today. To end the busy day, we started watching Inception.

Photos by: Nestory T. Owano (Program Coordinator)

Wednesday July 4, 2018

Today was our last day teaching and working at Patandi Primary School. Fourth grade has really made progress in time telling and we’re very proud of that given that we only had three full days with the students. We are hopeful that the 5th and 6th graders have finally conquered parts of speech. We feel so lucky to have had the opportunity to teach them for a mere three weeks, but what they have taught us and given back to us will remain with us for a lifetime. We are quickly approaching what will be a very hard goodbye.

This afternoon, we learned that when a Tanzanian tells you there’s just a small walk uphill through the village, they really mean straight up a vertical mountain. After a long, and somewhat difficult climb we reached a humble coffee farm where we went through the process of making, and then of course tasting, our own coffee! We first had the opportunity to go and pick the red coffee beans off the trees. The beans ripen once a year between July and November. The next step was to put the beans through an ancient looking machine that extremely efficiently removed the outer layer off of the coffee beans.

We then soaked the beans in water to remove the bad beans, which tend to float to the surface. They usually soak for two days, then they dry for five days. Next we continued the process of de-shelling the beans, then picking out the imperfect beans, followed by roasting them until they turned from a cream color to dark black. We let the beans sit in a pot for a few minutes for the shining process.

Then we sang traditional songs while we pounded the grounds in a large mortar and pestle made out of what seemed to be a tree. Then the coffee grounds were placed in boiling water for about ten minutes. The final step was straining the coffee to get some of the grounds out and then at last we all got to taste! We took a longer and less steep walk back, which winded us around the village and gave us beautiful scenic views.

To wrap our day all up, our wonderful cooks made us burgers and fries to celebrate a good ole American holiday. Happy 4th to everyone!

Photos by: Nestory T. Owano (Program Coordinator)

     

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Sunday August 5, 2018

We woke up today to a very tasty breakfast to prepare us for the fun day ahead. A guest speaker by the name of Jerome came to home base to teach us about the Tanzanian education system. After realizing how drastically different the system is compared to the American education system and others around the world, we asked an agglomeration of intellectual and important questions, further sparking other conversation and questions. After the guest speaker, the students proceeded to their second Swahili lesson of their session, learning words and phrases such as “where are you from?” and “my name is” that they also used later in the day.

While the Swahili lesson was taking place, we were called one by one to be measured for clothing or an accessory of their choice with the gorgeous and unique fabrics we chose from the day before at the local market. Host families were assigned to groups of three and were invited to lunch to introduce themselves to us. After lunch and a brief introduction, we ventured with each host family to their homes where they met the rest of the family. There we asked more questions, delving a bit deeper since we were more comfortable with the family and vice versa. We learned so much about the daily life in Tanzania and the differences in culture and society compared to theirs. We were even inspired, as the conversations sparked ideas of how to leave our mark in Tanzania and onward long after this session. The visit ended with a series of dances, songs, lots of laughter, and a mini adventure to a lake.

-Maya Fawaz, Milo Canul

Monday August 6, 2018

Day 3: Intro to teaching!

Ding* Ding* 8:00 breakfast is ready! Breakfast was good today we had eggs, toast, deep fried yummyness and fruit. After breakfast we hit the road. We arrived at the school as kids greeted us with a song, so cute! Once we were split into our classrooms we jumped right into games and dancing. The kids were so warm and welcoming, grabbing our hands and hugging us. Today was mostly just getting to know the kids and getting a feel for the next week to come. After an hour and a half of getting to know them we started our service. We split up into two groups. One group sanding down the walls and another group pic axing concrete. The work was hard but rewarding.

Back to home for lunch and off we went to batik art shortly after! After tracing, painting, waxing and touch ups we each had our own hand made painting. Later after dinner we split into our teaching groups and had our first session of lesson planning. It was much more challenging than we had anticipated, but we are feeling optimistic about tomorrow!

-Ruby Ravvin and Audrey Young

Tuesday August 7, 2018

Today was another great day in Tanzania. This morning, our chef Mama D made us some eggs, toast, and a fruit salad. We then had time to continue our lesson planning from the previous night to prepare for teaching English to the Tanzanian students. We took a bumpy ride on our bus to the school and split into our assigned classrooms. This first day of teaching was quite difficult, especially with the language barrier, but we were able to get our content across. The students were very engaged and enthusiastic about learning, which made teaching very enjoyable. After a fun-filled recess, we split into two groups for service. Half of us sanded walls, while the others pick axed cement floors. We returned to home base and had a leadership activity regarding stereotypes and how to dismantle them. We then learned from our local staff how to prepare our dinner. We made guacamole, tostadas, and prepared lots of fruit. Some students chose to try a hot pepper, and a few seconds later deeply regretted it. The trip continues to get better each day, and we’re really lookin forward to the next.

