PROGRAM PHOTO ALBUM
Thanks for the checking out the blog for this Global Leadership Adventures program!
Here are a few things to know and expect:
- Blog posts are written by onsite program staff and/or students and sent to our Headquarters team who will post the blog on this page.
- We typically receive 2-3 blog updates per week from each program, so please don’t be alarmed if you don’t see a blog post every day – that’s totally normal.
- Blog updates received late in the evening or overnight will be posted the following day.
- Blog updates received on weekends may not be posted until Monday.
- Due to many factors such as internet accessibility, program staff aren’t always able to send photos, so some blog posts may contain text only.
Thank you for your patience and understanding, and we hope you enjoy following along on these unforgettable adventures.
For frequently asked questions about the blogs, please visit our Program Blog FAQ page.
-The Global Leadership Adventures HQ Team
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BLOG POST FOR JULY 7
Author: James M. (International Director)
Karibu sana, or welcome, from Tanzania!
It was a smooth start to our program with Chatham lucking out and arriving a couple of days early to home base to rest and relax with the team!
We had an early start to begin picking up the majority of our students on arrival day, us going on various trips to the airport, having some snacks on the drive to our home base in Moshi, near the base of Mt. Kilimanjaro which can be seen on clear days right from town! The rainy season is nearly over so everything is green and the air is cool and fresh! It is avocado season and there are many corn fields that are nearly ready for harvest, but in general there is an abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables all around!
The students settled in at home base and ate lunch as a small group before playing some ice-breakers and hanging around the many common areas under shaded fruit trees, or having a warm shower and relaxing! This evening we welcomed our late arrivals, us sitting down to eat dinner together to wrap up our first day in the country!
We’re anxiously awaiting our final arrival, Melvin, to be a full family here in Tanzania!
Kwaheri, or goodbye for now!
-James (International Director)
BLOG POST FOR JULY 8
Zaha asubuhi, or good morning from Moshi!
We began the day with a later breakfast which allowed students to sleep off some of their jet lag after a long travel day! We then headed straight into a full day of orientation to get acquainted with the entire program!
We had a variety of sessions about cultural norms and customs, a full home base tour, an introduction to Swahili (the local language), and the Tanzanian education system, broken up with fun and engaging ice-breakers and team-building activities to get to know one another.
We tried some Tanzanian dishes for lunch including coconut rice, local greens, and chicken curry, and of course fresh fruit!
Later on we had some relaxing time this evening to play some group games and chill before calling it a night as tomorrow we will head to the school where we will be meeting the students and beginning our service work!
Melvin, our final addition to the Tanzanian group also arrived tonight so we are now a full team, woohoo!
Uwe na siku njema, or have a great day!
James (International Director)
BLOG POST FOR JULY 10
Authors: Max H. and Lexi S.
Today we woke up to a delicious breakfast cooked by the staff followed by an exciting bus ride to the primary school. We were warmly greeted by the entire school containing songs and introductions from all of the teachers. We then split up and made our way to our different classrooms. The GLA students first met the students and observed how the teacher taught English and how the students learned. There were many songs, dances, and fun activities.
After a short break, it was time for playtime which was moved inside do to the rain. We played many games such as red light, green light and indoor soccer. We said our goodbyes to the children for the day and started our service work consisting of sanding down the walls in two classrooms to prepare to paint them. After this, we got back on the bus and headed back to home base.
Back at home base we had a filling lunch including more local dishes. Then we got back on the bus and went to the local market. There we got to choose fabrics for our custom clothes. Before we headed home, we stopped at the supermarket to see and buy some new snacks.
Once we got back to home base, we worked with two tailors to get fitted for our new clothes and accessories. The rest of the night was filled with GLA activities and dinner!
BLOG POST FOR JULY 10
Authors: Ciri C. and Ofir W.
Today started with breakfast at home base, followed by preparing our lessons using the plans we received from the local teachers the day before. After finalizing our activities, we took the bus to the school and split into our teaching groups to present our lessons to the students. Once class ended, we had playtime with the kids, joining them in games and dancing. Afterward, we helped sand and prime two classrooms that we’ll be working on throughout the week.
When we returned to home base, we made lunch and then headed out to a local market to shop for ingredients for our cooking class. In the evening, our local staff taught us how to prepare a traditional meal called “pilao”, which we enjoyed together for dinner.
We ended the day by gathering in our mentor groups to reflect on the day’s experiences and play some games!
BLOG POST FOR JULY 11
Authors: Kaya K. and Jackson B.
