Time Capsule Letter – October 2016

Our second group this summer was certainly the most diverse, with students coming from the US, Lebanon, Columbia and the UK.  They were also diverse in their personalities all offering their enthusiasm and wide range of expertise to the GLA program.

They met every experience of the program head on with great energy.  Their flexibility with respect to the Ghanian way of life was key to the success of their program.  When the rain poured down, they danced in it; when the van broke down, they all piled into the other one; when the bricks collapsed, they started again ……. you get the picture!  Their individual positive attitude was infectious for the collective vibe.

Down time you ask??

There really wasn’t any as all the students LOVED to fill in the curricular gaps with games – Mafia being the most favorite!

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

• Atoosa, Emilie, Eva and Rory leading the Grade 6’s in ‘Doe a Deer’ (as well as MANY other songs) complete with actions
• Adreanna always having a fun game to lead
• Edith extending thanks to all who taught, helped and inspired us
• Daniela teaching the song ‘We are the World’ and the game of ‘Hungry Wolf’ to the children at Asitey Park
• Emily, Sophie and Cara face painting with the Grade 4 students
• Abby and Paola dancing in the rain
• Sam playing soccer (football) with the students every day at Asitey Park
• Aina giving ALL her energy to her Grade 5 class and finding more to give at the park
• Zoe with her caring stories of the nursery

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Summer Blog Posts

7/15/2016

Hi All

This blog is short as our day has been long!!

Great news – everyone arrived at their scheduled time about 24 hours ago and are settling in beautifully.
This morning we woke up to a delicious breakfast by our kitchen crew.
We participated in our GLA Orientation – including a tour of both service sites as well as the village.
From 4-6 while some students rested, others went to Asitey Park and played various games (including soccer) with the neighbourhood children.

To our surprise after supper, the 82 year old Krobo linguist joined us for a very informative narrative of the history of the Krobo people. Hearing the history passed down from generation to generation through the elders is definitely better than searching for that information through the internet!

As I sit on the verandah writing this blog, many students have already tucked themselves into bed. A few are still up playing cards and eating home made popcorn.

From now on you will be reading the blog through the words of our GLA student bloggers Cara and Zoe.
Thanks again for sending your sons and daughters to us for 14 days.
They are a great group of young people.

Cheers,
Wendy
GLA International Director

 

7/16/2016

Here are some photos from our trip so far!

Started at a good pace… We had the History of the Krobo people yesterday. I think the kids loved it. Today will be even greater because we have a fabric workshop and local market visit.

-Henry, Local Director

 

7/18/2016

Hello GLA families!

Hope you are all well because we are having a blast in Ghana! On Saturday we had a more relaxed morning while waiting for a seamstress to arrive at the home base. She brought a selection of her different handmade clothes and showed us the different styles and fabrics in Ghana. Then, we went to the market to select fabrics so that the seamstress could make an article of clothing of our choice. After coming home from the market, we took our daily trip to the park to spend time with the local children. As we left the home base we found that the excited children were already waiting for us at the bottom of the driveway. Although it rained while we were playing, we still had a fantastic time playing with the kids. Later that night we had a bonfire which we all really enjoyed.

On Sunday, we woke up early to attend a Ghanaian church service to experience this important part of the local culture. The church was far different than any kind of church service you would see in the U.S. It was full of singing and dancing and a level of energy that we had never before seen. Despite the rain delaying our planned activities, we had a good time bonding and playing games at the home base. Later, we were finally able to take our trip to make a type of fabric called Batik. We learned how to stamp hot wax onto the blank fabric and then dye it the color of our choice. We then split into groups based on the grade that we would be teaching the next day and finished up our lesson plans.

Today, we started the day by heading to our chosen schools. Abigail, Edith, Zoe, and Adreanna went to volunteer at the nursery while the rest taught 4th, 5th, and 6th grades at the elementary school. The elementary school volunteers started by learning how to make bricks out of sand, water, and cement. Then, after changing into our teaching attire, we split into our classrooms and began to execute our plans. Despite the detailed plans we all came up with beforehand, the lessons didn’t go exactly as planned but were still enjoyed by the kids. Meanwhile, the four at the nursery, split into two groups, Adreanna and Abigail went to help with the babies and Zoe and Edith assisted in classrooms with the 3, 4, 5 year olds. Afterwards, all 4 of us were able to teach the older children a lesson on anatomy. With the rest of our day, we plan to go to the park with the kids, visit a host family, and do an workshop on African crafts.

Your GLA Bloggers,
Cara and Zoe

 

New Program Photos:

(Elementary school teaching)

More Pictures:

Class time at the elementary school

Asitey Park Below

Krobo sunset – AND – Krobo moon

July 19, 2016
On Tuesday, we started the day by visiting the girl’s senior high school next to our home base. We took a tour of the campus and had the opportunity to talk to students our age and learn how schools operate here. We also talked with the headmistress who talked about the school and even gave us mugs as souvenirs. After this we went directly to our service sites to teach our classes. The classes went much smoother once we had figured out how the classes worked and how the kids reacted in different situations. Later in the day, we went for our first visit with our host families who taught us a lot about life in Ghana and the Krobo language. Directly after that we went to Asitey park to play with the kids.
Yesterday we spent the morning at a bead workshop. We learned about the long and difficult process of making beads. We also had the opportunity to design and create our own beads. We then proceeded with our normal schedule which consisted of visiting with our host families and playing with the kids in the park. After dinner we had African dance lessons from teachers at the school. We all had a great time and were also able to teach them dances from our own countries.
Today, we all split into our service sites. Those of us at the elementary school were able to make twice the number of bricks we made last time as well as have very successful teaching sessions. At the nursery, everyone also had a successful day of teaching and playing with the kids. We’re looking forward to more host family and park visits as well as a Krobo naming ceremony tonight.

-Cara and Zoe

7.22.2016

This is Benedicta — she is one of the teachers at our school!

Hiking to Umbrella Rock

Boti Falls

After the Krobo Naming Ceremony, the fun begins!

Nannama – the Grade 6 teacher we have the privilege of working with.

ONE BELATED LAST POST – 

Hello GLA Families and friends!
On Friday we went to service as usual in the morning, then after lunch, we got lessons on cooking and hawking (carrying stuff on your head) from Frances and the kitchen crew. We then went to Asitey park to play with the children and had another delicious meal of… you guessed it rice and chicken! After dinner, Monica, the owner of the nursery, came and lead a discussion on women’s roles in Ghana as well as wedding customs.
On Saturday, since there was no school, we spent the day hiking to Umbrella Rock and Boti Falls. We had a blast! When we returned home, some went to the park but didn’t stay long because there was a rain storm.
On Sunday we got to sleep in finally! Then we packed our things and went to the Sajuna Beach club (it’s not actually a beach haha) . We went swimming in the pool, played volleyball and soccer and got to go kayaking and take a boat ride on the Volta River. The scenery was incredible!
Today, we got back into our early morning service routine, but left a bit early so that we could go to the Krobo Girls Senior High School. At the school we got the opportunity to each sit in on a different class of our choice. It was a great experience! Later we went to the park and after dinner we got a special presentation from Henry.
See you soon!