Selim Khattab

Max Wilson

Wednesday August 8, 2018

Today we had a really full day! We started off with the usual breakfast and teaching and service, then had beans and rice for lunch. We then listened to a guest speaker from NAFGEM, which fights against female genital mutilation. We learned about the different types of mutilation and the importance of saving girls from going through this. The guest speaker also brought several girls who live at his shelter and they spoke about how they had to run away from their families and the experiences they went through. After this, we got to buy some bags and pouches they made and the funds went to the girls so that they could start their own life.

We then went to a coffee plantation and got to pick coffee beans and roast them. Then we crushed it and danced and sang songs with the village people. Drinking the coffee we made was so good and it was so interesting to see the whole process behind coffee before it gets shipped out. When we got home, we had an AMAZING dinner with some food from back home: fries, chicken wings, and coke! The coke was a huge treat because we’ve only been drinking water and the chicken wings were the best chicken wings we’ve ever had.

Overall, we had a great day and can’t wait to go to the orphanage tomorrow!

– Megan Dixon and Zoe Ferris

Thursday August 9, 2018

We started the day with an amazing breakfast of french toast! On the way to school, the students enjoyed an awesome jam sesh featuring One Direction and Pitbull. In the classroom the GLA students taught about days of the week, indirect and direct sentences, the family tree, and adjectives. During service work we split up into two groups focusing on making cement and plastering the walls.

The students joked around and ended up covered in plaster while singing 99 bottles of milk on the wall; which we finished to 0 bottles of milk on the wall! We then returned to home base to watch the documentary Girl Rising an inspiring story about empowering girls all over the world. After the movie, we visited the Tuleeni Orphanage and enjoyed some songs sang by GLA students, staff and the orphans. After a nice filling dinner Mama “Uweza” Simba told her inspiring life story and we were all very moved. We are super excited for whatever is in store for tomorrow!

-by Delaney Welty & Sara Ahmed

Friday August 10, 2018

Today was another eventful day here in Moshi-town! On the bus to school this morning we performed a lovely rendition of “Royals” by Lorde among other sub par pop songs. Every group made successful advancements in teaching English to their students through games, songs and writing assignments. After a tiring recess – the kids love to chase us around! – we were divided into our mentor groups to lay cement and continue painting the classrooms. At this point in the trip we are quite confident with our service skills and are excited to see the final product!

Later on in the day we went to buy souvenirs from a local market, so keep an eye out for some trinkets when we return home! In the afternoon we observed a local dance troupe called the Kill Wizard Dancers that went above and beyond our expectations. Selim was actually brought up to the stage and performed with fire, don’t worry parents, he’s still alive and doing well! The night ended with anticipation about our upcoming safari. We’re all very excited for this once in a lifetime experience and can’t wait to see some giraffes!

– Izzy Lapidus & Emily Yourman

Saturday August 11, 2018

The first day began bright and early when we left for our safari weekend on Saturday morning. The car ride was long, but it was filled with games, music and laughter which made the four hours seem like nothing. Our first stop was Tarangire National Park. We were in safari jeeps with the roofs propped up, so that we could stay in the car while watching all the animals and taking pictures. We saw numerous elephants, giraffes, impalas, zebras, wildebeests, and many different species of birds.

After the safari, we stayed at the Twiga Lodge. There we were served a delicious dinner of fish, goat, and veggie curry. After a long day of driving we went to our rooms and got some well needed rest.

Our second day of safari, started early 5:00am. We were again served a amazing breakfast, including crepes, toast, and eggs. We then got in our jeeps and headed to Ngorongoro National Park. When we first arrived we were greeted by a family of baboons that were playing and jumping all over the jeeps and gates. We then ventured into the park and the view was amazing! You could see the whole caldera, along with the surrounding mountains. We eventually made it down to the bottom of the caldera where there were many swamps filled with flamingos, cranes, and water buffalo. After that we came across a drier area that had elephants, warthogs, hyenas, zebras, wildebeests, jackal, gazelles, and lions. At lunchtime, we stopped for lunch at hippo pond. There we got to get out of our jeeps, and eat our lunch next to a pond full of hippos.

We got back in our jeeps and slowly headed home where we were greeted with a delicious dinner cooked by Mama D. Overall, it was a weekend to be remembered.