Today we woke up and were ready for breakfast by 7:30. Lulu, the chef, made a really good meal to start our day. After eating, we had about 30 minutes from 8:00 to 8:30 for some teacher planning before getting our shoes on and hopping on the bus. We arrived at the school by 9:00 AM.
Once we got there, the kids greeted us so sweetly. We dropped our backpacks in the office and headed to our classrooms from 9:00 to 10:00 to teach our grades. After teaching, we had a quick 5–10 minute snack break in the teacher’s lounge before going outside for recess with the kids. We spent around 30 minutes playing soccer, Duck Duck Goose, and other fun games with lots of laughter, photos, and memories.
After recess, we headed into the library and classroom where each mentor group started painting the first layer of oil paint on the walls. We painted for about an hour and a half, then took a break and later got a mini tour of the school with one of the teachers and Tunu. We saw the bathrooms, classrooms, kitchen, and learned more about how the students eat and some of the struggles they’re facing.
After the tour, we went back to home base around 1:00 PM and ate another yummy lunch from Lulu. By 1:55, we were back on the bus and headed to batik painting. From 2:00 to 6:15, we worked on choosing our images and went through the whole 7-step painting process. It was super fun and creative.
We got back to home base, did a quick chow circle, washed up, had dinner, hung out for a bit, and then headed to bed!
BLOG POST FOR JULY 12
Authors: Sheryl P. and Gabriel S.
Today started off on a high note with another delicious breakfast prepared by Chef Lulu, her meals never disappoint!
We then jumped into our first GLA anchor activity, which was a lively and thought-provoking debate. Each of us represented a different party and had to argue our perspectives on the central question: should Tanzania open more public primary schools teaching English as the main language or could this make inequality worse and negatively affect Swahili and local culture? The conversation quickly became passionate and engaging, with everyone bringing strong points to the table.
After the debate, we split into two teams, one led by Agape and the other by Tunu, for an exciting scavenger hunt. We were given a list of items and challenges, such as taking pictures with a chicken or a dog, each worth different point values. At the end, we tallied up the scores, and Tunu’s group, led by Gabriel, came out on top! It was such a fun and interactive way to explore the local culture and landscape.
Following the scavenger hunt, we attended an HIV/AIDS panel where several individuals shared their personal stories. It was a powerful and eye-opening experience. We asked many questions and gained a much deeper understanding of how HIV and AIDS affect individuals and communities, as well as how they are managed.
After a packed and enriching morning, we sat down for lunch: rice and beans, followed by sweet, juicy pineapple for dessert. Everyone was buzzing with excitement because next on the schedule was a shopping trip! We picked out souvenirs to bring home, bracelets, handcrafted items, and even a Tanzanian national football jersey (Cheryl got that one!). We also had the chance to see Tanzanite, a stunning gemstone that’s said to be 1,000 times rarer than diamonds. It was a beautiful and memorable experience.
Later in the afternoon, we visited a local coffee farm. We learned the entire coffee-making process, from roasting and grinding the beans to tasting the final product. What made it even more special was how the farmers integrated singing and dancing into the experience, making it feel joyful and cultural. The coffee was incredible, honestly the best we’ve ever tasted!
Throughout the day, we were met with warmth and hospitality from everyone we encountered. The people of Tanzania are incredibly kind, and the country itself is rich with beauty and tradition.
Dinner was a delicious meal of chicken, potatoes, and fresh salad, another perfect end to a full day.
We are incredibly grateful to be here. This journey has already been unforgettable, and we’re so thankful to GLA for giving us this opportunity. Our first week has been amazing, and we’re excited for everything the last week will bring.
Thank you, GLA!
BLOG POST FOR JULY 13
Authors: Claire B. and Jaq H.
Hello Families! This morning, we woke up bright and early and quickly ate our breakfast. Following this, we stripped our bedsheets for the lovely staff to clean. We then had a mid-experience check-in, marking the halfway point of our experience. After this, we played some fun superlative games which caused a lot of laughter! We next had a dorm-cleaning competition which was judged by some of the local support staff, many students getting quite creative in order to win. Later on we had an amazing talk with the one and only Mama Simba. She shared her life story, taught us about her philosophies of life, and introduced her educational non-profit, the Uweza Foundation.
Following this was a special lunch where we were introduced to our host families. We ate lunch with several local families and got to visit their homes and families. It was truly eye-opening to see the way they live. Children made jump ropes out of plastic water bottles, made balls out of socks, and even made up their very own songs. It was interesting to see how some adults provide for their families. They would harvest their own food and many could only share a single room. After spending a few hours with the host families, it was finally time to say goodbye. After several tearful farewells (literally), we ended the day with a GLA “chow circle”, some delicious dinner, and mentor groups.