Time Capsule Letter – October 2016

Oh-Hey!

Wow! How time flies! I can’t believe it’s been a couple of months since we parted ways at the airport in Ghana. It almost seems like a dream, doesn’t it? Taking a look back on all of the wonderful things we experienced together brings a huge smile to my face whenever I think about it. Every single one of you has made an impact on my life and I will never forget our time together.

By now you are all settled back into your lives at home, but I wanted to take a step back in time and revisit the amazing things we have accomplished together. First and foremost- give yourselves a big pat of the back for the all of the hard work and dedication you put into the community service. It wasn’t easy that’s for sure, but it was worth it. Not only did the community feel the impact, I know that each and every one of you has felt it as well and that is unbelievable!

Let’s not forget all of the community members we interacted with including our host families, the teachers, Jeremiah and the members of Father’s House, the children that came to play with us every day, and of course Dodzi, Stephen, Wisdom, Sweetie and all of the kitchen staff. Each of these people have left an impression on our hearts and they will always be there. No matter what we can always look back on those crazy monkeys and their bananas, the beautiful waterfall, the GLA Olympics, and most importantly, all the new friends and memories we made and appreciate what we have.

I hope this summer has left you with sprouting seeds of not only self-development, but also community development. I hope you continue to do great things and you have a greater spark to explore the world and yourself. Don’t’ forget to appreciate the little things in life, because often those are the best.

You made my summer so special and I thank you all so much for it! I came away a different person and it’s all thanks to the students, the mentors and the local community. This summer was simply unforgettable!

I wish you all the best of luck this school year! I hope our paths cross again!

-Lindsey

 

Memories:

1. Lindsey finally holding a baby that didn’t cry
2. Amanda the silent “killer”
3. Andrew asking Stu to rate movies…ALL THE TIME
4. Banagrams!
5. Nicole and Jenna- Southern Mass girls!!!!
6. Joanna- Minnesota girl (From Mel!)
7. Say no to……
8. Josie and her great puns
9. Kassandra tripping all the time
10. Kerry being amazing at improve
11. The mentors switching rolls during improv
12. Malaria L
13. Sebastian
14. Rania’s bargaining skills
15. Staph’s love for Chaco’s

 

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Summer Blog Posts

We all arrived at home base safe and sound and we are in the midst of getting to know each other and the local culture. Stay tuned for more photos and updates 🙂

July 22

Hello to all of our wonderful parents and supporters! Today was our first day altogether as a group, out in the community. After breakfast we split up into our three mentor groups and headed to our assigned school! We were bombarded with joyful smiles and energetic hugs, and then taken on a tour of the school. Afterwards, we started brick making for about an hour. It was amazing to take part in a project that will be a foundation for future education. Once we finished, we walked throughout the schools and got to observe the different classes and get an idea of who we’ll be teaching for the next few weeks. The children were so genuinely happy to see us, it definitely got us all hyped to start teaching tomorrow! We went back to home base and had lunch. We then split up into groups and took a walk through the community. We asked the Ghanaians questions about their culture and how they interact with the rest of the community. It was eye opening to see how the locals live every day. Following this, we got free time which included a trip to the nearby beach with the local kids! We had a delicious dinner and cooled down with a couple of activities led by the leaders of the day. Our day ended with some lesson planning to prepare for our first day of teaching tomorrow! We hope you enjoy the attached pictures and stay tuned for upcoming blog updates! Thank you for supporting us on this once in a lifetime opportunity; this is sure to be a journey none of us will ever forget.

Love,
The ecstatic and grateful 2016 GLA Team

[Written by Abby Riggs (Hi Mum, Odalles, Josh and KK! Miss and love you all) and Tommy (hi mom. I would say hi to other people but they won’t read this)

Day 4 of this Ghana service trip was started off right, with a hearty breakfast of veggie omelets and freshly diced mangos. I mention this because it is safe to say that our chef’s creations have become a favorite amongst the group; no meal of his will be forgotten. Next on our agenda was our much anticipated service at the local schools. Meticulous preparation of lesson plans the night before made for satisfied and attentive students this morning, when the GLA students became teachers for grades P1 though P6.

We then transitioned into brick making, a workout that we have found rewards us physically and mentally. Not only has brick making bettered our sense of communication and unity within our mentor groups, but as individuals, we do feel as though a greater sense of purpose and worth has been revealed within us, as individuals. There is something unconditionally uplifting about first touching the education of students in the classroom firsthand, then then proceeding to walk outside and build our stack of bricks higher, assisting an entirely different, yet equally monumental aspect of their education.

Proceeding our service was lunch (which was delicious), as well as some time to rest. We then jumped into our next activity, where we were split into 3 different groups, each with a different destination. Group A headed to Father’s house, a home for young victims of human trafficking and child slavery. There, they were given a brief history of father’s house, given a tour, and given a chance to play with the youth residents. Group B went on an island tour to one of the local islands, where they farmed, toured the market, and road in boats. Group C participated in a Ghanaian cooking lesson, and was also given the chance to use some WiFi.

We ended the day with a delicious meal, some silly improve games, and a rain dance. Overall, it was another day packed with accomplishment, fun, and change here in Anloga, Ghana with GLA.

Love,
Today’s Group Leaders

 

July 23rd – New Photos!

As Hannah Montana once said, “Nobody is perfect” and Saturdays leaders of the day have taken this to heart and finally started the blog. First off in the morning, each mentor group went to their respective schools and built three bags of bricks each! The mentors were so impressed with each group because of how quickly we picked up on the technique. Then we came back and had lunch and free time. Free time is filled with bonding with each other and the neighborhood kids. After that everyone broke up into 3 smaller groups to participate in various community excursions including a cooking lesson, visiting a local island, and Fathers House, a house for traffic children. After each group returned to him base, we had more free time, then watched a TED talk by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie called The Danger of a Single Story. The TED talk hit home for a lot of us about our own unintentional judgements of others and really opened our eyes to how important it is to take what we see at face value and not add in our assumptions, whether it be in Africa or at home. For all of us, it was a lesson in humility and attitude. The remainder of the evening was filled with more bonding and plan making for the next day.
All of us are so happy to be on this program and we know that we are being changed in ways we can’t even imagine yet as we progress toward the next steps in our lives.