Haley Ireland & Helen Kenderov

Monday August 13, 2018

Today, sadly the second to last day of school, was a great teaching experience for all the GLA and school students. Although some of us were held back by being a bit sick everyone had such a positive teaching experience no matter what grade they were teaching. For service half of the students had a hard working cement session while the other half had a satisfying painting experience and both made great leaps in progress of the refurbishment of the classrooms. After school and lunch we all had the bittersweet goodbyes with our host families, spending the last time with them and wishing them a farewell. To say good bye we gave large gifts to their host families and many students received small gifts from their host families. Although I may never see my own host family again they have widened my personal view of the culture of Tanzania and its people.

Later, we had an incredibly interesting discussion with around 20 hiv/aids victims living here in tanzania. We learned about how their lives have been affected by the disease, some of the struggles they have had to endure, and some of the things that we can do to help. They told us that in tanzania about one person in each household will be infected with hiv/aids. one of the biggest reasons this disease continues to spread so rampantly is lack of education, which is why these people volunteer their time to come and share their stories with us and raise awareness for a disease that has been treated as a taboo in tanzania for so long. the work they have been doing has been a huge aid in combatting the widespread ignorance of this disease and it was so wonderful to hear from them. Until tomorrow!

Sydney Losikoff-Carey and Anna Heeter

Tuesday August 14, 2018

Today we woke up at 7:30 am to a breakfast of eggs, toast, pineapple, papaya, and a cake bread sort of thing. Then we finished up our last day of service at the school. Everyone was sad to leave the kids. We finished up concrete and painting and said out final goodbyes to the school. Then we came back to home base and had lunch. Then we competed in the S.P.A.C.E. J.A.M. competition where we had to compete in games in 3 teams which were the bopping whales, the spicy mongoose, and the happy dictators.

It was a great series of events that consisted of teamwork and fun. After that we had the opportunity to get our hair braided and get back out fabric pieces that got created into various things such as hoodies, shorts, bags and shirts. After that we had a delicious dinner and finished off the day with mentor groups. All is well here in Tanzania.

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Thursday July 19, 2018

Since it’s mostly adults reading this, Shikamoo! Today we visited our service site for the first time and got to see the school in action. After introducing ourselves to our classes, we got to spend recess with them where we had a blast playing games. After a half an hour of fun it was time to start our first day of service. We split into two groups, half of us sanded a wall in preparation for new paint while the other half pick axed an old concrete floor to make way for new floors. Once we had gotten back to homebase, we had lunch with our new host families! We got to learn more about Tanzania, while sharing information about our own homes.

Afterwards, we got to visit their homes and got to see the river, which had a cool bridge. After saying our temporary goodbyes, we got to play some games which involved running and catching each other so you could say we’ve bonded pretty well. After the game we had a little bit of free time before dinner where people played cards and cracked riddles. Then we enjoyed an amazing dinner before learning more about teaching English and lesson planning. We’re all excited to experience our first day of teaching tomorrow and work hard in service!!!

– Max Preuninger, Lauren McDannold, and Skye Perry

Friday July 20, 2018

Mambo! Anna, Gabi, and Allie here! Day 4 started night and early with the sound of prayer from the most. Today was our first day teaching. Following breakfast we loaded the bus and were on our way. We were greeted by the smiling students of matoli primary and mnini primary. Last night we made elaborate lesson plans that were put into action today! Starting our service of the day we continued our project of refurbishing old classrooms.

Some of us were pick axing cement, while others including ourselves were sanding down the classrooms so they are ready for paint. After a hard day of work we came home to Mama D’s amazing cooking. After a short break we separated into halves, while one group was doing batik painting, the other half was doing a leadership activity and a cooking class taught by the amazing Mama D, preparing a lovely dinner we would soon all feast on.

Dinner was delicious and we followed it with a birthday cake for our very own Derek Ng turning 17!! They celebrated him with a cake and a traditional celebration of dumbing two buckets of water on his head. Mentor groups then followed then some free time! What a day. Can’t wait for what the rest of the trip has in stock.

-Anna Paskalides, Allie Rosen, Gabi Gyurkovics

Saturday July 21, 2018

Habari,

Hello anxious parents and guardians, it’s Luca, Ryan, and Linden here for the daily report!

Since today was Saturday, and there was no school, all of us had the luxury of sleeping an extra hour and waking up at 8:30 – though most of us were up bright and early, for different reasons such as the morning prayer at the neighboring mosque, or just to get that extra hour of flowering friendship. After breakfast, we sat attentively and learned about the education of Tanzania from the vibrant McJerry, he can be seen on his instagram: @McJerryKomu.

