Time Capsule Letter

Some time has passed since the mid-summer mornings in Toledo, during which we would arrive to schools where Spanish estudiantes would be waiting for us with open arms, soccer balls, and even water balloons. Our service with the niños stands out in the lasting connections we made with them through games and English classes. We always strove to to overcome the language barrier between us by utilizing the Spanish skills which we improved each day during our classes with Ricardo and Lucía.

Looking back on our two weeks in Toledo, many memories come to mind from within its scenic walls. Our walks along the shady, cobble-stone alleyways that led us to and from the family-owned restaurants where we spent each meal choosing our pick of delicious Spanish dishes such as paella, gazpacho, croquetas, and even desert. Amidst the rustic buildings, we presented to one another (after preparation in Spanish class), the timeless legends of Toledo in which statues came to life and ghosts went dancing at fiestas.

We also explored the impressive cathedral, visited a sword and silver shop, and danced away an afternoon flamenco-style. The paradise of the Arab baths stand out in particular as an experience in which we all relaxed with steaming, soaking, and sweet tea, as we hopped between the different temperature pools.

One memorable day sent us rafting through the rapids of the Spanish wilderness after an unexpected flat tire on the way in during our journey to Alto Tagus. We pulled our rafts to shore after hours in the water at a local river-side beach spot beside an old brick bridge before making it to Madrid at last.

A weekend in the big city showed us another side of the Europe with its endless art in El Prado Museum and the legacy of Real Madrid at the Bernabéu football stadium. We lived it up Spaniard-style, moving between tapas restaurants and enjoying El Retiro park via lounging, boating around, or cruising it on bikes. #wolverines. We learned all about the city during a walking tour and enjoyed some free time spent shopping, relaxing, and eating gelato. Lots of gelato.

After Madrid, the return to Toledo felt like a return home. Our kiddos would be waiting for us for the final mornings of service. More excursions of scenic windmills and soaring over the river on the zipline were also ahead.

At the end of the session, we came together to form our own One Meaningful Goals (OMG) in order to actively apply our experience into our lives back home. As a group we came up with a collective OMG: to continue volunteering, to practice patience, and to approach what lies ahead with a positive mindset.

Even now though time has passed, we can all remember back to the long sunsets on the terrace of our home base, where we could see all the red rooftops of the city which for two weeks in the summer of 2019, we had the fortune of calling home. Muchas gracias Toledo!

Sergio Ryan

Mentor

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Saturday June 29, 2019

We are excited to share that the entire group who will be kicking off Toledo 2019 is officially here! Everyone arrived safe and is resting up for our first full day in this beautiful city tomorrow.

The Team: Steph, Sophia, Sergio & Maria

Sunday June 30, 2019

Our first full day in Toledo was a nice and easy transition into Spain. We met for breakfast then after we gathered our things to go begin the introduction to Spanish class. After that we used our free time and explored different lookout scenes around Toledo. These landscapes were breathtaking and we saw the ancient gates to Toledo. After wandering the city, we arrived for lunch around 2:30.

After that we rested in the hostel for an hour and then we took back to the streets and walked to a nearby park where we held a group leadership discussion. Everyone contributed to a debate about education/language policies in Malaysia we were given different view points to defend. We also got to see common controversies that are discussed between politicians which gave us a platform to discuss issues. This was a group involved discussion and got people to take a stance in the argument.

-by Nolan

Monday July 1, 2019

Today half of our group had their first day of service at Carmelitas (the local school). We got to meet the children and start to teach them english, focusing on different foods. Then everyone had their first Spanish class, meeting the teachers that will be helping us with our Spanish for next two weeks. After having lunch, we visited a sword and silver shop. We were given a short tour of the shop, getting to see how metal is shaped into iconic swords and how damascene (a type of spanish jewelry) is made. The gift shop had beautiful handmade pieces! We got to know each other better in the evening by playing games in a park with a senic outlook of the city. And after reflecting on the day, we headed to dinner and finished the day with a tasty meal.

-by Kristiana

Tuesday July 2, 2019

This morning both groups headed off to service! The group at Carmelitas went on a field trip with their students to the traffic park. When we heard about this place yesterday, we had no idea what to expect. Traffic park had a small road that surrounded a typical park. On the road, kids could follow the road signs and drive go-carts and bikes while police officers directed traffic and interacted with all of the kids. On the playground, we played basketball, helped kids down the slides, and pushed them on the swings, but their favorite thing was when we were “caballitos” and gave them piggy back rides! The group at Mayol got to know their students today, played some games and taught English before the kids had their pool time.

We had Spanish class for two hours today and ate at el Mercado de San Agustín for lunch. After lunch we walked to our dance class where Ricardo, one of our Spanish teachers and tour guide, led a flamenco class. No one quite knew what we were doing but it was a lot of fun laughing around together! After dinner, we went out for gelato to cool down after a long day.

-by Gabrielle

Wednesday July 3, 2019

Today we started the day with volunteering at our usual schools: Las Carmelitas and Mayol. We spent the morning doing plenty of fun activities and teaching English to all of the young students. We then participated in our separate Spanish classes for two hours, learning about music and the history of Toledo.

After lunch, we visited a huge cathedral with Ricardo (one of our Spanish teachers) as our guide, teaching us about all of its beautiful aspects. In the evening, we had some free time, which some used to rest up while others went strolling and shopping in Toledo’s main square. We ended the day with dinner and a breathtaking view of the sunset.

-by Anaïs & Margaux

Thursday July 4, 2019

Today we continued our community service at the two schools that we have been attending for the last week. At Las Carmelitas, half of the group gave a brief Fourth of July presentation to the older students, while the younger students played different games such as freeze dance in the school’s gym. The group assigned to the Mayol school had a fun game and sports day with the kids, where they broke up into groups having to fulfill various tasks to complete a puzzle. The kids then played in the water and on a slip and slide. Afterwards, we all enjoyed a relaxing afternoon at the Arabic Baths to unwind from the last week. There were three different pools with various temperatures and a steam room, and we enjoyed some tea and cookies as we relaxed. Following this we had some free time to pack for Madrid before dinner.

Sunday July 7, 2019

We started off our day by going to a very fun paella cooking class. The paella made for a delicious lunch. We then split into 2 groups and one group went to the Real Madrid stadium and the other group went to the El Pardo museum. After that adventure, we split off even more and went biking, took the boats out onto the pond, and explored the park. Lastly, GLA surprised us with a pizza, sunset picnic to end the day.

-by Savannah and Sophia

Monday July 8, 2019

Today we started the day with a walking tour, where we learned about the history of Madrid and the Spanish Inquisition. We walked around the Royal Palace, saw the Cathedral of Madrid and experienced the “Plaza Mayor.” We also saw the world’s oldest restaurant, which was established in the twelfth century. We then ate lunch, which consisted of different tapas from three different restaurants.

After a delicious cultural Spanish meal, we had three hours of free time. Some chose to go souvenir shopping while others browsed stores such as Zara looking for clothes. Other just wanted to relax and went to the park. Then, everyone met up back at the hostel and we took the bus back to Toledo. We are all very excited to be back in Toledo and can’t wait to see the kids from service tomorrow!

