A lot of water has fallen down the Boti Falls but it’s still gushing down.  Its only by the grace of God that we are all well in our various endeavors.  As Krobo men and women,  i am confident that you are keeping your spouses happy and “Dipo” certified content (wink wink).  We are still keeping our kitchens busy as well as our posture pure with hawking every now and again .

I am waiting for my bride price oooooo,  those who owe me get that cheque book out. By your commitment we can boast of better grades and standard of education in Asitey and Edmon Preschool after all this time.  Yahweh bless you indeed.  Hey can you remember how much we danced in church?  The church has a new building now.  I am sure Cedi beads and batik making has taught you to be patient because quality things take time.

In all challenges that confront you remember your social skills and tolerant attitude. . How about the Krobo Girls students,  has any of them crossed your path? Have you seen how big “Olongo”  is become on the international music scene?  They performed at Montreal, Glastonbury,  New York and Chicago. Follow them if You have the time.

I hope the boys are now singing songs with better content…  Kids from the park are now grown up and love school,  they help out with host families and are useful to the current GLA students.  For everyone i have a “boggle” word or phrase to describe your experience 10 years ago..

I end by sending you on a journey back to a lunch of peanut butter soup,  with rice balls and fresh chopped mango. I wont forget the side order of cocoyam crisps.. Mmmmmmm.

For whatever the challenge you face,  just remember our song….

Ba ba ba ba
Shebaba oooo
o Shebaba….

-Henry

Our first group this summer was comprised of 17 wonderful women from throughout the United States.  Although they were all from the same country, they were diverse in their personalities, offering their passion, enthusiasm and wide range of expertise to the GLA program.  They definitely set the bar high!

They met every experience of the program head on with great energy.  Their flexibility with respect to the Ghanian way of life was key to the success of their program.  When the rain poured down during Batik making, they danced in it; when the programs started late, they found various ways of passing time; when the bricks collapsed, they started again; when teachers were not in their classes, they took full control ……. you get the picture!  Their individual positive attitude was infectious for the collective vibe.

Down time you ask??

There really wasn’t any as all the students LOVED to fill in the curricular gaps with games and engaging conversation.

Recollections of the first program which put a smile on my face:

• Sadie arriving later than the rest of the crew due to a flight mishap, jumping right in without missing a beat
• Ginna meditating at Umbrella Rock, while Rachel and Nicki hung off the cliff
• Hayley and Isabelle enjoying entertaining the nursery students with GIANT bubbles
• Victoria, Izzy and Frances gracefully trying to balance the Gerry can on their heads during the hawking lesson
• Alli rockin’ it making bricks in her pink floral skirt
• Liz and Mckenzie refereeing the local soccer competition
• Ella sprinting around the outside of the circle in pursuit of one of the local children while playing ‘duck, duck, goose’
• Sophie outrunning every ‘bro’ on the field when playing a friendly game of soccer
• Tatum always having a child in her arms or on her back while playing in the park
• Quillan, Jessica and others getting a full on soaker during a Ghanian  downpour – smiles from ear to ear!

-Wendy

Feeling nostalgic? You can experience that same sense of friendship and adventure abroad again! Check out all our new destinations for Summer 2018, or enroll now.

Two weeks in Ghana building compost toilets and adventuring in an Ewe community with nine strangers your age, a bunch of locals, and a couple of crazy American ladies…who knew that was the recipe for the perfect family away from home?! After hours of hard physical labor, conflicting discussions, swimming shenanigans in the lagoon, mealtime conversations on the deck, and group hugs to share the love, we definitely mastered the art of “family” vacationing with purpose!

Let’s recap some of the awesomeness we all created during our time in Dzita…

-Belgians…’nuff said

-Lagoon dips during every possible 5 minute break

-Graeme’s Haka performance – “Camate camate cora cora!!”

-Tom’s drumming skillzz

-Never have I ever

-Kittens!

-Amber’s acting performance, mourning over Victor’s death during the traditional Ghanaian dance class.

-Maximo’s epic facial expressions

-Alison’s natural remedies and happyface pics

-Tristan’s wicked oyster shell sliced foot

-Victor’s ninja skillzz

-Ethan’s dad jokes

-Kailas’ panther stare

-Mackenna’s filterless awesomeness

-Bea’s cuddlebug hugs

-Georgina’s ginger power

-Derek’s song writing and acting skillzz

-Banus -_-

-Notes under doors

-Side flip!

