An Extraordinary Day!

Today was another extraordinary day in Ghana. Our day began with our visit to the local clinic in Anloga. We had a big project ahead of us and got right to work chiseling and sanding the exterior of the building. After quickly prepping the walls, we were ready to paint. In just a few hours, we transformed the deteriorating medical center into a fun and inviting atmosphere, while also belting out the lyrics to many songs. We had a little too much fun with the paint, shown in our photo below. Living in America, sanitary and ample health care is something we take for granted, so seeing the conditions of the Ghanaians local clinic was really eye opening. We headed back covered in paint, dust, and sweat, feeling fulfilled with the work we accomplished.

After some food and rest, we put together a field day for the neighborhood kids that we have gotten to know over the past two weeks. We ran around on the beach, performed manicures, and acted as a jungle gym for the kids to climb all over. Even with the challenging language barrier, we were able to connect and put a smile on each other’s faces. The afternoon concluded with dinner and some free time to bond and relax. We debriefed about our service so far and got ready for our overnight trip. We are all really excited to head to Ho tomorrow, and experience a different part of Ghana that we have not seen yet. It is crazy to think that we have less than a week left here in Ghana!

-Alexa Steckler and Perri Sucoff

Father’s House

Hello parents, loved ones, and friends! Today we started out with a lovely breakfast with the options of crepes, fruit, and cereal. We then continued to service sites with brick building and our final day of teaching our brilliant students. After working hard, we came back to home base and ate lunch. Our next activity was the last rotation of Will’s group cooking, Kate’s group going to Father’s House, and Laura’s group going to the Island. We finished the night with a great talk about human rights and our visions for the rest of the trip! We’ll see you soon with our great new perspectives!

An Incredible Day

A Relaxing Sunday

A Day to Think

Beyond the service and schooling that occurs each day, today gave us a lot to think about. After lunch, we took a river tour and had time to relax on an island. Here, we witnessed a protest against white economic superiority. We were moved by the strength of the gathered community to stand up and rise to support a cause they believed in; the protection of their homes. A white Italian company was eager to build a hotel in this area and these people were not properly informed of this. This image later became the focus of our night activity. Not only did we focus on the dominance of races or economic power, but we also discussed the opportunities taken away from women or children worldwide. Together, we enacted scenes that represented different conflicts, such as abuse, education, and others. We discussed the issues and brainstormed solutions on how to improve these conditions. Coming to GLA has already opened our eyes to the severity of these dilemmas and allowed us to become problem solvers and supportive peers.

~Margi and Nikki

Bricks, Beach, & Reflections

The sixth day in Ghana was an eventful one. We went to the service site for the second time. Everyone worked hard building bricks. After hanging out with the children during their break we made our way to the classrooms to teach the students. Everyone had created lesson plans the night before, and felt prepared to teach a successful first class. We later on walked down to the beach, where we relaxed in the sun and enjoyed each other’s company. We then hopped in the tro-tros and headed to a nearby high school.  There we partnered up with students from the school and learned about their families, school and lives in Ghana. Some of us discussed global issues and others wrote poems. After dinner, we watched the movie Girl Rising, which focused on girls in various developing countries and their attempts to gain access to an education. The movie was exceptionally inspiring and caused our day to end on a positive note. We are getting ready for an exciting day tomorrow. Stay tuned!

First Day of Service

Today was the first official day of community service at our schools. At eight am this morning, our members began their brick building experience. At first it may have proved difficult, but eventually the groups were able to find a rhythm and produce bricks effectively and efficiently. Every group produced close to sixty bricks throughout their two hour period. The members enjoyed the break-time by meeting their students and introducing themselves to the school. After playing games and having fun with the kids, the members began their day of teaching. The students were extremely excited to see our GLA members in their rooms, and the teachers were very welcoming and insightful. After finishing the observation period we returned for lunch. Splitting into two groups, some members traveled to Dream Big Ghana and swam in the lagoon, as others went to the local market and met the local bone-mender. At Dream Big Ghana, our GLA members learned about other programs within Ghana which focus on building latrines and improving sanitation. At the market our members bartered for food used in our kitchen and met with many interesting people. Meeting the local bone-mender, our students learned of different forms of medical treatment and recovery. After returning for dinner, members learned the history of Ghana from a local professor and also conversed with the Chief about culture and marriage in Ghana. Before bed, members planned their lesson for the following day and reviewed Ewe for their class. We are looking forward to the experiences these students will bring us and the muscles we will develop in brick building.