-by Michael and Conner

Tuesday July 9, 2019

Now back from Madrid, we continued our community service at the two schools in Toledo. Many of us taught more English classes, while others participated in fun activities with the kids. After service, we continued with our daily Spanish classes. We then had a picnic lunch in a nearby park. After lunch, we drove to a town called Consuegra.

There, we explored the castle and each of its different rooms such as the armory, jail, garden, and church. With the help of our tour guide, we learned many interesting facts about the castle and about the Middle Ages. We also visited the famous Don Quijote windmills and learned how people made flour from grain. When driving back, we stopped at the Mirador del Valle for a nice viewpoint of the whole city. Afterwards, we ended our day with dinner.

Time Capsule Letter

Sawubona!

Some time has passed since we last saw you, and we are just dropping in to say hello. We hope all is well. At this point, you may be tired from school or perhaps you are working hard at your job, and earning all the money you can.

Maybe you are doing both plus other activities, which we imagine may be bringing stress into your life. Despite it all, we want you to know that you got this! Seriously, believe that. Amidst all that may be going on, we are hoping to bring some light into your life by sending along this friendly note.

Let’s think back to your time in South Africa. Those two weeks brought on a lot of ups and downs, but the goal is that you learned something and enjoyed yourself. What was it that inspired you? Maybe it was one of the talks by Suzette (rhinos and/or elephants) or a specific moment on a bush walk with Shaddie (tooth brushing with magic gwari, anyone?). Perhaps it was the community day. Just thinking about you all dancing around with Nokuthula’s family still makes me laugh. Think back to your favorite moment and embrace it.

During one of the nights in Kosi Bay, we did an activity surrounding goal setting aka OMG. We asked you to create a goal you hoped to achieve within the next year. Some of you focused on conservation-based goals whereas others highlighted a personal one.

It has occurred to us that you may have completely forgotten your goal. No worries! Great change does not happen overnight… Plus we have attached your goal to this email and you can now check it out.

How are you doing with your goal? If you accomplished it, great! If not, how can we further support you in your efforts to achieve it? Remember, you have made countless connections while in South Africa. Feel free to reach out to others if you need ways to bounce ideas or anything else off of someone else. We are here for each other. Let’s accomplish some big things.

With love,

Courtney & Ash

GOALS

Macey:
“My goal is to become a minimalist in the next year. I plan on moving out within the next year and something I can do to get me closer to my goal is to move into a small place with as little things as possible. I want to get rid of anything ad everything that doesn’t serve a purpose. I will start with getting rid of anything I don’t use in my room.”

Dominique:
“Become a vegetarian. I can progressively begin to stop eating certain meats at home and eventually when I go gout, until I no longer desire to eat meat. I can always find recipes online and cook vegetarian meals for myself. When in doubt, watch a documentary to remind myself why this change needs to happen.”

Logan:
“I will start helping in the area of conservation by finding out ways I can contribute. Whether it be through donations or direct volunteer work. Resources: the internet adults/people in the field.”

Jadyn:
“- Read more about global issues
– Only buy what I will use
– Volunteer more
– Use less plastic
– Spend more time w/ family
– DO THINGS THAT ACTUALLY MATTER
– Have a more positive mindset
– Live a healthier lifestyle
– Surround myself with people that want the same things in life
– Always question + grow
– Be kind to everyone
– Control my emotions
– Stand up for myself
– Don’t let ignorant. mean/rude ppl get to me
– Kill w. kindness
– Stay truthful always”

Holly:
“- Get a job
– Use less plastic
– Use more eco-friendly products”

Dure:
“I need to do more research on animals and Africa. Why are our animals getting killed? I need to search more things like that. It’s a lot more I need to do to get where I want to go. I need more help.”

Victoria:
“Moving out of my parent’s house. Not until January. 6 months to figure out. Resources: Google, cousins”
“Intern for/with Suzette. Hanging/studying hippos. Next winter. Fundraise. I have my passport. Resources: Shaddie”

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Friday July 26, 2019

Hello from South Africa!

We are super excited to have all 9 of our students here! Flights brought them from all over the US and now we are eager to get things going. The drive from Johannesburg to Pongola was lengthy, but students got to see new parts of South Africa and get to know each other along the way.

We covered all of the orientation material today, and we have some really awesome stuff planned for the next 2 weeks. We hope you all enjoy the pictures and updates from students :).

– Courtney and Ash

Saturday July 27, 2019

Hi blog! Today we woke up bright and early to have breakfast and go for a great nature walk. We learned about the importance of soil sustaining the ecosystem and it’s formation. When we got back we had a great talk with Suzette, a conservationist, about the reserve. We followed that with a nice lunch and then we went on to do our service project where we worked on cutting down the invasive species of prickly pear cactus.

Then we came back and had some tea, and all played cards, until the time came to go on our first game drive. We saw a lot of animals including one of the big five (buffalo), giraffes, zebras, jackrabbits, a hippopotamus, ostriches, African buffalo, wildebeest, monkeys, warthogs, and different types of antelopes. Then we came back and had to give an idea of cultural influences on animal conservation. Now we’re writing the blog and about to play games and go to bed (:

-by Jadyn and Dominique

Sunday July 28, 2019

Hi family! Today we started with a nature walk where we learned about animal interactions and then after that Suzette talked to us about camera traps. We found out how they use them to capture images every 15 secs: no movement equals no pictures. After that we had ham tacos for lunch and it was good, mmmh. After that at 1pm Shaddie taught us how to survive in the bush (the wild), and then after that we had tea time with vanilla muffins and then also played uno.

Finally we went on a game count and at 6pm we ate dinner. We had a veggie meal and then the last thing of the day was our favorite part. A night drive!! We saw lots of giraffes through out the day, all of them were in groups wandering around. They were so curious. We ended the day with finding crocodiles with a hippo close by. When we came back to camp we all went straight to our tents and fell asleep.

– Dure and Tori

Monday July 29, 2019

Greetings, today we started with community service by removing an invasive cactus species. After a short break we got in the van to learn/experience telemetry. This was done by holding up a device that sends out radio signals and when pointed in the direction of animals it can locate the general vicinity of the animal wearing the monitor. Next we got back into the safari vehicle to count game animals. We wrote down which animal was seen, the total number, age, sex, amount of each sex, distance from the road, and coordinates of the place it was spotted.

– Erika and Logan

Tuesday July 30, 2019

Today we took a trip to the community. During the trip we learned and saw many new things. One of the many interesting things that we got the chance to see was the healer. The healer is a person that has the ability to heal people with her special remedies. After that, we ate a delicious South African lunch. Then, we helped plaster a mud hut. This was very challenging yet rewarding, because of the smiles that we brought to the communities faces. To conclude the night we reflected about our terrific visit to the community around the campfire.

– Calvin Martindale
– Macey Fleischman

Wednesday July 31, 2019

Hi blog!