July 24, 2016

Today we went to the market. The 35 of us split up into two different groups; one went to the Keta Market and the other to Anloga Market. We were given a list of foods to buy for the kitchen at Home Base and 10 Ghanian Cedis to pay for it all. We had to barter for the prices and navigate Ewe, a popular language in Ghana, to get the foods we needed. My group and I went to the Keta Market, which seemed to be a large outdoor marketplace with goods ranging from foods to fabrics to shoes and purses. My group found almost all of the foods on our list but yams (too expensive) and avocados, which we actually just couldn’t find.
Then it was time to buy fabrics. We all had exchanged money already and had more than enough to buy fabrics. I partnered with Amanda and Gabi and we went to so many cool little stalls filled with colorful fabrics. I was really picky about what to buy and didn’t end up buying any fabric until the last second, while Amanda bought everything she loved. I got four different colored fabrics, but some of the others bought seven or eight fabrics.
Then we had to drive to the seamstress to get our clothing outlined and ordered. We split up into two different seamstresses and lined up to get measured and have our fabrics made into clothes. I ended up having two wrap skirts and a pair of pants made for me and a dress made for my sister. We will go back there in about a week to see how they turn out and test the fit before we pay for them.
Next, we went back to the Home Base to have lunch with our host families. My groups’ host was Mr. and Mrs. Hope Adraku, but they ended up not being able to come. They are involved in the voting registration, so they couldn’t leave until later on. My group and I met them later at their house and got to play Adi, which I’m told is just like Mancala. It’s really fun and simple to learn, but it’s all about strategy. Our host family played for us and told us where to move the marbles, and when we got back to base, we found out that GLA has the same game at the base!
The store down the street was open later on and I was finally able to try Alvaro, a popular soda here. It’s always a mystery as to what flavor you’ll get though because there are three different ones and the woman picks them from the back of the counter. The pear flavor tastes like sparkling apple cider just to give you an idea.
Later on, we went through our debrief and did Venyasa, which was the leader of the day activity led by Dariah. It was raining outside, so we moved the furniture in the summer house and did it there. It was a very relaxing way to end the day, and everyone seemed to enjoy it.

– Jenna

July 25, 2016
Hello parents, siblings, relatives, and friends of students on the Ghana GLA trip. We had another amazing day in Anloga, starting at 7am when we woke everyone up for breakfast. After breakfast, we split up into mentor groups and headed to our service sites for brick making and tracing.
The brick building competition among the 3 mentor groups is getting intense, with each group trying to make the most amount of bricks each day. We measure our success in the number of bags of cement we go though, with Mel’s group being the winners today, going through 4 bags.
For some groups, today was the first day teaching our classes. Many of us were quite nervous last night, trying to come up with lesson plans for 60 students. But all of us survived without having being hugged to death by any of the students.
Although lesson planning for teaching can be stressful at times, our teaching partners, amazing mentors, and local staff are so supportive and and it much easier for us. The kid’s energy, especially when teaching lower grade levels, can sometimes be overwhelming. But seeing them so excited about learning motivates us to come up with new and creative activities that we hope they will enjoy.
So far, all of us have had a blast, both with brick building as well as teaching. In the coming days, as we gain more experience and knowledge about how Ghanian classrooms work, teaching will become more natural and familiar to us.
Our afternoon activity for today was listening to two of the four mentors talk about a field they had extended background in. Lindsey talked about other GLA programs, Mel discussed life after GLA, Ari talked about her time in the Peace Corps, and Stu talked about teaching English in foreign countries.
Tonight we will be having movie night, and watching Life of Pi!
I hope that was a good summary of how things are going here in Anloga. As we have been here for almost a week now, we are becoming familiar with the daily routine of how things work.
Thank you once again to all the parents that helped to make this trip possible for their kids!! We are so appreciative of all your support!
-Emma and David

 

July 26

Today started out how most weekdays do: breakfast at 7:15 and service work at 8:00. After indulging in toast with eggs and avocado we headed out to school. The “melephants” (my mentor group) started by making 3 bags of cement worth of bricks and then moved on to teaching. Teaching took around an hour to complete. After teaching we all went to home base for lunch. Lunch today was a medley of items, most significantly salmon and banku. Lunch was followed by a quick weekly evaluation which was given to each of the GLA students to fill out. We then left for a river tour to a beach, this took up the middle of our day. While in the boats we saw beautiful sights surrounding us on all sides, and ended at a wonderful beach with calm water. At the beach there was soda and coconuts to buy as well as volleyball to play. This was extremely fun for everyone. After the boat ride back to the cars and the car ride home, we ate dinner and started our leader of the day activity. Dinner tonight was spaghetti and tomato sauce. Sophia and I then conducted our activity after making a few shout outs to the group. Our activity ended up being museum and a small amount of telephone.

Once this concluded, Dodzi talked about education in Ghana which was extremely interesting. After a long day, we lesson planned for tomorrow and got to sleep. Overall, today was fun filled and exciting throughout.

-Sophia and Grace

07/27/16??
Hi Parents!

All of you must be extremely intrigued to hear about what kind of adventures your kids have experienced so far in Ghana. As soon as I found out that students would be writing the daily blogs, I could hardly contain my lips from turning upward into a smile. A couple days in, my mom had texted me that she saw my picture up on the blog; I was overjoyed at this small website that could serve as a connection (other than that of a shared student phone with a strange number) between student and parent. I’m glad now that I have the chance to write for not only my mom back home to see, but all of you who are just waiting to know what exactly had been going on around here.

Today we all woke up early for breakfast at 715am. I’m personally a fan of these early morning wake ups because I’m able to get numerous amounts of task done and be able to feel exhausted before noontime. This is partly because I know that once I get home, I will never again be waking up so early. After enjoying our breakfast of toast, pineapple, and an array of cooked bell peppers and onions, we left to go to our schools to teach the children and build bricks.

After almost a week of teaching ages from six all the way to 20, I’ve been able to see the growth in the way these students learn and think. Although my teaching partner and I haven’t been teaching a stable lesson these days, we both see an improvement in participation, comprehension, and even obedience. These once rambunctious kids in my Primary 2 class have now become more attentive and eager to play games that fit with their learning style.

In other cases, making bricks is a task that should not be taken lightly (or heavily, for that matter). I’m personally able to fill a bucket–the size of which we hand wash our underwear in–with my sweat within the first 10 minutes of mixing dirt and concrete. But over time, seeing our finished rows of cement blocks encourages us to keep going in order to see their future use as a new building for classrooms.

Long service days breeze on by with the thought of lunch–something besides water to keep us hydrated in our stomachs. Traditional Ghanaian dishes await us, using common ingredients like beans, chicken, and rice completely reinvented to develop a new dish foreign to our tastebuds. I learned later that it was a Ghanaian take on Chipotle, something almost all of us have been craving lately (Hint: Get them Chipotle when you pick them up from the airport).

Some free time made itself available after lunch, before we divided into three groups in a rotation containing: Father’s House (orphanage for children rescued from child slavery), River Tour, and Cooking Lessons from our personal chefs at Home Base. Today, my group was the last who had not had a turn at Father’s House. After embarking on a 20 minute drive, we arrived at a trail where we walked through tall grass to arrive at Father’s House. My group and I were greeted warmly to Jeremiah, who is the current keeper of the house. He went into detail about the start of the building and his journey to recover one of the kids from slavery. Looking around at my peers sitting on the wooden benches around Jeremiah, I noticed their faces as he gracefully opened his heart out to us. We later took a tour into the house, as well as had time to interact with the kids by playing soccer with a beautiful beach view.

Fast forward 20 more minutes and there’s ramen at home base and fresh watermelon (but not without plentiful amounts of black seeds). And don’t worry, there were vegetables in the ramen Mama– carrots to make my eyes better. And yes, I ate a lot of them.

Jeremiah came later in the evening to talk to a small group of us about Leadership and Child Slavery, while Dr. Ayim spoke about Healthcare in Ghana. I was in Jeremiah’s group and was captivated by his interaction with us. At the end he posed a question to our group: When you go back home, what would you change and how? Many answers were insightful, such that as ending racial stereotypes and embracing cultural diversity.