Following, we made a trip into town to get snacks for tomorrows hike on Kilimanjaro, as well as having the opportunity to connect to the internet. After, we made our way back to home base to have a delicious lunch.

Shikamoo, a Swahili greeting that we learned among others during our Swahili lesson; a greeting to those older than you. During the Swahili lesson we also got measured for our own traditional clothes made from fabric we bought from town earlier in the week. At the orphanage, there was nothing less than smiles and fun, photos will come attached, don’t worry. Leaving the children was agreeably one of the hardest things we have to do here in Tanzania thus far. After a hard goodbye, we once again returned to home base to have a tasty dinner.

After dinner, we had a leadership activity concerning stereotypes and assumptions. After that, it was time to airdrop all the photos taken throughout the day, to hang out, and to write this blog that all you lovely parents and guardians have just finished reading.

Asante and Kwaheri, check in tomorrow for more!

Sunday July 22, 2018

After another morning of being able to sleep in, we prepared for our trip to Kilimanjaro. The group split into two buses and drove an hour and a half while finding things in common with friends we haven’t gotten to know as well. Once at Kilimanjaro we met our guide, Davis, who kept everyone smiling as we hiked to the entrance of Mount Kilimanjaro. The hike was beautiful!

On the way we saw several waterfalls and some students even swam in one. We took many pictures at the start of the hiking point then gladly took our comfortable buses back to home base, where we were greeted by Mama Simba. She had a very inspirational talk with us regarding her journey and the role of education in empowering others. After dinner we had an impressive dance and limbo competition.

-by Bella Kemp, Caleb Alebachew, Desi Mortell

Monday July 23, 2018

We woke up to an incredible breakfast by Mama D. After, we briefly lesson planned and departed for the primary school. After an hour of teaching, the physically demanding service began. Some pickaxed classrooms while others sanded and painted walls. After another amazing lunch, we were moved by a powerful speech about genital mutilation occurring in Africa. After this, we were driven to a coffee plantation where we were greeted by tribal dancers with drums. Following the intense dancing, we were taught how to make coffee straight from beans. Once returned to home base, we were blessed with another spectacular meal including rice, beef, and watermelon. We wrapped up the day with our mentor groups where we reflected and discussed our day, while scorning the idea we are half way done with our adventure in Tanzania.

-by Jacob Hamaker, Kris Li, Matt Michelini

Tuesday July 24, 2018

The morning started off with another yummy breakfast (our fav French Toast with some peanut butter). Next, we set off for school! The kids were great per usual, always a blast teaching and playing with them. Service was quite thrilling as one group pick axed, one sanded walls, and another filled holes in the wall. Our group successfully took the entire floor apart!! Next was a delicious lunch. After the fried rice, one group set off for Batik painting while the other stayed back to learn how to cook Tanzanian style! We learned how to paint, using wax as well, to produce a beautiful image of elephants and other Africa wildlife: While at the studio, the group was able to purchase other hand crafted arts and awesome elephant pants. All together, the experience pushed us to our artistic maximums! We then came back to our group favorite, Tanzanian tacos with guac. The night finished off with an empowering bonding session (sworn to secrecy). Last, we had the option of watching a touching documentary about young girls and their individual battles, while sharing blankets and mattresses sleepover style. Thanks for reading!

-Brielle Biggins, Morgan Hager, and Ella Law

Wednesday July 25, 2018

Shikamooni! Today was an amazing day. We started going to the school tolesson plan, teach, and do service. We had to make concrete manually which gave me a new respect for concrete trucks. After that we went into town to a market where we got to barter for our purchases, and then we watched a traditional dance group. They later taught us some of their dance. And then we spent the rest of the night playing this awesome game together. I can’t wait to tell you guys all about it when I get home.

-by Maya Rychlik, Kristin Berry, and Abby Buzza

Thursday July 26, 2018

This morning we woke up energized and excited to teach some kids English! After a successful day of teaching we continued our service including making cement and painting windows of the classrooms we are rebuilding. We were exhausted but it was definitely worth it as we were literally painting a brighter path for the children we are teaching. Then we returned and had a delicious lunch cooked by our very own Mama D. After lunch we met with our host families one last time in order to say our goodbyes. When we returned from visiting with our host families we were fortunate enough to talk and listen to some locals living with HIV/AIDS. Then, after dinner, we enjoyed a night of free time. We played cards, had conversations, and of course jammed out to Katy Perry. She is a very good singer and her old songs are bops. All in all, a great day!