We woke up in the morning and ate breakfast, then we went animal tracking. After that we did an erosion control service project. To do that, we just added rocks and trees to eroded land with the hope we would help animals and people. We went on a game drive where we drove around the bush and looked for animals. Last but not least, we did a scorpion hunt but we didn’t find any 😂

– Dure

Thursday August 1, 2019

Hey everyone! Jadyn and Tori here, giving you the run down. We were able to have a slow morning, giving us the chance to get ready for leaving. We hiked almost two hours to what we call “fly camp”, nicknamed because of all the flys. However, there have been a lot more bumblebees than flys. Upon arriving to camp we settled down, which for us is student led games, and then had a quick lunch. Next we went on to play a game that our leaders came up with. After our game we gathered so much fire wood, enough to last us until 7 am!

Once we gathered enough we started on our task of starting the fire. It took us 7 matches due to the wind causing difficulties. When our fire was going strong we started our cook off. It was a difficult challenge as we had to make a traditional South African dish we have yet to taste. After Dinner we set out for another night game drive. We saw Honey Badger and aardvark. Other than that, we saw our usual Impala and such.

Upon arriving back to camp we settled down for bed. We also had the option to do bonfire duty if we wanted. Two of us and a leader stayed awake till midnight to watch the fire, then they woke up the next shift for midnight to 2 am and it continued on till 6 am. It was a fun day, and we all had lots of fun.

Friday August 2, 2019

We woke up before the sun and started the day off with our first morning game drive. We saw nyala, impala, warthogs, giraffes, zebras, wildebeests, monkeys and vultures. After the drive we came back and had breakfast. Then we went to an elephant museum and watched a video on how they went about introducing elephants to the game reserve.

After that we did team building activities. We learned the importance of communicating together as a team. We also learned about how important it it is to work on yourself on a daily basis. When we were done playing games we went on our final game drive. After the game drive we came back and ate a traditional South African meal. After that, we had a group discussion on specific issues that we find important and talked about how we could make a difference and a change.

Macey Fleischman and Calvin Martindale✍️😂

Saturday August 3, 2019

Hi blog,

This morning we got to sleep in another hour and wake up to have breakfast around the campfire. Then a guest speaker came and gave us an educational talk about anti poaching. Afterwards we had a crime scene activity to solve and used our investigative skills to pick up clues to put together a story based on what we found. Then we went out on a drive to do snare patrol to look for any potential traps placed out for animals. We found none and went back to camp for a nice lunch and then went out on a scavenger hunt.

After an hour of looking for facts and items, we got our scores tallied up. When the scavenger hunt was done, we had some time to chill until our game drive. When we came back, our amazing cook had some very yummy pasta ready for us. Finally, we had dessert and went out to look at the beautiful stars where we discussed the different constellations. Then we came back to camp and here we are having a lovely talk around the fire.

-Dominique & Duré

Time Capsule Letter

Sawubona!

Though some time has passed, we wanted to reach out and say hello. By this point you are likely well into the school year and we are sure you are tired from jobs, schoolwork, and other activities. We have been there and know how tough it is but know that you got this! To bring some more light into your life, let’s bring it back to the good times we had in South Africa 😊.

Cactus killing. Volunteer service is not always the most glamorous thing, but the group made prickly pear eradication seem like a ball. Seriously, that was amazing to watch. Always remember to carry that positivity with you, because it will allow great things to happen.

Aside from the environmental impact you had, you also greatly impacted your other group members. To watch you all cry upon departure was both sad and beautiful. If you have not spoken to a person from our group in a bit, we encourage you to reach out and check in. We are all going through life and catching up is always worth it.

Reflection. Thinking back to those wonderful 2 weeks, we are sure that each one of you got something different out of your time in South Africa. It is also inevitable that you will process your experiences differently. To further help you reflect on your trip, we wanted to send along a friendly reminder about your OMG goal.

In case you forgot what we are talking back, think back to our last GLA activity. We asked you to create a goal you hope to achieve within the last year. How are you doing with that? If you accomplished it, great! If not, how can we further support you in your efforts to achieve it?

It has occurred to us that you may have completely forgotten your goal. No worries! Great change does not happen overnight. Feel free to start from scratch and create a brand new one. Remember, you have made countless friendships and connections while in South Africa. Feel free to reach out to others if you need ways to bounce ideas or anything else off each other. We are here for each other. Let’s accomplish some big things.

With love,

Courtney & Ash

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Monday July 8, 2019

With everyone here, after a restful night in Johannesburg the group headed east to the reserve. After a long bus ride we excitedly pulled through the gates in the early evening.

After dinner and dessert the group discussed some of the important safety considerations with regards to the wild animals in the reserve.

The group headed to bed with excitement for the first full day on the reserve tomorrow.

-Ash and Courtney, GLA Staff

Tuesday July 9, 2019

Today was our third day on our trip but it was our first day exploring the reserve we are staying at. In the morning we woke to the sound of Impalas near our tents. We split off into two groups. Group A went on a Game Drive and saw giraffes, monkeys, and different kinds of birds including ostriches. Group A also found Ostrich eggs and a Wildebeest skull- good finds. Group B went on a nature hike. They saw Wart Hogs and learned about the geology of the reserve. Group B additionally discovered an Ant Lion and Rhino “dung”.

We all came back together and listened to Suzette give us a talk on Black Rhino Expansion Project. We then had lunch before Group A went on a Bush Skills hike where they learned about how to track animals and Group B volunteered to eradicate the alien species of prickly pears. Group A immediately went on another hike- the Nature Hike- and Group B went on the Game Drive. They found crocodiles, ostriches, and a Wildebeest. We ended the day with a traditional African dinner and a get-to-know-your-name game around a campfire before we all went to bed!

-by Angela and Jeremy

Thursday July 11, 2019

Dear Family and Friends,

Today in the Pongola Game Reserve, we started our day with a camera trap introduction from a Rhino conservationist named Suzette. She taught us how to set up the traps and how to properly capture the animals. Along with the photos, one can also determine many things about the animals for example how they eat, what they eat, and where they are going. The cameras give humans a fabulous look into the lives of the animals. Then, we went on a Game Drive in which we counted the game that we saw.

We counted the animals, determined their gender, and calculated their position in the reserve. During this game drive we saw Impala, Nyala, Warthogs, Crocodiles, Monkeys, Birds, and Giraffe. Counting the animals, you see on a reserve is very important for maintaining the healthiest environment that one can. After lunch, we went on a Bush Walk where we identified tracks and dung of the animals in the area.

During these bush walks we learn how to properly navigate the bush and how to tell the signs of every animal. After dinner, we went on a Night Drive where we saw how difficult it is to see the animals in the bush during the night. We saw many Impala, Nyala, hares, and monkeys. After retuning from this night drive, we went to bed.

Overall it was a beautiful day,

Written by GLA Students,

Tristen and Savannah

Friday July 12, 2019

Ayy yo! What’s poppin’ y’all?

Today the GLA students had a busy day. We had a scrumptious breakfast of quiche and toast. After, one group went on a bush walk, and did a fun contest (Jared won!). Team B was educated about camera traps and examined images of the wildlife on the reserve. Later, Team B did a game counting service where they saw zebras, which was new for them. Meanwhile, Team A participated in a team bonding activity which was a flamboyant experience for everyone.