In the common room (a shared community room with semi-comfortable couches), I’m currently ending the blog. Looking around, I’m sitting next to really great people that I wouldn’t have taken a second look at on Day One. These faces I didn’t remember when they introduced themselves have turned into faces that have introduced me to new friendships.

Although I was extremely nervous about being Leader of the Day (shoutout to Sunnie, my LOD partner), being surrounded by supportive people that I call close friends has made it that much better.
Love,
Josie Ong

July 30, 2016

Hello parents/guardians! This is Kerry Dolan and Maddie Lerner reporting to you live from the beautiful hotel and city of Ho! Today was quite the adventure: we started our day off with breakfast at 6:30 am (Yikes!), the monkey sanctuary, lunch at Carlito’s, then the tallest waterfall in West Africa! Sadly, tonight is the last night of our surreal two-night, three-day excursion in Ho. However, tomorrow will be just as fun! Anyways, back to today. This morning, after breakfast, we traveled roughly 45 minutes to the monkey sanctuary where the monkeys climbed on us like trees and ate bananas from our hands! Afterwards we drove to have lunch at Carlito’s and filled up our pizza fix. Once we had stuffed ourselves, we traveled an hour through the roads of Ho to the waterfall! Eventually arriving, we started our 45 minute trek through the lush rain forest (staying true to its name), until we approached the water itself, already drenched. We swam, dipped, and splashed around until we decided to venture back towards the entrance of the rain forest. Once down, we looked through the crafts fair and began the car ride back to the hotel! We made it back safely and even had a delicious dinner awaiting us! Well, that’s all for today, folks! Thanks for reading today’s blog by Kerry and Maddie!
Over and out, Houston

July 31, 2016

We started our day with traditional African Weaving known as Kentay Weaving. Kentay means “open” because the weaving is believed to connect your spirit with your soul.

We had a long drive back to home base from Ho. 40 people were squished into two white vans for three and a half hours. It was claustrophobic because every single seat was occupied by a sweaty teenager or an adult that was brave enough to supervise 35 teenagers for three weeks. Our luggage was shoved into any remaining space. I could only see a handful of students because the suitcases and over stuffed duffle bags created walls. This reminded me of tiny office cubicles that run Corporate America. In the future these cubicles will be occupied by robots that are 10 times faster and 10 times smarter than the human race. (I read a lot of science fiction).

Anyway, when we finally arrived at home base our energy level spiked because the seamstress was there with our tailored clothes. Unfortunately almost everyone’s clothes were too small. The clothes I received looked like they were made for a small child. I suspect this is because the seamstress used our exact measurements to make the clothing. However, when making clothes you are supposed to add several inches so the clothing is not skin tight. Luckily some of us were able to swap clothing with each other and request alterations. There was also a lot of extra clothing that was for sale. Many people exchanged their personally tailored clothing with extra clothing that fit better.
Since I am little, I’m only 5,1 and 110 pounds, I was able to take some of the clothing that was supposed to be for people much bigger than me. (There are perks to being a little person.)

When we were finished with the seamstress we had some free time before dinner. A handful of us played a game called Egyptian Rat-screw which involves a lot of slapping the correct cards. It is a very rambunctious and loud game. My hand temporarily turned red from all the competitive slapping.

That was a lot of fun. Later we had a dinner of cous cous and beans, chicken, green salad, and fruit salad.

Now it’s 8:45pm and I’m laying in my bunk bed and typing this blog under the notes section of my iPhone. Tomorrow morning I will Airdrop it to the blog. That’s all for now.
Thanks for reading.
Madeleine Kim

 

Time Capsule Letter – October 2016

Hello Hello Hello!

I’m hoping this letter finds you all happy and healthy! Can you believe it’s already fall?!  I can’t! There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t think back of all the memories we made together this summer. I frequently find myself telling all the people in my life about GLA and how awesome the students were (Hey! That’s you guys!) and about all the wonderful things we did.

One of my main highlights (of many) included all of the great community service we did as a group. It was hard work, but it was all worth it in the end, not only for the local community but for us as well.  All of the service we did contributed to a greater sense of community that we built together.  I’m so proud of every single one of you. We did it! Nice work!

What a rockin’ summer! I can’t believe how much we did in the 3 weeks we had together! Let’s all take a moment to remember all the delicious food we ate (thanks Maxy!), the beautiful places we explored, all the laughs we shared, the local children we played with, the many aspects of Ghana we experienced and learned about, the monkeys we fed (kind of scary though), the adventurous boat rides we took, and most importantly, all the new friends and memories we made.

I hope this summer has left you with sprouting seeds of not only self-development, but also community development. I hope you continue to do great things and you have a greater spark to explore the world and yourself. Don’t forget to appreciate the little things in life, because often those are the best.

You made my summer so special and I thank you all so much for it! I came away a different person and it’s all thanks to the students, the mentors and the local community. This summer was simply unforgettable!

I wish you all the best of luck this school year! I hope our paths cross again!

-Lindsey

Memories:

1. The ice cream man
2. Bananagrams
3. Goats!
4. Casey and her annual Ghanaian hospital visit
5. Amanda’s shoe tying demonstration
6. Annabell’s calligraphy
7. Anu jumping into the water at the River Tour
8. Lizzie and Julia getting the same pants as Stu
9. The Ghanesses “We African!”
10. Hitting Joe in the head with a beach ball
11. Jack’s Shack
12. Lucy’s great MCing skills
13. “Hi, I’m Max… I know I’m tall”
14. Arkan”sas”

 

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Summer Blog Posts

June 27

All of our students finally arrived safe and sound. Our friend Joe is our new blog assistant and volunteered to help us through the program with it to help our families stay connected. Jane will also be sharing the responsibility and stepping up to this exciting role.

Today the GLA volunteers accomplished their everyday task of serving humanity by introducing themselves to the lovely people of Ghana’s nearby elementary schools. Volunteers split up into mentor groups and visited three primary schools to greet the teachers and students that they will be working with over the next three weeks. School staff members put amazing effort into instructing students how to mold concrete to make bricks, and how to act culturally with the students. The staff also courteously provided students the corresponding textbooks. Later in the day, GLA volunteers engaged in fun physical activity, like football, with the Ghanian children, and played friendly sportsmanlike games that were creative as they were competitive.

  

June 28, 2016

Hi family and friends! It’s been a another wonderful and adventure-filled day for us in Ghana! Today some of us got up bright and early at 6:30 to go for a run or to do yoga down at the beach. Then we all sat down to another delicious meal served by one of our cooks, Max. Breakfast was toast, egg, cucumber salad, mango, and watermelon.

Then, all three mentor groups set out for community service at their individual sites. There, we all made bricks for around an hour and a half, played with the school kids during their break, and then got changed into our more formal clothes and set out to spread knowledge and fun to our students. Even though it is only our second real day of teaching our kids, we are already forming bonds with them and learning just as much as they are.