-Yevu! Amayibo!

-75th toilet!

-Coke floats!

-Papa’s specials

-Movie night!!!

-Ice cream in the Accra mall

-The Belgians playing mini djembe drums in the Accra mall while Kailas danced

-Carrying pans of water/sand on our heads

-Akpe!

-“We don’t need leaders.”…ahem. 😉

-“All breakages are payable!” – Ballo

-“It wasn’t me…are you sure?” – Jasper

-Justine’s food…yummmm!

-DJ Ferry’s beats

There are hundreds more memorable moments from our two weeks together, but  when looking back at photos and reminiscing over that one time in Ghana, we’ll all think fondly of our time together and send a quick Snapchat to the group, just to say hi and keep in touch. Stay awesome everyone! And always remember how powerful your leadership is in this world! YOU can make a difference, and you will always have support from GLA and each other! Hugs and love to you all! 🙂

-Alison Owens

Feeling nostalgic? You can experience that same sense of friendship and adventure abroad again! Check out all our new destinations for Summer 2018, or enroll now.

Sweat, laughter, exhaustion, fun, homesickness, water, hugs, new friends, and unforgettable experiences day in and day out. This is only a short list of what the last two weeks have given us during an extremely impacting stay at Meet Me There African Home Lodge in Dzita, Ghana.  We successfully constructed two compost toilets from start to finish, built by the Magnificent 7 – Jed, Danesh, Noah, Erin, Maria, Joy, and Rain, with the just a weeeeee bit of guidance from our trusted leaders, Ballo and Jasper. There was definitely no shortage of fun and learning with those two, and the positive impact on the community as a result of all the hard work, is immeasurable.

From the moment we all bonded over frappuccinos whilst awaiting the arrival of our dear Danesh, to the moment we all shared a good laugh as he talked for 20 minutes non-stop after drinking 5 Coke floats – ahhh never was there a dull moment! Luckily we had Graeme who humored Danesh by dishing out wisdom after wisdom – don’t remember? Just ask Jed, he seemed to remember Graeme’s teachings quite well!

Although, I’m not sure any of us listened much to his advice on mosquitos, considering we all had elbows and ankles the size of Canada due to the many acquired mosquito (and other bug) bites. However, Noah must’ve had a secret, as I’m not sure he even had one bite! Though what Noah did have was a knack for captaining the canoe, that is, so long as Ballo wasn’t attempting to flip it or jump in while in the middle of the lagoon. Ohhh the lagoon! Such a marvelous body of water! It was always so refreshing to go for a swim after a long days’ worth of activities, or just before lunch after a hard day of service work.

Agbledome, the community where we built the two compost toilets, will always hold a special place in our hearts. Remember the walk to site, first passing the seamstress where several of us bought tailor-made (awesome!) patchwork pants, then off the main road entering into the Agbledome community via small farms, then passing Auntie’s where we all had tailor-made traditional clothes made, and finally arriving to our sites to start sweating up a storm as we mixed concrete, carried cinderblocks, and shoveled sand while listening to whatever mix the dj had for the day.

Thankfully, Josie baked us delicious cookies and muffins to wane the mid-morning hunger every day, and often the locals would send a young boy up a coconut tree with a machete in his mouth to chop down some coconuts and kindly prepare and deliver them to us so we would stay hydrated and happy during those toasty, late-morning hours.

Even though the Opening Ceremony of the compost toilets was delivered in the local language, Ewe, it was still the perfect way for us to close our finished project with pride. The families that would be utilizing the toilet were taught to use and care for their new loo, and after receiving an entertaining hand-washing demonstration by Jed and Maria, I’m sure everyone will remember the importance of washing their hands after doing their business in their new, snazzy compost toilet. Needless to say, our efforts in promoting healthy living through sanitary practice were a success! Great job everyone, and thank you all for your hard work and dedication to Building Healthy Villages!!!

A few moments to remember:

-Swimming in the lagoon
-Noah canoeing…everyday ☺
-Ping pong
-Danesh’s 7+ Coke floats in a day
-Jed’s bro-dance with Jasper
-Danesh’s Blah Ba Yo! conversations
-Rain’s VB skills
-Erin’s sunburn
-Joy master packing skills with her backpack
-Maria’s yoga skills

-Alison Owens

Feeling nostalgic? You can experience that same sense of friendship and adventure abroad again! Check out all our new destinations for Summer 2018, or enroll now.