Then the groups came together to have a hearty lunch of delicious, home-made pizza. At a later hour, Team A cut down some cacti and created two plump piles of dug-up cacti (They’re an invasive species). On the contrary, Team B went on a walk in the bush and was schooled bush skills. At 3:00 p.m., the entire group sat down and conversed at teatime. After a comforting teatime, Team A oversaw the identification of native species on their bush stroll.

During that period, team B also partook in eradicating invasive plant species. Dinner was a splendid combination of mashed potatoes and vegetable pot pie with a delicacy of peach cobbler for dessert. Following, team b embarked on a night drive to spot active wildlife. Team A undertook a hunt for scorpions yet couldn’t manage to have the claws grasp onto the stick we used to extract them.

Best wishes,

Teo (Turkish Circus) additionally Peter (Yung-Garian) 😉

Saturday July 13, 2019

Today the GLA group started off by working with Suzette, a wildlife biologist, who leads the animal conservation projects at the reserve. She taught us how to use telemetry to track the radio collars on animals. Unfortunately, we were unable to spot the animals, but we were able to pick up their signals from a distance. The students then practiced their debate skills about environmental issues by discussing conservation issues on whaling. As intense as it got, the students were able to reach a compromise.

Next, the group sat down to learn about cultural norms of local Zulu villages and what to expect in the upcoming visit. During free time, students organized a self-lead a soccer game that got very competitive. To end the night, one group went on a night game drive to spot leopards and the other stayed back at camp to examine the night sky and learn about constellations.

Jared and Kyla (The Chicago kids)

Sunday July 14, 2019

On todays adventure we travelled to a nearby village to work with a traditional healer, beader, and other members of the community. To prepare for this experience, we learned about many of the customs of the Zulu people, such as their language, traditions, and formalities. During our time there, we learned about the mutti (medicine) of the traditional healer and her ways to heal the members of her community.

We also enjoyed a traditional Zulu lunch in the home of one of its members. Afterwards, we used mud plastering to insulate a home of one of the families within the society. We were able to connect with the Zulu children, dancing and talking with them. Overall, this experience was life changing and heart warming. Salanigache!

-by Sara and Lilly

Thursday July 18, 2019

Today was the last sunrise we would see at loose mongoose camp. We had a wonderful breakfast that prepared us for the journey ahead to Kosi Bay. Before we hit the road we said our goodbyes to the extraordinary staff. After two hours of driving through breathtaking views and through mountains we made it to our first destination of the day, Tembe Elephant Park.

On the game drive at the park we got to witness many elephants that were an arms length away from us, water buffalo, and herds of Zebras! After the exhilarating drive we had lunch at the lodge that was next to the park. Then we left the reservation to stop by a market for souvenirs and finally head to the beach. The stars were pretty they were bomb.

-by Caroline and Maggie

Friday July 19, 2019

When we woke up in our new home, the hot breakfast was late, so we just had some cereal and yogurt. Then we split up and half of us went on a 6-mile hike through many beautiful ecosystems and the other half went snorkeling and kayaking in the breathtaking Indian Ocean. The group that did not go hiking learned about traditional Tonga fish traps, and they speared a fish.

Sincerely,

Lucas and Ty

Saturday July 20, 2019

On the final day of the GLA trip, the students were split into two groups, the same as yesterday. One group embarked on a 6-mile day hike while the other group participated in snorkeling, kayaking, and traditional fish trapping. On the hike, the group passed through 5 different biomes and climbed to the top of a sand dune in a challenging but rewarding experience. Despite the inhospitable weather and extreme wind, both groups made the best of their final day and had a fantastic time.

-by Maxwell and Jared

Time Capsule Letter

Sawubona!

Not much time has passed, and Team Awesome is already missing you dearly. By this point you are likely well into the school year and I am sure some of you are tired from work, school, and other activities. We have been there and know how tough it is but know that you got this! We are sending along this note to spread as much positivity and encouragement as possible during these daring times.

First off, thank you for the memories. I will surely never forget watching each of you struggle up the final part of our 10 km hike to the sand dunes. Then there was fly camp. Good times! On another note, we also want to thank you for making an impact. Keep in mind that the impact we are talking about took on several different forms.

For example, as group number one, you were the very first to attack the prickly pear cacti (as Shaddie highlighted for us: the less prickly pear there is, the better). You also cannot forget bush packing! Yet in addition to the environmental impact you had, you also greatly impacted each other. Think about our final conversation about plastic reduction. I know that I walked away from the conversation truly amazed that young people are as aware plastic use as all of you.

Thinking back to everything, we are sure that each one of you got something different out of your time in South Africa. It is also inevitable that you will process your experiences differently. To further help you reflect on your trip, we wanted to send along a friendly reminder about your OMG goals. Like we said, we are holding you to it.

When reading over your goal, truly think about what you have done to accomplish this goal. Maybe you have completed it and, in that case, good job! Or perhaps you have completely forgot you ever wrote about it. No worries! Great change does not happen overnight. Remember, you have made countless friendships and connections while in South Africa. Feel free to reach out to others if you need ways to bounce ideas or anything else off each other. We are here for each other.

With love,

Team Awesome (Courtney and Ash)

GOALS

Henrique – Being able to turn all of the plastic waste of my school into something

Landon – Reduce the electricity bill by 20%

Gwen – Limit plastic use at school (get rid of everything at school that is possible) – Limit plastic use at restaurants – Limit plastic use at home – Increase campus and harbor cleanups (8 of each by the end of the school year)

Emerson – Attempt to go vegetarian – Become more involved in environmental issues – Educate myself about conservation issues – Limit my plastic use – Become an intern at Pongola with Suzette

Steena – Zero single use plastic in bathroom and kitchen – Come back to South Africa for the internship with Suzette

Katelyn – Cut out single use plastic from the bathroom and kitchen – Have the school stop wrapping fruit in plastic and allow reusable water bottles – Become vegetarian

Milena – Increase the number of club members by 20 – Increase the frequency of trash pickups to at least twice per month – Completely clean up at least 6 areas that are polluted

Grace – Become almost completely plastic free with food and bathroom products – Be an active member of an anti shark finning group

Julia – Limit plastic use/ completely plastic free – Cut out meat entirely – Buy fresh, buy local – Completely cut out non sustainable palm oil – influence family to stop buying commercial meat and dairy

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Saturday June 21, 2019

With almost all the students here, with the exception of Katelyn who will be joining us tomorrow, we all climbed into our bus this morning after a nice cooked breakie, to head to the reserve.

With many people still tired from traveling the journey started quiet and relaxed but once we got to the reserve the excitement crept in. We played games and did some team building and bonding.

Now everyone is preparing for our first full day on the reserve and getting some rest.

Peace and chow,

Ash and Courtney – GLA Staff

Saturday June 22, 2019

Hello everyone!

Today was our first full day on the reserve. We started out with a nature walk through the area surrounding home base, as one of our guides provided insight on the importance of conserving soil. Everyone in the group become far more aware of soil’s importance in any further conservation efforts. After that, we engaged in a talk regarding rhino conservation at Pongola with local expert, Suzette. We then began our service, which consisted of removing prickly pear cacti, as they are an invasive species that threaten the well-being of other animals.