After community service, all the mentor groups sat down for a reflection about their day so far and thought of questions they had for our local guides. Then we played games, talked with each other, and bought ice cream before heading to lunch. At lunch we ate “red red”, with avocado, rice and plantains, and pineapple. Yum. After lunch, all three “shoe groups” (named after the groups that were formed when we played the “shoe game,”) set out on different adventures. All three groups are rotating among three different activities. The activities are a tour of a nearby island, visiting the Father’s Home, and cooking dinner with Max along with optional cornrows and wifi! The groups that went on the island tour got to learn how to basket weave from the locals and met an elder whilst learning more about the ways of the people we were visiting. No pictures were allowed on the island, and some students may or may not have shaken the elder’s hand incorrectly. However, no legs were crossed in front of the elder. The students who went to the Father’s Home met kids who, for the most part, were rescued from a lake region where kids are trafficked for fishing. They also spoke with an elder and had a fun time playing with the kids. The students who stayed at home base learned how to cook a delicious meal that was served for dinner from our amazing chef, Max, enjoyed wifi for a limited amount of time, and some students got corn rows in their hair. The “shoe groups” arrived back to home base at different times, and when they did they all played with the children for the last time of the day, before heading in for dinner. Dinner was another wonderful meal from Max and his lovely assistants, consisting of tuna stew with crispy yam balls along with fries and apple slices. After dinner, students met up with their mentor groups and teaching partners to plan the lessons they will teach tomorrow in school. Once finished with their lesson plans, students enjoyed free time and found many resourceful ways to have a good time and enjoy the lovely outdoors of Ghana. Some students played soccer outside. They played a game of “Bull” as one of our French students, Max, told us. Students also played “Heads Up!” on a phone while still others enjoyed some quiet time to have nice conversations with one another or to continue planning their lessons for the following day. Everyone here is really getting in the groove of things and already dreading the day when we have to leave Ghana, not that we don’t miss you guys! We are just really enjoying ourselves and the people around us. The Ghanians are so friendly and everyday we learn so many new things.

Thanks for reading along with our journey! We appreciate all of your love and support and can’t wait to share all of our stories and pictures with you!

-Jane

July 9, 2016

Today some students woke up bright and early to see the sunrise. Unfortunately, the fog was too thick to see anything, but we still had fun together outside. Then we took a road trip to the monkey sanctuary. There we fed the monkeys bananas and some of us even had a monkey or two (or three) sit on our shoulders.

Afterwards, the GLA volunteers continued their journey to the tallest recorded waterfall in West Africa. Students hiked over bridges and trails, experiencing the wonderfully exotic plant and animal life that Ghana has to offer. Students were guided by experienced and diligent tour guides, who led the students to the waterfall. The gratified volunteers swam and took photos in the waterfall, and were amazed by the experience of a strong spraying outburst of water coming from it.

The GLA volunteers had a blast today thanks to the hard and effortful work of the mentors, staff, and in-country guides.

-Joe and Jane

nap time

Time Capsule Letter – October 2016

Our First Group this summer was made up of youth from North America (US and Canada).  They were exceptional in their personalities offering much enthusiasm as well as expertise to our program.  Being that there were Americans and Canadians in the collective group we were able to celebrate 2 national holidays all within the same session – Canada Day, July 1st and Independence Day, July 4th.

They met all aspects of the program with great enthusiasm.  Their flexibility with respect to the Ghanian way of life was key to the success of their program.  When there was too much down time at the bead making, they suggested going for a quick trip to the nursery (with a great surprise of ice-cream); when it rained, it didn’t dampen their experience; when we inserted a side trip to the fishing village, they gladly went along; when 150 locals people joined us at Sajuna, they played with them in the pool and assisted them with their swimming skills! They quickly learned how to role with whatever we had in mind to better the program.

Recollections of the first program:

• Toby’s 5:30am runs with the local running group
• Alexis, Hannah, Emily (Rebecca), Nina and Rachel speaking about the excitement in their elementary school classes
• Shan singing and drumming with the elementary students
• Grace sporting the ‘most undisciplined girl’ vest at Krobo Girls
• Malorie engaging 1 on 1 with the kids in the park
• Caitlin’s infections positive energy
• Emily’s stories of adventures
• Trinity, Nicole and Chloe sharing their stories about the nursery at mealtime

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Summer Blog Posts

June 29 – Greetings from Krobo, Ghana

It’s been literally 23 hours since our last group of students arrived at Home Base. After travelling for hours all 14 students slept soundly until morning.
We awoke to a delicious breakfast created by Charity and her Team. After breakfast students participated in interesting ways of understanding the expectations of our program – focussing on the 4 Pillars of GLA – Leadership, Service, Adventure and Fun.  During this time we also co-created group norms to set the tone for the next 14 days.

Off we went to the Nursery School where 4 of our students will be participating in their service work. The excitement of the children was infectious.
After a formal introduction, Larissa (GLA Mentor) and the students kicked into a variety of participatory songs involving movement – from hokey pokey to itzy bitzy spider. The children had a blast and our GLA student team quickly overcame their jet lag!

We went back to Home Base for a wonderful lunch and prepped for our second outing – this time to the elementary school in the Village where the other 10 GLA students will be participating in their service work. Still buzzing from the morning at the Nursery School – our team couldn’t have predicted what was about to descend upon us. The minute we stepped from the red dirt road onto the school property hundreds, and I seriously mean hundreds, of elementary students came sprinting towards us. Most of us walked up to the school with at least 6 children attached to one body part or another.
We met up with Nanaama, the Grade 6 teacher who showed us around the school and introduced us to the other staff,

We travelled the red dirt road back to Home Base with at least 60 elementary students.
While walking home we managed to get caught in a rainstorm – got soaked – but smiles still prevailed!

Dinner was followed by Henry (GLA National Director) telling us his ‘Story of Self’ plus a whole lot more. If you ask Henry “what’s one of the things you enjoy doing most?”, he will reply “telling stories”.

– Wendy Blain, GLA International Director

June 20, 2016

Hello family and friends of GLA students!

Today we got up around 7 am and ate a delicious breakfast of bread, fruit, and oatmeal. After this, we divided into our nursery and primary school service groups. We dressed for the morning, and headed down to the village.

The 4 nursery volunteers, Grace, Chloe, Nicole, and Trinity, prepared for their tiresome yet exciting morning at the nursery. They practiced the alphabet and taught basic English to the children. They also worked on shapes, numbers, and motor skills. They assisted the teachers and learned more about what the student’s curriculum entails.

The rest of the group – Nina, Rachel, Emily, Hannah, Ellie, Tobi, Sean, Lexi, Mallory, and Caitlin—spent the first part of their morning with one of the teachers, Anthony, learning how to make bricks for their library. In total, the group produced 5 bricks. The group got changed into proper teaching attire and went into the classes we were teaching. Nina, Caitlin, Rachel, and Hannah went into the fourth grade classroom, where they were learning about convection currents. In the fifth grade, Sean, Mallory, and Lexi got introduced to the students. In the sixth grade, Emily, Tobi, and Ellie began to interact with the students. The children were given a 50 minute break, where they danced and played games with the GLA students.

After a long morning at service, we headed back to the home base for lunch. Charity prepared rice, Ghanaian beans, and multiple sauces. After lunch, the students settled down for a short rest before the seamstress came to take our measurements for traditional Ghanaian clothing that we may choose to buy.