Kwaherini!

-Anita Moreno, Jason Montezuma, Derek Ng

Friday July 27, 2018

Hey! It’s Maya, Ashley, and Katie here!

Today was our last day of teaching and service. We finished off service with painting the walls and windows. We also cemented the floor! It was very hard and emotional to leave all the kids for the last time. We came back to home base and had a tasty lunch, which was followed by S.P.A.C.E. J.A.M. aka the olympics at home base. We did a ton of competitions like the human knot, a blind maze, riddles, and skits. Jiggly Pigs came in first, followed by Kicking Sticks, and Slippery Blanket came in third. After the competitions the hair braiders came and many of us got braids, even though it looked like it hurt, they are pretty amazing looking. We finished off the night with a delicious dinner, and ice cream as a reward for the competitions. Many of us have started packing as we have a very big safari day tomorrow! Welp, time to hit the hay!

Love Maya Matheny, Katie Shanahan, and Ashley Mack

Saturday July 28, 2018

We started our day with an amazing breakfast as always (shoutout to Mama D and James). After our early breakfast we got in our jeeps and headed towards Tarangire park for our safari. Once our 5 hour ride was done and we finally reached the park we ate a quick lunch before heading in. During the safari we saw elephants, giraffes, wildebeests, vultures, African eagles, monkeys, impala, ostriches, and even a lion. It was very exciting to see the animals up close and in their natural habitat. While it was amazing to experience by the end we were all exhausted and ready to head to our lodge. Right as we arrived we ate a great dinner which included pumpkin soup, veggies, and rice. Then we all got ready for bed too prepare for another early morning and day of adventure tomorrow!

Sunday July 29, 2018

Our morning started at 5 am with a quick breakfast at the lodge. Then we headed for the Ngorongoro caldera. It was freezing outside because of the elevation so we were all bundled up together. At the crater we saw water buffalo, zebras, flamingos, hyenas, ostriches, gazelle, wildebeests, monkeys, lions, and hippos! We even got to eat lunch right beside a hippo pond. Heading back to home base was a lot of fun! The long drive was filled with laughing and music. After reaching home base we got our clothes back from the tailor which are all beautiful, and began the play our final games. We did an appreciation circle which was heartwarming for all of us. We had a last dinner of kebabs and ended with a small bonfire.

Andrea Vejar, Ashley Mack, Sarah Gelleny

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Sunday July 1, 2018

Mambozenu Families!

Your students have arrived safely in Tanzania and have completed their first full day of service, cultural exploration and learning! Today, we met with the many teachers and 150+ students at Moshi Primary School. The local students greeted the GLA students with wide smiles and lots of hugs! Some even playfully pushing and shoving to get closer to the “wazungu” (foreigners). After meeting everyone at the school our new GLA leaders started their first day of service with pickaxes and sandpaper in hand. After 2 1/2 hours of hard work they were rewarded with Tanzanian enchiladas and some traditional ugali for lunch. We then departed home base to explore Moshi town. While in town we visited the local fruit market and seamstress to select traditional Tanzanian fabrics to be made into dresses, shirts, skirts, pants and backpacks. These students are going to look AWESOME when they come home! After getting tailored for the fabrics local staff introduced some basic Swahili to better prepare the GLAers for their journey ahead.

Myself and the rest of the staff are very excited to continue this program and to create life-changing experiences for all of these lovely students!

Cheers and All the Best,
– Racquel Maronde

Monday July 2, 2018

Seasons come and go, but education lingers forever. Hello, I am Eesa and I am presenting you with the first part of this blog post. Today was quite eventful, we embarked on our first journey to the schoolhouse which was a leisurely 15 minute walk across terrain ravaged by light rainfall. We arrived with boys and girls ranged from grade 1 to grade 7 screaming out for us and greeting us with warming smiles. Orientation was filled with songs and mini games, during break we played soccer and musical dances. We then proceeded with our service part of today.

After the teaching, we split up into two groups. Eleven would be using pick-axes and shovels to tear up the concrete of a classroom almost 50 years old. The other ten would be sanding the walls. (Jack) In my experience, I was using the pick-axes taking chunks of concrete out of the ground. Two lizards were found and a pic-axe was split in half by Kai. After we made about two and a half hours of progress, we went back to home base for lunch followed by a trip to the market in town.

The market was something most of us has never seen before. Hundreds of people lined the streets either walking to a new destination or selling goods to locals and tourists. At the market the locals welcomed us. We bought some fruits to share, selfies took place, and some good efforts to speak Swahili came from us. A bus trip back to base camp and a delicious dinner ended the awesome day.