Everyone worked together very well and had a great time participating in the experience. It was very rewarding to witness the amount of change we made to the area! We then took a break by having afternoon tea. The group was able to be both relaxed and thrilled on the Game Drive we took in the afternoon. Many animals were spotted including impalas, warthogs, and wildebeests. We also observed a beautiful environment and a breathtaking sunset. We ended the day in a stimulating and complex debate about culture versus sustainability. Throughout the day, everyone enjoyed our cook, Nokuthula’s, meals!

Sincerely,

Henrique and Milena

Sunday June 23, 2019

Today, we started our day off with another nature walk where we talked about the importance of ecology and biodiversity. After that, we sighted and checked two of the camera traps on the reserve with Suzette. When we got back to home base we sat around her computer to look at all of the really cool animals that were caught on cameras, most of which were Impalas and Warthogs.

Luckily, we did get to see several different animals from the big 5! In the early afternoon we followed Shadreck back into the bush to learn about crucial bush survival skills. He taught us what bushes/trees were useful when in the bush and how to recognize and use them. After, we learned how to count game in the bush. We used multiple tools to record the animals and to figure out their direct location. The day was finished off with a night drive where we were able to experience all the live activity of the night. The stars are like no other. (:

Love,

Stîna and Julia

Monday June 24, 2019

Sawubona! We started our 5th day off right with vegetable omelettes and porridge for breakfast. Shortly after, we got straight to work on our habitat management project. We continued the day by bonding with fun GLA activities. Our group has gotten stronger and closer as we spend more time with each other. Then, we learned about the fascinating telemetry with Suzette. The group worked together to pick up the signals of four large animals. All of us enjoyed delicious homemade pizza for lunch.

Later, we learned useful bush skills that will help us on our camping excursion later this week. Tea time is everyone’s favorite part of the day, especially when it is accompanied with Nokuthula’s muffins. We prepared for tomorrow’s community visit by learning about the Zulu culture. Before dinner, we bonded more over group activities. We prepared for our late night scorpion hunt with chicken curry and rice for dinner. So far, we are all having a great time! We are creating bonds that will last us a lifetime. Sorry guys! It’s time for us to go join the group by the fire and gaze at the stars!

Written by the BEST leaders of the day,

Katelyn and Gwen

Tuesday June 25, 2019

Today was day 6 of our South Africa trip, and we spent the day out in the local community. After breakfast we loaded into a bus to go to the area where our chef lives. When we arrived at the community, we visited the hut of a traditional healer. The healer’s hut was filled with different jars of powders, tapestries with varying and colourful patterns, and other various things. She taught us about what different powders do and how they can work together to have medicinal uses. The powders weren’t only for healing physical healing, but for finding bravery, hope, and for protection.

After that, the healer lead us to an outside hut where we beaded bracelets with her. Some of her meticulous projects have taken her up to 2 months to work on. After beading, some of us got distracted and headed over to play and dance with some of the local kids. They attempted to teach us how to do a traditional South African dance, but we weren’t nearly as good of dancers as they were. For lunch we headed over to our chef’s house where she prepared us traditional South African food. In South African culture, it is traditional to use only your hands while eating, so we attempted to do so.

Following lunch we all headed over to plaster a hut with mud in order to provide insulation. Plastering with mud was a good experience for everyone, whether or not they usually don’t like to get dirty or they thoroughly enjoyed it. This jam packed day lead to us having a couple hours to reflect on how we felt when we arrived back to hone base. Although this day didn’t have any service for the animals like we’ve usually been doing, it was a valid experience. It taught us the value of tradition and community, and was eye opening experience. Today was overall a good day which we will value and remember forever.

-by Emerson and Grace 🙂

Wednesday June 26, 2019

We started off day 7 with a delicious breakfast of French toast. Then at 8am we started our trek to fly camp where we will be spending the next few days. The 3 hour hike was also full of animal tracking and tree identification. We made our way to camp and spent some time settling in and having lunch. After lunch, we went on a nature walk to collect fire wood and see and learn about more plants and animals. With the fire wood, we built our own fire. When we got coals from that fire, we started to make our own traditional South African dinner with some vegetables and impala meat. Then, we started to wind down and have s’mores for dessert. We went star gazing after dinner to end our calm and peaceful day.

– by Katelyn and Landon

Thursday June 27, 2019

Hello everyone,

We started our eighth day off with a late breakfast. With no electricity, everyone made their toast over the fire. After that we learned about poaching by engaging in a discussion with Suzette. Shadrick tested our knowledge by setting up a realistic crime scene for the group to solve. Following that activity, we went looking for snares in the bush. Luckily, none were found.

The group then made sandwiches for lunch, which were enjoyed by all. After an action-packed day, everyone benefitted from naptime at 13:00. We then did a GLA activity that tested the groups’ ability to problem solve, innovate and communicate. The activity was called “magnetic feet.” The group had to move over a sizeable distance while having their feet connected at the ankles to the feet of other members.

Tying our shoe laces ultimately helped make the activity very successful. We collected firewood for the night before going on a Game Drive. On the Game Drive we saw many of the same animals, however we also saw new animals in the water this time. During the Game Drive, the sun set and there was a noteable temperature drop. Following the Game Drive, the evening fire was started.

We then had a vegetable pasta dish with salad for dinner. For dessert, we made banana splits in the fire. There was then time for activites around the fire. Members of the group each played a song of their choosing for everyone else. After that everyone was ready to go to bed. Right before bed everyone bundled up for the cold night and brushed their teeth around the outdoor water tap. The night shifts of watching the fire then began at 22:00 and continued through 6:00. Each shift lasts two hours and is done in pairs.

Sincerely,
Gwen and Milena:)

Friday June 28, 2019

Today we woke up for breakfast at 8am. After breakfast, we went for a drive and collected rocks in order to help prevent erosion in the bush. To prevent erosion, we used a method called bush packing. We used the rocks that we collected and branches to fill various gullies around the camp in order to help slow the erosion process and encourage the growth of more vegetation. After that, we went back to camp for lunch. After lunch we did a scavenger hunt, where we have to answer various questions and collect things from around our campsite. After the scavenger hunt, we went on a game drive. On this drive, we saw porcupines, wildebeast, crocodiles, and hippos! We then came back to our camp for a late dinner. Tomorrow we end our 3 nights of camping and head back to our original area of stay.

-by Emerson and Henrique

Saturday June 29, 2019

Hey guys!!

We started the day with another amazing breakfast made by Nokuthla at Fly Camp. After, we took a short drive back to the Loose Mongoose. Before we started our last service, we had a quick tour of the white elephant museum with Suzette. She showed us a really cool movie about the translocation of elephants from Kruger National Park to Pongola Game Reserve and discussed the importance of conservation. We did our last bit of service and knocked out an epic group of prickly pear cacti.