Later, we went down to Asitey Park where we got swarmed by excited children of all ages who wanted to play games and interact with us. We played leap frog, volleyball, soccer, and they taught us how to play different hand games and Ampe, a unique Ghanaian game. Many siblings of the children we are teaching in school showed up at the park. We came back to the home base to refresh ourselves before dinner. We ate pasta with peas, carrots, and a meat sauce as well as a vegetarian option. Afterwards, Charity and some other members of the staff brought us popcorn and plantain chips to enjoy while we watched a short TED X film about the power of a “single story”. We briefly discussed our thoughts and opinions of Ghana so far.

Currently, the GLA students are relaxing in the home base living room and sharing stories of their experiences.

Fondly, Emily and Rachel

July 2

Hello everyone!

Yesterday, July 1st, was republic day in Ghana, so we weren’t able to do our service. Instead, we stayed busy by visiting the Krobo girls high school next door. This school is regarded as one of the top schools in the country and many girls travel a long way to board at the school. The top students gave a detailed tour around the school and we were able to learn more about their life at school. We also went down to Asitey park and played with the kids. After dinner, Henry lit us a bonfire and we sat around telling ghost stories.

Today, we were able to sleep in because it is Saturday. After eating a traditional Ghanaian breakfast, we took a short van ride to the Queen Mother’s house, the most respected woman in the Krobo region. Once we were there, we had the opportunity to ask the Queen Mother questions and talked about her role in society. We also made our own batique fabrics designs, by stamping our design dipped in wax, onto a piece of cloth. Then, we each chose a color and dyed our cloth. After we watched the women remove the wax from the cloth, we left them out to dry.

After visiting the queen Mother and making crafts, we came back to the home base and ate a tasty lunch of jollof rice, chicken, and small apples prepared by Charity and the staff. We then hopped back in the van and went to the local market. Once there, we shopped for fabrics that the local seamstress can eventually make into an item of clothing. The market was extremely hectic but we had a nice time.

After a nice afternoon visiting the market, some of the group came back to the home base and everyone else went back to the Queen Mother’s house to finish their crafts. Those of us who came back to the home base went down to Asitey park again to see the children who we are starting to form close relations with.

The group met up again in the evening for a yummy dinner with multiple types of potatoes, chicken, fresh mangoes, and fish. Then we had some time to debrief and play games before Henry came to talk to us.

– Emily and Rachel

July 5

Hello family and friends of GLA students,

We hope you had a good weekend and a great 4th of July. The GLA students have been very busy for the past few days and are getting some much needed rest tonight.

On Sunday, students had the opportunity to go to one of the local churches to experience a typical Ghanaian church service. Most of the students went to the church and participated in singing, dancing, and listening to a preacher along with the local people. We also had a chance to make an offering to support the church. After a nice lunch of rice and chicken, we played some games involving trust and compassion then wrote about our experiences with those games in our journals. Right after we finished our games, it started pouring rain and the students enjoyed running outside in the rain and getting a break from the heat. Once the rain cleared up, we went to Asitey park to watch a soccer game and played with the children. Before dinner, students relaxed at the home base. In the evening, we played a game led by Larissa (GLA mentor) involving our strengths and weaknesses. Then the seamstress came to collect our fabrics and take our orders for traditional Ghanaian clothing.

On Monday, students had breakfast at 7am then prepared for a full morning at the nursery or junior school. The students working at the nursery taught basic English and kept the children entertained all morning. At the elementary school, we built a lot of bricks and learned how to do the mixture for the cement properly. Then we went into the classrooms and taught our prepared lessons for 4th, 5th, and 6th grade students. After a long morning, we returned to the home base for a BBQ lunch and games. After lunch, a local artist/merchant came to the home base to teach us about the history of art in Ghana. He brought a lot of artwork made locally and students had the opportunity to purchase wooden art, beads, paintings, drums, and more. Then we went to Asitey park again to see the kids and play soccer with them. Some students also went running with a local group of runners. In the evening, we dressed up in some traditional African outfits and put on paint for the Krobo naming ceremony led by Henry, the staff at home base, and the teachers from the school. The Krobo Naming ceremony is traditional in this part of Ghana and it is when children are named on their 8th day of life. Ironically, our ceremony took place on our 8th day in Ghana. Students had a lot of fun receiving their new names and the local children were extremely excited to hear them. Henry also taught us about Dipo, an ancient tradition in Ghana.

Today, students ate breakfast at 7am and quickly got ready for their busy mornings. At the nursery, the 4 students taught the toddlers songs, watched them rehearse their dance for graduation, and got to try backing babies (the method most women use to carry small babies here). At the elementary school, we built 7 more bricks then got changed into our teaching clothes and separated into our groups corresponding with the grade we are teaching. In 6th grade, we split the kids up into reading, writing, and conversation groups so that the students could work with us on their English skills. After that, we came back to the home base for lunch at 12:30. Then, the tired students had a short nap before heading out to the Krobo Girls high school again. There, we got to observe a class of our choice and get an up close look on what the girls there learn. Then we went to Asitey park before having a nice dinner of chicken and Spanish style rice with fruit. Tonight, Henry talked to us about traditions in Ghana and we got to ask him any questions that we thought of this week.

Fondly, your GLA students (Emily and Rachel)

July 7, 2016

Yesterday, we slept in until 9, and ate a delicious breakfast of porridge and fruit. After this, we packed into the van and headed over to the fish markets by Volta Lake. The markets were very crowded, and mostly women were selling foods and other products to make a living. We walked down to the shore and talked with a local fisherman and his family to learn about how they build their fishing boats.
Once we returned to the home base, we ate a lunch of rice balls with a peanut sauce. Then, we split into two groups; one learning hawking (the traditional method to carry things in Ghana), and the other preparing food with Charity and her staff. We had some down time, which many spent relaxing or playing games. Our dinner at 6:00 was pink rice with an egg sauce.
After dinner, we did a student-led activity and examined a mystery with Larissa.
Today, we woke up very early at 6:30am to go to a bead-making place before the sun got too hot. We watched the workers there crush the glass for the beads then we got to put the glass powder into the molds for the beads. After that, we sat and watched the people put the beads into the fire. We spent the majority of our morning at the bead place with the exception of our short visit to the nursery. At the nursery, we sang and played games with the kids. Henry also bought us ice cream today and needless to say, we were extremely happy.
Upon our arrival back to home base at 12:30, we were greeted with a great lunch of rice, mangoes, and a chicken sauce. Then we had planned to go back to the bead place to paint our own personal beads but it was canceled due to the pouring rain. Instead, we relaxed for a while before going down to Asitey park to see the children.
After the park, we came back to home base and ate white rice, chicken, and pineapple. Then we played some games and debriefed our day.
We look forward to sharing more of our adventures with you soon

– Your GLA bloggers (Emily and Rachel)