Learning About Ghana

After an early wake-up call, everyone headed to the local secondary school to hang out with Ghanaian high school students. There, we played “football”, basketball, volleyball, and handball together. The students were incredibly welcoming and had high spirits when we were playing. After our several games, we cooled off in the shade with cookies and juice. This later led to a dance off with the Ghanaian students. After spending the morning at the school, we came home to a delicious lunch. We then prepared to visit our individual host families. We traveled to their homes and spent several hours conversing and learning about their average day to day life. Each experience was different for us, but we were able to connect with average Ghanaian people in their homes in a direct way. Later that evening, after a long stretch of free time with the local children, we were visited by speakers that told us about traditions, culture, and history of Ghana, which led to many discussions about the impact and relationships between our cultures on our lives. Now we’re off to bed… We’ll post updates later! Hedenyuie! (Goodbye!)

-Mari Odoy and Portia Mannix

A Full Day

Today began with a delicious breakfast followed by some quality time with the always enthusiastic children. We then broke into our mentoring groups and rotated between drums and dancing, group bonding on the beach, and an intensive Ewe lesson at a local school. The dancing was nothing less than amazing and differed completely from any other form of artistic expression we have ever witnessed. Local students performed and taught us their various types of dancing, drumming, and singing. It was such a unique insight into their culture that we could not have enjoyed anywhere else. Even the neighborhood children joined in the festivities!

Our mentor groups then gathered on the beach to discuss our experiences so far and play games in order to become better acquainted. It was a great way to become even more of a GLA community. Finally, we traveled via bus to a nearby high school in order to learn Ewe. The lesson was informative and will most definitely aide us in conversing with the locals.

After lunch, the entire group took a trip into the village to purchase fabric, which was then brought to a seamstress to make an article of our choice (don’t worry mom, I’m getting your skirt -Bri). The fabric was beautiful and covered in elaborate patterns you could only find here in Ghana. The seamstresses measured us and our garments are expected to arrive soon! We then returned to home base and played with the kids until dinner, which was followed by a viewing of a TED talk regarding hearing only one side of a story. The video showed us how not having all the information can lead to a misguided opinion of something. We related this to our experiences here in Anloga and how our ideas of Africa are evolving. Finally, we received a visit from a “Wise Old Man”, aka a mentor in a horned helmet, who gave us all Ghanaian names according to the day of the week on which we were born. It was amusing for all who participated!

Arrival!

We arrived around 8 pm last night, and were immediately welcomed with warm smiles and food. After gathering all of our luggage we headed off to our rooms where we set up camp. We awoke early this morning to a torrential downpour that fortunately ceased right before breakfast. After our breakfast, we were introduced to all of the basic standards and expectations for our trip. We were taught what not to do, and how to greet the villagers, followed by a walk around the premises of our home base. Around 10:30am we took a nice leisurely walk to the beach where most of us experienced some of the biggest waves we have ever seen, resulting in some wet clothing. When arriving back at the home base, a group of eager children greeted us at the doorway. We all played soccer and took numerous photos until it was time for lunch.

At lunch we all got to meet the head of our host families. We chatted and ate, until lunch came to an end and the host families returned to their homes. Afterwards, we all split up into 3 groups and headed off to the service sights where the schools are located. Some of us sat in on classes, while others played schoolyard games with the students. Visiting the schools was very eye opening for most, and it really helped remind us why we are here. We were given a brief introductory lesson to Ewe, but most of us were too tired to absorb the information. Afterwards we had some more free time, which most of us used to play with the neighborhood kids. After dinner we waited for some of the students that were arriving today, and then had a bonfire, to celebrate the 4th discussion about independence within our countries. We then ended the night off with a talk of why we are all here and a delicious ice cream treat. of July. At the bonfire we danced and had a

-Tavia Godfrey and Anneka Henry

P.S. Some late arrivals are not pictured.