We played a team building game (focused on communication, as ash says) called “eyes body mouth” which was A LOT OF FUN :))!! After the the team building activity we went on a game drive and we saw a crocodile, hippo, and one of the big five. Overall, we had a super fun day

Love peace chicken grease,
Julia and Landon <3 :))

Sunday June 30, 2019

What’s up FAM,

We started our day off with our last meal served by Nokuthula. Then, we said goodbye to the kitchen crew, the staff of African Insight, and beloved Suzette. After that we were on our way to Kosi Bay. Along the way, we stopped at Tembe to go on a big 5 game drive. On the drive we ran into three different herds of elephants playing in the water. After the drive, we enjoyed lunch in their resteraunt. Shortly after we were back on the road and were able to stop by local stands to purchace travel gifts and snacks. After that we arrived in Kosi Bay and settled into out yurts. After settling we enjoyed a delicious meal along with a yummy dessert. Overall it was a great day full of road trip adventifes. (:

Peace out FAM,

Grace and Steena <3

Tuesday July 2, 2019

It all comes down to the hike. I mean yes we did have breakfast at 7:30 like everyday but that is not as important as what would come next. After breakfast and the preparation time for the hike we were all ready to start, little we know that we were not ready at all. We all thought it would be a chill walk through the 5 ecosystems that we had sorounding us and we were right about the ecosystems but it was not chill.

As we were advertised we all used open toes shoes and shorts as if we were walking in a park but those were the worse decisions we could possibly make. With the worry for ticks and all the bruses and cuts the nature gave us we would most certainly have loved to not have made those choices. The hike was already challenging and the fact we were not prepared just made it a lot worse. We did get through it though and after that we had nothing more that a relaxing day on the beach and GLA closing activities to properly say goodbye.

-by Gwen and Henrique

Time Capsule Letter

Hello again students!

After a few months re-adjusting to life at home, I hope this message finds you all well. More important, I hope it finds you growing in your leadership and continuing to live out the values we all encountered in our beautiful home in Geluksburg!

I know, for our staff team, the Aloe, Thorn Tree, Shield, and Nguni have made a lasting impact on the way we see ourselves, the world, and our role in it. Do you remember what each one stands for (Community Living, Equality & Integration; Personal Growth & Development; Building Cultural Capital; Inclusivity & Diversity)? And how about those amazing posters we created on our first weekend at Homeground! You all were amazing, working together, collaborating, creating, and growing in our understanding of South African values and principles.

As we reminisce, a few memories really stand out. I hope they remind you of some of these amazing moments from our short time together, back in July…

Zulu dancing with the local dance troupe:

Talk about breaking out of your shell! I know for a few of you, the Zulu dancing felt a bit intimidating, given the intense nature of the leg flexibility and slamming your foot in the ground. But, it definitely brought us together to learn more about the Zulu culture while having a fun time! You should all be proud of partaking in this activity, whether you have two left feet, are a skilled dancer, or maybe you got your groove back.

Just remember how you felt as you danced and how it didn’t matter if you got the steps right. All that mattered was that you were expressing yourself in the way that allowed you to be you! Revisiting these dances during our drumming event, talent show, Afro-pop dance lesson, and our almost daily song and dance with Sifiso & Aubry reinforced these ideals for me, as well.

Mandela day service activity (beautifying the reading room at the Community Center):

What a great service day in honor of Mandela Day! All your hard work cleaning the windows, sorting and organizing books, assembling and painting shelves (and stocking them with books), and painting a lovely mural will certainly be enjoyed by the local children and community for years to come!

Remember how the students at the school worked together to provide an awesome tribute to Mandela with their songs and dances? Hopefully that inspired you to come together to brainstorm on how you can continue service in your schools and/or communities! Perhaps some of you may be inspired to raise money in your hometowns to continue projects such as this one or even think of ways to help this particular library.

A look back at our time together wouldn’t be complete without recalling the life transformation we saw in one another. Sharing our gratitude and expressing the way we have grown during our last meeting together will stay with me forever. New insights into our own personal growth were expressed and I left truly inspired to continue to #bethechange in my life back home. I hope you were too.

Speaking of “being the change”, how is your OMG (One Meaningful Goal) coming along? Collectively, we committed to raising awareness of the rural South African healthcare systems & what gaps we saw during our visits to clinics and hospitals. We also committed to working together to raise money to continue supporting Sportstec, as they teach local students about healthy living through the Sports2life curriculum. Have you started that GoFundMe?

Have you held an informational meeting at your school? Have you met with school leaders to host a workshop on awareness and ways to get involved? Have you kept in touch with one another, challenging each other to rise up and follow through on those commitments?

I know, from us at GLA, we would love to hear how things are going. We’d love to know what has had the greatest impact on you since you returned home. If you’d like, send GLA an email and let us know how things are coming along, if you’d like additional support, or if you have any relevant updates on the progress you’ve made in your own community!

We may be separated by many miles today, but our time together in Geluksburg will forever bond us together. I believe in you. I have confidence that you all will #bethechange in your own way. Keep at it! Go for it! Don’t give up! #ondelay #andale

With gratitude & optimism,

Jen, Veronica, Mark & Brett

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Friday July 12, 2019

Hello friends and family!

I’m one of GLA’s mentors, Veronica Martinez, and I’m from San Diego, CA. This is my 5th GLA program. I am super pumped to have these students on our program for the next two weeks. On behalf of our GLA team (Jen, Mark, Brett, and myself), welcome to the BLOG!!!

After a few trips to the airport, all the students arrived safely at our gorgeous homebase, Sunrock Guest House, for the first night. Even through the jet lag and tiredness, everyone’s smiling faces shined bright. After phone calls back home, exchanging dollars for Rand (*the local currency), and settling into their rooms, everyone relaxed and mingled.

Some played pool and ping pong, while some sat outside on the lawn and chatted away the afternoon. Everyone came together for dinner and yummy dessert. We had a quick welcome and staff intros, gave a brief overview of the schedule for the next 24 hours, and took a few pictures:)

Everyone is now eager and excited to head out tomorrow morning to Geluksburg to our beautiful homebase and get started! So many of the students have already begun talking about all the things they’re most looking forward to. We’re confident it’s going to be an unforgettable two weeks together in the Drakensburg mountains!

From all of our GLA staff team here in South Africa, thanks for trusting us with your loved ones. We expect that we will all learn so much together, have experiences we’ll remember for the rest of our lives, and learn a bit more about serving in rural South Africa. And we’re going to have a lot of fun doing it!!!

After today’s blog post, students will take over and will be sharing their own experiences firsthand. So we’ll leave you with our first ‘family’ photo which we took tonight at SunRock after our delicious dinner:) Included with our students are local staff members, as well as our GLA mentors and staff.

Sunday July 14, 2019

Sawubona!

My name is Tori Gens from Minneapolis, Minnesota, and I am Anaya Robinson from Houston, Texas.

This is our first time on a GLA trip, and we are extremely excited to be here.

We are the leaders of the day, which means we will be sharing today’s blog post. This blog is where students will be able to share their thoughts, experiences, and highlights with everyone outside of Africa! So here it goes…

Over the first couple of days we have been able to become acquainted with the warm and welcoming staff of Mt. Thintwa. They do an excellent job of making us all feel safe, welcome, and comfortable. Because of them, we all have quickly become a big family.

We had a great conversation with Michael, the owner of the Social Development Academy at which we are attending. He told us that our job is only over once the world is a perfect place. At first, this statement seems like a daunting challenge, for how could a world ever be “perfect”. But upon deep reflection, it is this kind of statement that drives people to work towards unfathomable goals in order to make any kind of change. Success shouldn’t be measured by how much money someone has, but by the impact they have made. Even after being here for only a couple of days, we now understand that being able to impact one person is a success.