BLOG POST FOR JULY 14
Authors: Chatham W. and Cecilia N.
Day 8! Today we woke up bright and early, ready to start the day! For breakfast, we had toast, avocado, eggs, and fruit. After eating, we traveled to the local elementary school where we split into our teaching groups. After teaching the kids, we split into our two service groups where we continued to paint the library and the 6th-grade classroom. After a long two hours of service, we headed back to home base for lunch! For lunch, our amazing chef Lulu made rice, peas in sauce, and spinach, with fresh fruit on the side — it was delicious!
After lunch, we traveled to a local supermarket to stock up on snacks for our upcoming safari later in the week! Then we headed to a different local school to play and spend time with the students. We all had a lot of fun and had a great time!
Later on, we headed into the village to experience a cultural exchange through traditional African dancing and drumming. We watched some professional dancers, and we all had a chance to try some traditional African instruments and learn some dances.
At around 6 p.m., we arrived back at home base and had our chow circle, where our new leaders of the day were named—Jessie and Melvin! For dinner, we had hamburgers and french fries, and some more fresh fruit! A less exotic dish but still extremely delicious. We had some free time after dinner, where we all spent time in the common areas at home base. After a long day, we settled in for the night, ready to seize the brand new day tomorrow!
BLOG POST FOR JULY 15
Authors: Jessica H. and Melvin L.
Today we started the day as a regular school morning, we woke up early for a tasty breakfast prepared by our amazing chef, Lulu. After getting some fuel for the day, we headed over to the school to start teaching our lessons. After teaching and playing with the kids at break time, we picked back up our service work from yesterday, which was finishing off the painting in our designated rooms, a classroom and a new library.
Later we headed back to home base and enjoyed a delicious lunch and had some time to play games with each other to have some down time.
After that we headed over to a local market. It was a bustling place, filled with secondhand and new clothing, jewelry and shoes, along with food, fruit, and just about anything else you could imagine. After buying some things to remember the trip by, we headed back to home base and did a GLA activity. This consisted of thinking of ways to improve the community, especially in the school that we are working in currently, both short and long term, like donating used items, sharing our experiences with those back home, and raising money in the future for renovating and expanding the school.
Following that, we met our local hair braiders who used their artistic skills to create beautiful designs of our choice on our hair.
After a filling and yet again delicious meal, we had our safari briefing to prepare us for the next two exciting days in the national parks, like what to bring, who we were traveling with in our safari jeeps, and what our days and accommodation would look like.
Thank you GLA for another unforgettable day, filled with memories we will always cherish!
BLOG POST FOR JULY 16
Authors: Max H. and Ofir W.
The students started off the day with an early morning. We woke up at 5am and were on the road by 5:30am. We split up into three safari cars and began the long drive to Tarangire National Park. Along the way, we stopped a few times for snack breaks.
Just before noon, we finally arrived at the national park for our first safari! Our tour guides first showed us zebras and wildebeests, along with the beautiful landscape. After an hour of driving around, we stopped at a campsite for a quick lunch. We then drove around for another few hours, spotting giraffes, elephants, water buffalos, meerkats, ostriches, among many other animals.
Around 4pm, we departed from the national park and started our drive to the lodge. It was an eventful drive to our home for the night, enjoying a great sunset as the temperature quickly cooled. We arrived at the lodge just before dark, dropping our bags before having a nice, filling dinner at the lodge and then settled in for bed after a long, exciting day!
BLOG POST FOR JULY 17
Author: Gabe S.
Today started bright and early, we woke up around 5a.m. to a delicious breakfast prepared with love by the nuns. After getting ready, we set off in safari jeeps for our big adventure. We met our drivers and headed for the main gate to Ngorongoro Crater National Park. Our drivers turned out to be incredibly kind, knowledgeable, and well-spoken, teaching us so much about the animals we were about to see.
When we arrived at the national park, the view took our breath away. Driving through the mountains in the soft morning mist felt like a dream. Eventually, we reached the famous crater, and it was absolutely stunning, a vast, natural amphitheater packed with life.
We saw so many animals, mostly wildebeest, zebras, and flamingos. But that wasn’t all. We also spotted lions, elephants, monkeys, buffalo, ostriches, hippos, warthogs, and even a rhino (though very far away and a bit blurry)! One of the highlights was when a large troop of baboons stopped us on the road. The baby baboons were adorable, and it was incredible to see them so close. Not long after, a huge buffalo blocked our path, definitely a bit scary! We also came face-to-face with a massive elephant, just a few feet away.