July 9, 2016

Hello everyone!
We hope you’re doing well and are excited to reunite with all of us in a few days.
On Friday, we had our last day of community service. The 10 of us who volunteer at the primary school made our last bricks and had our last class with the children. The other 4 spent their morning saying goodbye to the toddlers at the nursery. The seamstress came with our final clothing items and we were able to try them on. After this, we went down to Asitey Park and played with the children. In the evening, Henry played a few videos for us about stereotypes of Africans, videos of past GLA trips to Ghana, and his own wedding photos to show us what a traditional Ghanaian wedding looks like.
Yesterday, we hiked two miles at Boti Falls, which was about a 45 minute van ride from the home base. We got to see a gorgeous view from Umbrella Rock, and had plenty of photo opportunities. We had a picnic lunch of jollof rice and chicken. Many of us bought Ghanaian ice cream, FanIce. Once were back, we all went to Asitey Park and had fun with the children.
Today we went to Sajuna Beach Club. At Sajuna, we went swimming in the pool, went on a boat ride, played volleyball, read our books, ate a picnic lunch, and went kayaking. Sajuna was a nice closing to a great two weeks in Ghana. On our way back to the home base, we stopped at a bead market to shop for bracelets, necklaces, and earrings. Then we came back home and quickly got ready for our last day at the park with the kids. We said our goodbyes and some of us even wrote the children letters. This evening, Charity prepared our last supper of pasta, chicken, and mango. Then we watched a slide show with pictures from this week and reminisced about all of the good times we have had in Ghana.
As we prepare for our long journeys home, make sure you stock your fridges with lots of food and get ready to hear all about our experiences in Ghana!
We look forward to seeing you very soon,
Your GLA bloggers,
Rachel and Emily

Time Capsule Letter – October 2016

Hello Everyone!

Can you believe how long it’s been since we were all sitting together covered in sweat and cement dust eating a delicious lunch prepared by Mama Rita and the kitchen crew?  I hope you have been having a wonderful time since I last saw you and I hope you have been sharing all the wonderful memories you made in Ghana.  If you ever wonder if the you made an impression on the community here, know this: Jaspar, Papa, and Gloria often yell “Just do it” even in you ask for something mundane, like “Can I please get napkins?”  The bargaining crab has made and appearance at more than one dance party since you left.  And, Dora said that if we wanted to, we could start calling her Alex!!!  Obviously, there is only one Alex, so the new nickname didn’t stick, but just goes to show how much love the Ghanaian staff (an all of us) have for the original, the one and only, Alex.  Achoo was proud to show our second and third groups how tall his tomatoes have grown, thanks to all the watering you did.  Recently some very official men stopped by and Boots informed me that they were here to learn more about the compost toilets and he was about to go show them one.  “Oh,” I said, “you are going to sexy, Number 50?”  Nope.  They were going to sexier, Number 51!  That’s right, Ballo’s toilet is on the tour route!  All the hard work of that group, including “MergenChristine Cho” will now set the standard for future builds.

Want to hear some more exciting news from the gang at Meet Me There?  The MMT family is about to get a little bigger.  Mama Rita is pregnant!  It’s true and everyone is so happy for her.

 

I hope you yavus are all doing well and can’t wait for our paths to cross again in the future.

Meghan

 

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Summer Blog Posts

June 28, 2016

Our students have all safely arrived in Ghana! While it was a long journey, everyone arrived happy and excited for the next two weeks ahead. We are all settling in nicely to our beautiful home here in Dzita. Our local staff have been amazing in preparing for and welcoming our students, and we are all so fortunate to be here! After some much needed rest, we toured the community and learned about the NGO we are working with, Dream Big Ghana. The students are looking forward to getting to know their new home for the next two weeks and the adventures ahead!

Enjoying our first breakfast together in Ghana!

June 30

July 1, 2016

Today was a busy, but great, day. First, like all of our mornings here, we started off with a delicious breakfast, courtesy of Mama Rita, and then headed off to a long, hot day of service. After mixing cement and cutting rebar, we were thankfully able to cool off in the lagoon. Then, after cleaning the cement and sand off ourselves, we headed to see one of Ghana’s medical clinics, Anyanyanui, and were taken aback by what we saw in comparison to what we all take for granted back home. For our next afternoon activity, we visited a local seamstress, Auntie, and picked out the designs for the clothing we are having made with Ghanaian fabric. We finally headed back to home base and enjoyed yet another delicious meal and were able to relax under the stars for the rest of the night.

– Catherine McDonnell and Bridget Bruneau

July 2, 2016

Today was a very hard working day at the sites, which consisted of constant water breaks. We stared the day off strong with French toast and fruits and were off to our work sites. For the third working day, we were determined to add four layers of bricks on top of the dried cement from yesterday. At all of the sites the community surrounding tries to communicate with us. Whether that be helping out with the heavy lifting, talking to us while we practice our Ewe, or little kids practicing their English by repeatedly saying “water”. Once we got back we were able to jump into the lagoon and cool off. Then, lunch was served, which included evivi (tasty) avocado wraps and French fries.
After lunch we went on an herbal medicine walk. We learned that many people in Ghana use these practices, because there is an unequal balance between supply and demand when it comes to hospitals and treatment. As a result, many Ghanians go to herbal specialists. Constipation, headaches, and even Malaria can be treated with certain roots and leaves indigenous to Ghana.
After dinner we watched three videos including a Ted talk called, “A Single Story” as well as two 3 minute long comedy videos. All three videos commented on the lack of accurate representation regarding Africa throughout the world. We shared comments and sparked conversation regarding race, racism, white supremacy, stereotypes, and wealth. We came to the conclusion that all over the world there are different ways of living and we can’t judge different ways of life just because they are unfamiliar to us. All in all it was another eventful day in Ghana, leaving all of us thirsty for tomorrow’s upcoming adventures.

– Maxine and Duke

July 3, 2016

Today was different compared to the normal days we have had. Instead of working on the compost toilets, we started the morning off with visiting a slave fort about an hour away from the home base.  At the fort, we saw the terrible environment that housed hundreds of people on a daily basis before they we shipped across the Atlantic Ocean. It opened our eyes to a different perspective on this part of history  since we are usually only familiar with where they ended up instead of where they started. I think many of us found it interesting to see this side of the story because it often isn’t heard when we live so far away from it.

After the tour around the fort, we drove back to have lunch and a little free time before heading back out again to play soccer with some of the locals. Many of us felt like we were going to do really bad but we had so much fun that many of us didn’t care if we had won or lost. When arriving, we were greeted by a bunch of children that just grabbed our hands and walked with us to the soccer matches. We were split into four teams which had a mix of locals (including staff from our home base) and students. We each played two games to decide the winner which was an exciting game that ended in penalty kicks. When we weren’t playing, we sat with the children and they taught us some of the games that they normally play. They were also interested in what items we had brought with us, especially our phones. After the match the children grabbed our hands again and walked with us back to the cars.

We ate a nice dinner and then had our evening activity. A community nurse came and talked about what she does on a regular basis and taught us what it takes to be involved in healthcare. She talked to us about what the government in Ghana supplies to families when planning/having a child. The talk ended late so we were all dead tired and headed to bed.