To wrap up this blog post, we would like to touch on the highlights of our day. Today, we were able to tour the community that we are staying in. We were able to see the school and the Sportstec Homeground. Being able to see our surroundings has given us a better understanding of the community we are staying in. Also, we were able to watch traditional Zulu dancing, and we learned some dance moves as well. This allowed us to break out of our comfort zones, learn to let loose around one another, and emerge ourselves into the Zulu culture. As Michael said, “Even the most shy community members will express themselves as soon as they hear music.”

Thanks for reading Today’s blog post! we are all very excited about the rest of our program and will keep sharing our experiences.

Hamba Kahle!

Tori Gens (17, Minneapolis) and Anaya Robinson (17, Houston)

Monday July 15, 2019

Hi my name is Caroline Baur! I am from Steamboat Springs, Colorado.

Hi my name is Janvi and I’m from Chino hills, California.

Today was the first day we felt like we were integrated into the community! We got to hangout with kids our age. We combined sports and health. We had different activity stations and were paired with kids in the Geluksburg community. We talked about important issues in the community such as HIV/AIDS prevention, teenage pregnancy, goal setting, participation, and the importance of team work and healthy friendship. We incorporated and analyzed the similar skills that you need in sport as well as life. Another amazing factor of these activities was that we got to learn from the other students how different yet similar our worlds are.

We also got the opportunity learn Zulu in a language lesson from the local instructors. This was absolutely amazing and so interesting to learn, and it actually really helps in the service work we are doing. We learned basic words that we can say to the kids and adults in the surrounding area. Whenever we say hello (sawubona) in Zulu, all the local community members are so impressed and happy! 🙂

After dinner we participated in a debate/discussion about HIV AIDS. There were three groups as well as a mediator and judge group. It was amazing to hear the diverse world views and knowledge of important world issues that different people brought into the discussion. Today was so fun and got us excited for what’s to come!!

-Caroline and Janvi

Tuesday July 16, 2019

Hello all! We are Anoushka and Ellie and we want to tell you about our jam-packed day, filled with new experiences, people, and foods.

Our day began bright and early with a quick ride to Greenpoint, also called ngcongcosi, which is a high school with grades 8-12. There, we interacted with the students, first by giving them presentations on general health and safety. We then walked around the school and learned more about them and their school experience. The experience made us feel more optimistic about the future of our world. Another group went to the community center where they educated parents about health, nutrition, and basic first aid.

Next, we had a scrumptious meal at the home of one of our local instructors, Aubrey. The meal was cooked by his mom and served in a sacred building where we had the opportunity to learn more about Zulu traditions. We saw many of the animals on the property, and we learned about the tedious process of making bread in a wood burning oven. On our journey back home, we witnessed breathtaking views. The entire experience made us feel blessed to be here and fortunate for everything we have.

The last thing we did was play soccer with the local boys. I (anoushka) didn’t participate in the soccer game, but instead passed around the ball with two young boys. The first was in 5th grade, and a few minutes later, we were joined by another boy, in 3rd grade. We played for around an hour and I had so much fun! The experience made me feel excited to meet more young kids to play sports with. It reminded me (ellie) of playing sports with a whole group at summer camp. I felt so connected to everyone and so at home. I completely forgot that I was more than 2,000 miles from home.

Be on the lookout for more exciting adventures from GLA!

-by Anoushka and Ellie

Wednesday July 17, 2019

Hi this is Rian and Avery!

Today was yet another successful and fulfilling day filled with service activities, music festivities, and great food! Our amazing chef prepared a healthy breakfast to give us energy for the fun day ahead of us. After breakfast we began our day by splitting into three groups. Groups two and three went to visit the elementary school to speak with the parents about the importance of living a healthy lifestyle. Group one visited a high school to convey the same ideas to the students.

The experience was not only rewarding in the fact that the children and parents were beyond grateful and eager to be learning the critical steps to staying healthy, it also gave us the opportunity to truly understand how the community functions. We discussed how a balanced diet and daily exercise is crucial to living a healthy lifestyle as well as the necessary precautionary and vital steps to take when someone gets injured. We were able to measure the amount of knowledge the adults and children had about the subjects we were discussing through a series of personalized survey questions.

This information allowed us to reflect on our experience and truly understand the impact we have on the community. It came as a shock to many of us when we found out that most of the community doesn’t have access to common household remedies like antiseptic cream and therefore don’t understand its importance when dressing a wound. After our visits to the schools we visited a mobile clinic and spoke with the nurses what worked there.

The nurses explained how they have different locations that they travel to nearly everyday and will only go to each station once a month. Community members were lined up for a multitude of different reasons. Due to the clinic only coming once a month, this is the community’s only opportunity to see if they are healthy, check blood pressure, or be prescribed medication for an illness.

Most of the supplies are inside the van that functions as a makeshift clinic. However, these supplies are then transported into a room provided by each stop, and at this clinic we were in a room in an elementary school. The nurses showed us how they help the community through both improving health, but also attempting to educate each patient about dangerous and prevalent diseases and the precautionary steps that one can follow to avoid them.

Then nurses also explained how even though they attempt to educate the public about diseases like HIV/AIDS, and diabetes, many people will still ignore the risks factors associated with their decisions. This is one of the reasons why it is important that we are going more into depth about why and how one can stay healthy.

After our mid morning excursion, we went back to home base for a delicious lunch and some down time. For the next two hours, you then had a choice, to go on a hike to a waterfall or relax and rejuvenate at home base. If you chose to hike to the waterfall, you saw a beautiful lake and a small trickling waterfall with breathtaking landscape surrounding it. If you chose to stay at home base, you had the opportunity to shower and relax after a long week of being on your feet.

Next we all met together again around a fire to learn Afro-dance taught by Evans, a professional dance teacher. This dance combined styles of dance from all across Africa to create a fun, energetic environment that welcomed even the most uncoordinated “dancers”. After some practice, we were able to complete the entire dance with only a few slip ups. To refuel, we had dinner and dessert right after our dance lessons.

Once our food was digested, we were taught how to drum an African style bongo and create intricate and simple beats and rhythms. Our instructor informed us that different beats conveyed different meanings and served different purposes. For example one rhythm could be used for war and battle whereas another one could be used for wedding celebrations and other festivities.

This was an unforgettable experience and was the perfect ending to such an amazing day!

-by Rian and Avery

Friday July 19, 2019

Hello everyone! This is Katie Ledakis from Baltimore, Maryland and Zoé Moore from Shreveport, Louisiana! We were today’s leaders and therefore are taking over the blog! Our group has officially crossed the pivotal halfway mark. We have already learned so much and experienced new things, and can’t wait for next week!

This morning we all woke up nice and early to the yells of the roosters, goats, and dogs. After another yummy breakfast, we drove to the local waterfall where Matt (a community counselor), had a surprise activity for us. After our anticipation reached its peak, Matt revealed we would be competing in a community inspired Amazing Race course modeled after the television show. We were split into teams and we each had a community counselor for guidance. It started with throwing a pebble from the top of the waterfall and trying to hit a standing rock at the bottom. Then, we sprinted to the community field’s center, and inside there were three bowls filled with water and an apple in each of the bowls. The object was to eat the whole apple without touching the apple or using any hands!