Although we were lucky to see so much wildlife, we were a little disappointed that we didn’t get to see a cheetah or a male lion up close. Still, the experience was unforgettable.
For lunch, we stopped near a peaceful hippo pool. The nuns had packed a beautiful meal of chicken, fries, fresh fruit, and biscuits. After lunch, we began the journey back home. As we climbed out of the crater, we were treated to one last magical view, an incredible panorama of the entire crater from high on the mountain. The scenery was stunning.
The ride home was long, about four hours, but we made a few stops to get a snack along the way, and the food there was delicious. Totally worth it.
Now we’re on our way home, where we’ll celebrate International Director James’s birthday with a song and a special dinner made by Lulu. Happy birthday James!
All in all, today was amazing, packed with wildlife, breathtaking landscapes, great food, and joyful moments. We’ll never forget it. Thank you for such a wonderful experience!
BLOG POST FOR JULY 18
Author: Ciri C.
Today we woke up and had breakfast at 7:30a.m. and then we got straight into lesson planning before heading to the school to teach our final lesson.
We were in the classroom with the kids teaching and dancing and playing games for about an hour and then we headed to recess to play with all of the kids, playing indoors due to the rain. After that, we went and finished our service project of painting the classrooms. The rain cleared and the entire school of nearly 400 students gathered for our farewell, having many speeches from students, staff, and teachers.
We drove home and had an amazing lunch and afterwards the tailors returned with our hand-tailored clothes for us to try on!
We later headed to Shah Industry, which is a leather factory, and got a tour, learning that the organization hired handicapped individuals to create a variety of leather goods, us buying some great souvenirs. We made one final stop at the supermarket for snacks before heading back to home base.
There we ate a delicious dinner and had a group activity where we wrote letters to ourselves to receive in the future. We finished with a special activity to appreciate one another’s uniqueness and how much we’ve grown together in such a short time. We had some down time and then headed to bed to prepare for our last full day here!
BLOG POST FOR JULY 19
Authors: Gabe S. and Ofir W.
This morning, we woke up once again to a delicious breakfast lovingly prepared by Lulu. We had eggs, toast, beans, and fresh fruit, a simple but satisfying way to start the day.
After breakfast, we had a bit of time to ourselves to get ready for our one-hour drive to Marangu Village for the Mount Kilimanjaro slopes walk and waterfall hike. When we arrived, we were warmly greeted by the local tour guides. They were incredibly welcoming, smart, and knowledgeable. We knew we were in good hands. We began our hike, chatting with the guides and each other, sharing laughs and stories along the way. The hike itself was long and challenging, but the journey was filled with beautiful moments and deep conversations. When we finally reached the waterfall, it was absolutely breathtaking.
We had to cross a river across a bridge of rocks, but thanks to the incredible support from our guides, we all made it safely. Their help and care were deeply appreciated.
After the waterfall, we stopped for lunch near the Kilimanjaro Park Gate at 1,800 meters elevation. And once again, Lulu blew us away with her cooking, she having prepared a flavorful brown rice pilau that hit the spot perfectly. We had a bit of time to browse the local gift shops before continuing our hike. This part of the day became especially memorable. We got to connect more deeply with each other talking, laughing, and learning so much about one another. It was inspiring and unforgettable, a perfect way to end our journey together.
After the hike, we made the one-hour drive back home. Once we returned, we participated in our final GLA activity: setting a One Meaningful Goal. We decided to start a GoFundMe campaign to support the school we had been volunteering at in Moshi. We discussed potential project costs, a target end date, and other key details. A huge thank you to Ofir, Kaya, and Jesse for stepping up and helping Mama Simba and the team bring this idea to life.
Afterward, we had time to get ready for our farewell dinner. Dinner was, once again, incredible Lulu prepared burgers, fries, and avocado. It was absolutely delicious. We all agree: Lulu might just be the best chef in the world!
We ended the night gathered around the table for final celebrations and goodbyes. James and Caroline gave heartfelt speeches, and Mama Simba shared beautiful words that touched all of us. We’re so grateful to the GLA staff for making this journey so meaningful. Your dedication, kindness, and leadership made a lasting impact on all of us.
Today was our last day, and it was everything we could’ve hoped for: fun, emotional, inspiring, and full of love. We want to say thank you from the bottom of our hearts to GLA, the mentors, the staff, and our entire group. This experience has been truly unforgettable.
Thank you for the memories. We love you all!