Wednesday July 4, 2018

Habari dudes!

Everything has been real poa here in Tanzania :)! We started our day by lesson planning, then headed off to the school for our first day of teaching! We taught our designated classes which are grades 3-6 ranging from 7- 12 year olds with various English levels. We taught everything from colors to days of the week. After our classes, we started our labor based service which meant half of us pickaxed concrete and the rest of us sanded walls! Whoop! Later, we learned about the Tanzanian education system from a secondary teacher who is very familiar with the local and national education system. Next, we headed to a coffee farm where we learned about the coffee making process, including harvesting and roasting then ultimately enjoyed a cup of fresh coffee we helped make. Also, we danced with the amazing Chagga dancers. It was a long but good day.

Kwaheri,

Rebekah and Kayla 🙂 <3 😀

Thursday July 5, 2018

Hello!

This morning started off with our normal trip to the school where we continued to work with the students on a variety of topics. After class we enjoyed another recess in which we experienced many games and activities that the students enjoy, such as broken telephone, duck duck goose, soccer, and of course flipping over rocks. We then went to work on mixing and laying concrete and priming the walls in a classroom. Back at home base we ate a lunch that was favored by the mentors and is now by us.

The afternoon consisted of batik painting. This process is done by using dye and wax. The wax is placed to create the design It was an extensive but very rewarding process. It is still up for debate who is going to be the next bob Ross. Most importantly we celebrated Rosie’s birthday with a cake and a surprise water attack. Today was more relaxed but just as unique and fun as past days. We are very eager for the upcoming days and the new relationships that are forming!

-Ashley and Rosie

Sunday July 8, 2018

Hamjambo friends and family,

Lorena and Quinna here writing to you after our fun weekend of safaris! We’ve had early mornings but being able to explore all day was worth it. Saturday we left home base for our first safari where we saw cheetahs, wildebeests and a lot more in Tangire National Park. It was one of our first sunny days in Tanzania which was much appreciated! Saturday night we spent at a hotel and we left 5:30 Sunday morning for another full day in Ngorogoro National Park. The crater was beautiful but very cold. We saw lions, hyenas and ostriches and stopped for lunch with the hippos! We got back in the jeeps for a long drive back to home base and we’re ready to get back to teaching and service tomorrow.

– Lorena and Quinna

Monday July 9, 2018

Today we got back on track with service in the morning after a weekend at the safari. At home base we had an HIV/AIDS panel, which consisted of four guests giving their testimony. Each of them explained how they dealt with HIV and how it has changed their life. After the HIV/AIDS panel, we visited an orphanage called Tuleeni, founded by Mama Ferragi. This orphanage has several locations and offers sponsorship opportunities. After learning about this, we came back to home base and had an amazing dinner. To wrap it up we met with our mentor group and participated in different activities.

-Ivanna and Maria

Tuesday July 10, 2018

Bailee and Enrique here blogging. Hello dads and moms. Today we started the day off as usual, breakfast, teaching, then service. quite a nice start to the day. We came back from service to some delicious lunch. After lunch we took some naps, and we then went to a chill moment where we ate some untypical Tanzanian food (fries). We attempted to use the internet but it was quite difficult to access our snapchats. We finished the day with the best activity which consisted of watching and partaking in traditional Tanzanian dancing. peace out – Spain rules.

Wednesday July 11, 2018

Mambo friends!

Today was another wonderful day in beautiful Tanzania. We had a productive morning full of teaching the children and finishing up on painting and cementing the classrooms. After a delicious lunch, we were introduced to a speaker who discussed a highly significant issue in Tanzania, female genital mutilation. We were informed of the issue by a speaker from NAFGEM (Network Against Female Genital Mutilation), and along with him the students and staff were introduced to two young girls who were fortunate enough to escape this lifestyle in avoidance of child marriage and female genital mutilation.

After this, we met with our host families one last time to say our final goodbyes, experiencing and learning of the lifestyles of the people in our community. To end the day, we had a tasty dinner cooked by the lovely Mama D. Then, we debriefed with our mentor groups. Now, it’s time for bed. Good night to you all! 🙂

-by Charlotte & Rain

Thursday July 12, 2018

Hello rafiki zangu! Today was a crazy day filled with both sadness and fun. We started off our journey by walking over to the Moshi primary school for the last day of service. Teaching with the kids was bittersweet for us because we’ve all become so attached to these kids and it was very hard to say goodbye. After many hugs and tears with the kids, we moved on to complete the finishing touches on the newly renovated rooms, for our final service act. It took several minutes for us to finally let go of the kids’ hands and leave this chapter behind.