After members of each team finished the challenge (shoutout to Zoé and Rian for getting soaking wet from dunking their faces in the bowls—but still succeeding), teams ran to the next challenge. Here they faced scoring three baskets at the home ground center. The team titled “the Skunks” was in the lead followed by “the Rockers” and our team, “the Goats”. As teams raced to the final challenge at home base, we cheered each other on with help of Sifiso. The last challenge was squeezing oranges that we picked and juiced from the trees on home base. The winners of the race were “the Skunks” and won major bragging rights for the day!

Around 10:00 am, we left to go see the mobile health clinic in a new location. We were warmly greeted by the same sister (nurse) as before and she allowed us to observe, record and reflect on the clinic. This location was bigger than the Geluksburg location and had several rooms. However, the clinics were very different compared to clinics in the States. Even though, they were extremely busy, the nurses did an amazing job regarding their circumstances. After asking our questions and observing the mobile clinic, with is ran entirely by nurses, we drove in town to the Bergville clinic.

The Bergville clinic was a great example for us to see the next step in rural South African health care. A nurse took us through the clinic briefly and explained each room while answering our questions. She explained the high risks of HIV, TB and other diseases to us. She also explained the treatment process for the diseases. After the short tour, we headed to a resort-like place where we ate lunch and relaxed. Most enjoyed pasta and/or pizza and finished with dessert. We also had an opportunity to buy crafts from local women that Charmaine drove to the resort. When we were all done buying jewelry from them, Charmaine thoughtfully drove them back to their homes!

Before going home for the rest of the day we stopped by a supermarket to get snacks and other various items. After a lot of free time filled with card games and phone calls, we ate a late dinner. Then we had a quality pow-wow in the common area and went to bed.

We had such a great day and can’t wait for the few days we have left!

— Katie & Zoe’

Saturday July 20, 2019

At 7:30 we enjoyed a delicious breakfast. We had some fresh baked bread, hard boiled eggs, a mix of traditional pap and fresh cocoa, and an assortment of meats. After breakfast we began our day by traveling to the Drakensberg Canopy Tour which is a zipline course. From hairnets to harnesses to helmets, we wore it all. We spent the next two hours flying through the trees on twelve different ziplines. The experience was not only a great way to appreciate nature but it allowed us to step outside of our comfort zones.

Next, we had sandwiches for lunch at the zipline course. It was made by local chefs and then we had an assortment of delicious desserts. Afterwards we headed to a shopping area where we had the opportunity to buy some beautiful artwork, jewelry, and souvenirs. We needed to fuel up before the Geluksburg talent show so we had a terrific dinner. The talent show consisted of singing, dancing and other fun acts. It was an opportunity to see the local community sing and dance with us. It was so much fun! We had a wonderful day!

-by Izzy and Laekhram

Monday July 22, 2019

Hi everyone! This is Isabella and Ashley bringing you the latest updates on our GLA adventure!
Today we had the opportunity to observe at a local public hospital. EMMAUS hospital is located about an hour away from our home base in Geluksburg. That brought up quite a few interesting revelations about the challenges of quickly getting to a hospital if needed.

Earlier in the week we learned about how public transportation is only available at certain times of the day, so if you were sick and needed help you could have to wait hours if not days to be seen by a doctor. The hospital actually looked quite similar to some in the U.S.; the main difference was the technology and amount of staff. We found that they were lacking a lot of the technology that we take for granted.

For example, they did not have an MRI machine, so if you needed a scan of your body or head you would have to travel to another hospital. After the insights we gained at the hospital visit, we went to a game reserve to try and look for native African animals. While there, we were able to see Giraffes, wildebeest, antelopes and zebras. Afterward, we had a discussion about the hospital and after dinner we had our mentor groups. So all in all an amazing day in South Africa!

-by Isabella and Ashley

Tuesday July 23, 2019

Hi!! I’m Annie Johnson from New Jersey and I’m Paige from California. It’s day 12 of the program and we did a big hike at the Drakensburg mountain range. Early in the morning, we piled in the vans and drove an hour to the hiking trail. There, we met our tour guide and he led us to the beginning of our hike. We saw many beautiful views of the mountains and a few animals on the way.

During our hike we took in the spectacular views of the the second tallest waterfall in the world but unfortunately it was dried up due to the winter season. Mid hike, we stopped at a nearby waterfall to take pictures and had a few snacks. After our great trek, we stopped at a local gift shop to pick up some souvenirs. We drove back to home base and had a wonderful lunch prepared for us. After we filled up on lunch, each mentor group gathered together to prepare for our big health day tomorrow! We made posters and brainstormed ideas regarding public health.

This was a great opportunity to learn and engage with the local community members. Tomorrow we will be at the local school (Greenpoint) and will be talking about health issues in order to find ways to improve the community. We had a jam packed day and are super excited to see what tomorrow entails. Thank you for reading about our day, we hope you enjoyed!

-by Annie and Paige

Photos from Day 11 and 12:

Wednesday July 24, 2019

Hey everyone! This is Julia Reid, from Grand Rapids, MI, and O’Neal Fox, from San Diego, CA.

Today was our last full day in Geluksburg! We started off with a workshop where we taught 6th and 7th graders about 4 key topics relating to health that are part of their national curriculum. We then related these topics to a “Sports to Life principle”, courtesy of our SportsTech team.

In these workshops, we used games, activities, and handmade posters to teach each of the topics. For example, our topic was “building your team” in relationship to having a “positive attitude”. It was great to end the trip with such a wonderful opportunity to give back to the community, especially to kids relatively close to our own ages. We feel like we’ve made a lasting impact on people of all ages in Geluksburg, ranging from the children of the ECD center all the way to their grandparents who visited our workshops.

After our service, we were visited by the “Snakeman” of the region. He taught us about venom, its effects, and how to treat it, as well as types of snakes in the region. He related his discussion back to our Medicine and Public Health program by talking about the prevelance of snake bites and the lack of antivenom in hospitals and clinics surrounding the area where Geluksburg is located.

To end our trip, we had another fabulous dinner by our chef, Sandile, and celebrated all that we’ve accomplished by partying together in the lodge with music and s’mores. We will miss the wonderful meals, discussions, and times we’ve shared with everyone here, and are sad to be returning to our home country in a few short hours. We have hopes to continue the work that SportsTech is doing for the community, and are determined to spread awareness in our own home towns. We also have hopes of staying in contact with all of the wonderful people we have met on this trip.

Overall, this trip has been eye-opening for all of us. On behalf of all of the students, we’d like to thank our parents for giving us the chance to change the world. We’d also like to thank all of our leaders and mentors for guiding us along the way. The perspective we’ve gained on public health in rural regions has changed our views on medicine forever.

We’re thankful for 24 new friends, and a thousand new memories. Thanks for reading along with our trip, we hope you’ve had as much fun as we have 🙂

~ Julia Reid and O’Neal Fox