-Sarah and Will

July 4, 2016
Our day started with a delicious omelet and toast for breakfast. After we went out for service. After finishing 8 layers of bricks, we went back to the home base and had pasta, rice, and an exquisite Ghanaian sauce for lunch. We had free time after lunch and gathered to come up with few games that we could play with children at the school on Thursday. It was funny how we had to present our games to each other in the end. At dinner we feasted on fish, fried potatoes, and another traditional Ghanaian sauce (spicy mustard sauce). Finally, we concluded our day with a vibrant cultural performance and we were able to get up and dance.

Christine Cho and Carter Bell

July 5, 2016

Tuesday!! Awww so sad that we leave Monday!!! Good morning, it’s 7:30 AM and it’s breakfast time. We had fruit and cereal. Just a normal breakfast but tasty. After breakfast, we went to the sunroom to get all of our stuff ready for service. We were both the leaders of the day. We both made sure everybody got their rooms cleaned up and bed sheets with covers put into the laundry room and keys in the doors. Now we are loading up to go to work on our Eco compost toilets. We started working on the steps to the compost and putting plaster on the side walls. We finished everything that needs to be done for the day. Service day is over and now we are heading back to the home base. It’s lunch, we ate chicken, rice with some tomato sauce and salad. BEST RICE EVER!! After lunch we went to a workshop at a college and we made like designs on fabric to make pillows or anything you want out of the fabric. Everyone made something that is awesome and that someone else’s wants there design. We stayed there for 2 and half hours to make the designs. Everybody did something different. 3 groups did tie and dye (tie dye), they call it tie and dye. My group did designs with hot wax that is like a stamp on the white fabric. It was fun to meet new people and making something by hand and the most difficult way but it was easy and a long process. It’s totally worth it though!! All of the mentors and directors of GLA wanted pictures. They got there pictures. Dougal came and picked us up in the van and took us back to the home base. We met up in the sunroom for the leaders of the day activity. Dinner time, we ate fries, avocado wraps and salad. After dinner, we had a group activity and we played 2 games that is all about the team working together and communication skills. Appreciation time! That was great and now it’s bed time.
By: Jada & Lauryl

July 6, 2016

After working hard at service we relaxed for a little while and then went to the market. At the market we were given a list of items for our scavenger hunt to pick up stuff the lodge needed and to practice our Ewe with the merchants. When we finished the scavenger hunt we could all walk around and buy souvenirs to bring back home. Afterwards we all sat around and ate the new snacks we had just bought. Then we drove back and played a group activity and ate dinner.

Tatjana and Aliya

July 7, 2016

Today started out with two wonderful things: first, everyone seemed to be feeling healthy, and we had a full team of hungry breakfast eaters! Second, the resident cat at Meet Me There lodge had four little adorable kittens! We ate our delicious breakfast of chocolate crepes and fruit, and headed off to the work sites. At the site, most groups worked on building the stairs of their compost toilets or plastering them. We got back to home base at around 12:30, and ate yummy noodles for lunch. Right after lunch was finished, we left for the Kris Gleeson International school, where we would play our planned activities with the junior high school students. This was tons of fun, and we were all pretty tired after running around! The perfect remedy for our grogginess was a swim in the lagoon. We laughed for a while, and then got out to eat dinner. Mama Rita cooked wonderfully as always, and Papa’s pineapple daiquiris came in handy when a certain few of us tried some very spicy peppers. Then we got in our pajamas, grabbed our pillows, and got ready to watch the Lion King!! We were all SO excited. The night only got better when Tigo brought us all ice cream, and Mama Rita made popcorn!! After the movie was over, we told scary stories. It was a really great day, and we all went to bed excited for service in the morning!

Alex and Maia

July 8, 2016

Bridget and Marie reporting here.
Today was a great day. For service we worked on painting the door and mixed shells and an unnamed mix to create the back doors for the compost toilet. Our afternoon activity was farming and cooking Achoo, a boss man, showed us his giant fair. We helped him water plants (tomatoes and spring onions) an using the well was most definitely Marie’s favorite because she does not have a well at her service site. The amazing kitchen staff taught us how to make the famous red sauce that is a staple here. Besides the red sauce we learned how to make fun (a traditional Ghanaian dish). We even got to pound the cassava and planting in order to make the fun. In the evening the group planned out “thank you’s” for Tiga and many others. Some creative ideas were in the air and the group participated in writing heartfelt note to Jasper, Ballo, Bots, Tigo, Papa, Mama Rita, and the kitchen staff. It was overall a pretty great day except for the fact that the electricity went out but at this point the whole group is used to it. the trip is almost over, a fact which is a double edged sword in that many people are sad to part and the like hood of being able to se any of this people is a revelation that many people have accepted and lament over.

-Marie and Bridget

July 9, 2016

Today was a very eventful day full of painting, singing, dancing, and drumming. We started off the day an hour later, thankful for the extra sleep, and then walked to service which really made us miss our van. Once we all arrived to our work sites we began painting our compost toilets and applied all the finishing touches. After applying the final coats of paint we took in our hard work and headed back to base for lunch and then an amazing drumming and dancing lesson. The group Kilili Africa came all the way from Accra to teach us how to drum, sing, and dance. We had a station of drumming where we repeated beats from the group and sang a song about fire in harmonies. The other station was a dance lesson where we learned a specific choreography for a song called Bajo, which means “come and dance”. After a dinner break we all gathered by the stage and watched the group perform. Many people from the community gathered together to watch the men do what they do best. It was truly a magical and unforgettable performance.

Catherine and Maxine

July 10, 2016

Today we celebrated the finished toilets with an opening ceremony. We had a late breakfast because it didn’t have to start until 10. The families that will be using all three toilets were present for the event and were taught how to properly use the toilets and the benefits of having the compost. We all had some pretty cool Dream Big Ghana shirts to wear too so I think we all felt pretty cool. After the opening ceremony, we visited the other two toilets to take pictures and see our names on the side of the building. Everyone was so excited to see the finished product and truly witness how much a group of high school students can do in a couple of weeks. Apart from being excited, we were all sad to know that our time here in Ghana was almost over. I know several of us have said that we didn’t want to go home yet and the ceremony really made us realize that we only had 1 day left with our new lifelong friends.

After the ceremony, we went back to the lodge for lunch and to do our final group activity to show our appreciation for one another. Then we got ready to go on a boat ride down the Volta River. We started the voyage right down the road with a nice selection of drums and people in the back of the boat to bring music to the beautiful sights. The river was beautiful and like nothing we had seen before. After a short ride, we stopped at a beach where we took pictures and laughed so much. The 30 minutes on the beach was ended and we headed back out on the river to go home.

After getting back to the lodge, we had a special birthday to celebrate! Alex was turning 17 so what better way to celebrate then the tradition in Ghana of throwing egg, flour, and water on the lucky person. We were all excited to celebrate her birthday and I think that will be one to remember for her.

Next we changed into the African clothing that we got personally made for each of us and got ready to have our final dinner. Before eating, the group gave out gifts to the staff members to show them how much we care. Then we ate with the staff and even had a birthday cake at the end for Alex.

After dinner, we had a bonfire on the beach and enjoyed each other’s company. We sang songs and remembered the trip as a whole.

I don’t think we could have asked for a better last day or a better two weeks in general. I think we can speak for the group in saying that we will always remember this experience and each other.

-Sarah and Christine