After another fantastic lunch, we set out into Moshi town to do some last minute souvenir shopping and pick up snacks for our hike tomorrow. Upon returning to Home Base, a few adventurous individuals received cornrows from local hair braiders. Our specially ordered clothing were also ready and we were able try them on. Our final activity of the day was a series of competitions/games between mentor groups titled S.P.A.C.E. J.A.M. (Smart Practices and Competitive Games of James, Andie, and Melissa). These competitions consisted of physical, mental and teamwork challenges and games. To cap this wonderful day off, we ended this series of competitions with a closing ceremony and a friendly feast of ice cream.

Friday July 13, 2018

Hi! So today was sadly our last day on the trip, but we definitely had a really fun last day!!! We got to wake up an hour later (woooooooo!!!!) and we headed off to a town a short ways away from the base of Kilimanjaro. We then began our hike through the rainforest. Although the weather wasn’t ideal we all made the most of our last day together. After an hour or so from our start we came to a beautiful waterfall and a little lake as we stopped for lunch we also had the choice to swim in a river that was ice cold.

After we finished our polar swim we continued with the hike and finally made it to the trailhead of Kilimanjaro. When we got back to home base we had a “compliment circle” where we all expressed how much we cared about one another (it was super cute!). We had an AMAZING last dinner (thank you Mama D!!!!) and had our last mentor groups. We finished off the night with a late verges and scary stories around a bonfire. ‘‘Twas a fun trip. Peace out Tanzania, its been real 🙂

-Isabella and Rebekah

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Sunday June 17, 2018

Hi all,

After lots of travel over the last 48 hours, we had a great first day as a group in Tanzania! We got to have our first breakfast here and we spent a couple of hours going over the ground rules for our trip. After fried chicken and rice for lunch, we departed for the city of Moshi to buy fabrics for personalized clothing and to explore the colorful markets! After dinner we continued getting to know each other through leadership activities as well as meeting with our mentor groups for the first time! It’s been an exhausting and exciting day. We are really enjoying ourselves so far and we’re eager for the days to come!

-Kathryn Galvin & David Dixon

Monday June 18, 2018

After waking up and eating breakfast this morning, the tailor came and took measurements for those of us who bought fabric at the market yesterday. We then expanded our Swahili vocabulary by learning new phases and speaking with a local teacher about the history of Tanzania. When lunch came around, we got a chance to meet with the local families and learn about their lives. The families then welcomed us into their homes where we gained a new perspective about how people live. Many of us spent the day observing the beauty of Moshi and dancing with out host families! We ended the day with a lot of “asante” or “thank yous” and lots of friendly hugs! We look forward to meeting the school children tomorrow and further submersing ourselves in Tanzanian culture.

– Alex (john) Ivey & Katherine Eynon

Tuesday June 19, 2018

Today was our first trip to the local schools! We participated in fun introductory games like “Red Light, Green Light” and “If your happy and you know it clap your hands!” After our time in the classroom we started the physical labor portion of our service. We sanded down one classroom and began repairing the floors of another, it was hard work, but rewarding in the end! After dinner we got to listen to a very important person, Mama Simba. She began Experience Tanzania and has partnered with GLA for 10+ years to share here experiences and opportunities with international students. She’s incredibly inspirational and hardworking. We ended the night with “When I say GLA” you say “WE ARE LEADERS!”

– Haley Hintz & Tara Neyssari

Wednesday June 20, 2018

Today we taught our first lesson to the local kids! The first day went really well and the students were very excited to see us! After a successful hour of teaching we later continued our pick-axing and sanding jobs from the previous day to improve several classrooms. We then returned to home base and had a delicious meal cooked by Mama D the chef! The groups later split up and one half went to make unique Batik fabric paintings (a 4-hour process!) while the others stayed to learn traditional Tanzanian cooking methods. Overall we had a fun, action-packed day!

– Reet Oberoi & Stephanie van Scriver

Thursday June 21, 2018

Yesterday started off with the sun was shining and a bright blue sky. We woke up early for breakfast at 7:30. After planning our lessons, we made our 10 minute walk to Moshi Primary School and taught our eager students! At recess we played with lots of children, we also were blown away by the amazing acrobatic flips some of the older male students performed! They merely flipped off a large rock and spun full circle in the air, it was crazy!!! (And all of it they learned by themselves!) After a quick change and snack which kept us energized for our service we primed the class walls and laid out a smooth concrete floor. Soon after the sweat evaporated, we made our walk to home base where Mama D made us a delicious lunch of enchiladas, fruit salad and lentils for Rocky’s 27th birthday (our international director). Then we had a speaker come and talk to use about female gentile mutilation. The discussion was very eye opening about horrors going on in other countries. It was fascinating, yet devastating. We then had the opportunity to support the NAFGEM cause by buying items made personally by those who were rescued.

Then after the afternoon heat had died down, we went to the coffee farm in 2 groups of 12. We were met the by the Chagga Dancers and everyone there was a little timid to join but we all got to join in and bang the drum. After experiencing the amazing dance, the boys showed us/explained the process. We got to pick the red berries from the beautiful jungle with both banana trees and the coffee plants. We saw the beans get peeled and they mashed them up with the “Tawnga” song where the workers danced and sang. Then we sifted which Agape (our local director) NAILED. We then roasted the beans with another amazing song and dance. Next we beat them again to make a powder that we burned to make amazing coffee. Then we got to try an amazing cup of coffee and after another dance from the mamas, we finally left to go back to base. After some free time we had a delicious dinner of pasta and meat. We had some more free time before doing an emotional circle where we got to know each other a lot better. Then we had cake shaped like a present for a final celebration of Racquel’s birthday. We had some free time and got to stay up a little later than normal. Overall the day was really fun and the hottest/dryest we’ve had yet!”

– Caroline Lewis and Minty (Clementine) Wilson

Friday June 22, 2018

Today was a great day!! We started off with teaching at the Moshi Primary School; it was so much fun as always! We ended all of our classes with a big dance party during the students’ free time. After that we started our service where we split into groups to paint a school-room and lay some concrete. We learned how to mix and lay our own concrete with just a few shovels and water – no machinery! We are already able to see the differences we have made at the school.

In the afternoon we visited the Tuleeni Orphanage just down the road. This is the orphanage that one of our guest speakers – Julian, a previous GLA student – had volunteered at and then started his own, separate foundation to help children in need (and he’s only 21 years old!) While at the orphanage we got to play with the children and get to know everyone a little bit better. Seeing the orphanage and the children that have been adopted was definitely inspiring and eye-opening. You could really feel the love and the dedication that people have put into the orphanage and the childrens’ lives.

– Drew Harris & Maria Baaima

Sunday June 24, 2018

We had an early morning, with breakfast at 6:30 so we could get an early start on our 5 hour drive to the first day of our safari adventure! We were split into groups, got into our safari jeeps and were on our way! Half way through the drive we stopped at a grocery store to use the restrooms and fuel up on some snacks. The favorites were chips and lots of different candies. Then, we continued on our drive to the Tangire Safari Park and arrived around 12:15. On our way to the safari we saw Maasai children herding cattle in their traditional blue and red dress. Some of the young boys were dressed in all black with white paint on their faces to celebrate an old Maasai tradition of circumcision. It was amazing.

When we arrived at the site we had boxed lunches together outside the park entrance and then got into our cars to venture out to see some animals! The popular choice in our lunches was the carrot sandwich! Mmmmmm carrots and butter. About 5 minutes into our drive we saw numerous zebras, impalas, birds, and even a hippo! A little later we saw giraffes and elephants; the elephants came so close to the car! It made for great pictures and an overall breathtaking experience. After our 3 hour Safari we drove another hour to our lodge for the night. Once we arrived at Twiga lodge we went to our rooms and hung out by the awesome pool until dinner time. For dinner we had an assortment of many foods, from French fries and fried fish to goat meat and rice. We all hung out for a while after but we had to get an early start the next morning for day two of our safari adventure so we were all in our rooms by 9. It was such a good day full of experiences and animals we will definitely not forget!

-by Sophia Alembik & Abigail Reeder

Wednesday June 27, 2018

Rise and shine students, it’s time for another breakfast of champions! We’re off to another day of teaching the future minds of Tanzania. Last day to squeeze in those last minute lessons, exciting games and dance parties! Heartbreaking goodbyes between local and GLA students were shared before finishing our last day of service. Back to home base for a group fav lunch of Chapati! We then departed for a quick money exchange and shopping trip. Back at home base hair braiders came to braid hair and students and mentors showed off their newly sewn, African apparel. We then had much appreciated down time before a delicious dinner rice, meat and vegetables. After our meal, we headed off to our last mentor groups and then off to bed for a night of slumber.

– Mary Wright & Mary Elizabeth Michaelis (or as they liked to be called Mimi & Libby)