Headed Home

All students have checked through security and are ready to depart for home!

Saying Goodbye

It’s hard to believe that our time in Ghana is nearly coming to an end. As a result, I don’t think that it’s possible to have a day more packed with activity than we did today. We started the day with some friendly competition of soccer against the local high school. This was no easy task, as soccer is very big over here. We did put up a good fight however (and by “we”, I mean Isaiah) and the ending score was 4-5 Ghana.

After a much needed ice cream and lunch break as well as a speech on Ghanaian history from a local chief, we headed off to Meet Me There Lodge, homebase to the GLA Building Healthy Villages program. Their director, Tigo, talked to us about his NGO called Dream Big Ghana, which helps provide compost toilets to rural villages. Between Tigo’s inspirational speech, swimming in the lagoon, and falling in love with newborn puppies at the lodge, we said goodbye to Meet Me There with heavy hearts.
We then rushed off to visit our host families for the last time. The host family experience really drove in just how friendly and welcoming the people here are. Strangers greet you with warm smiles and “wezo”, meaning “you are welcome”. We thanked them for their hospitality and with even heavier hearts than with the newborn puppies, we said our goodbyes.

Dinner was much appreciated as always, and anticipation for our bonfire built as we students sat in the lounge and enjoyed some summer pump up jams. We walked to the beach with bundles of firewood and suddenly we found ourselves surrounding a pile of sticks ablaze. Symbolically, we threw the letters of hopes and fears of the program that we wrote on the very first night here into the blaze. I can’t speak for everyone, but I know that I feel like a much different person than when we started the program.
A talent show followed the bonfire, displaying skills such as storytelling, poetry, and even some Ghanaian dancing. Then it was off to bed as the weight of our second to last day sunk in. I can’t wait to see what our last day holds. Very bittersweet.

-Lila and Aimee

Final Day of Teaching

Breakfast was delicious. Now I can’t remember exactly what it was, but any food is delicious. The loud chatter and laughter of my peer filled the room. We’re friends now…the all of us. There isn’t one person on this trip who I just cannot stand. Which is great because usually there is at least one. And now there’s none. I love the friendship part of this trip. I mean this trip is an amazing once-in-a-lifetime experience…but I’m saying I love how much we all get along. And maybe that sounds cheesy, but then so be it.

Anyhow. Breakfast was amazing. Incredible. Super duper yummy. And then we applied sunscreen and bug repellant and all that good stuff. Our bags packed, we piled into vans and were on our way. Our final day of teaching. It saddened me to realize that I would most likely never see these children again. These children, who I’ve grown to love and admire, would disappear from my life. To fall in love with these children and then lose everything you loved in a heartbeat is torture. You can’t do that to me. Or anybody.

In talking to some of my peers, I learned that they too were just as sad if not more. Goodbyes are the hardest. In my class, we played games and handed out candies and our students taught us how to dance. Just like, I later learned, every class. And then it was time for a goodbye. I was afraid I’d break, saying goodbye to the students I’ve fallen in love with. But I kept my cool, as I’ve learned to do, and gave my goodbyes, waving and backing out of the classroom. It took my everything not to look back into the classroom. I knew that would only make the sadness of goodbye worse.

I just realized I skipped the brick making part our day. It was uneventful and we were all tired. I feel as if I’m making this blog more about my group and me then about everybody as one whole group. But, as we are in three different groups and I am not a mind-reader, I cannot speak for the others. Let them share their days and I will share mine. So I will focus on my group. Anyhow. Back to making bricks. “Two bags or four?” “Four!” “Two. Four.” We will make what we make. 121 bricks today. Four bags. But we pulled it off.

Okay…So. We’re back at home base. We got to relax for…approximately an hour? More? Less? I don’t know. But we got to relax for enough time to write a journal entry or five. And then we were back in the vans and on our way to our activities. My group was going to The Island.

And then we were home again which was quite relieving! We were hanging out in the lounge and drinking from coconuts and playing with little children and just relaxing. Then dinner. I was starving. So maybe that’s a bit of an over exaggeration… but when you are that hungry everything tastes like the best food you’ve ever eaten. The time I wasn’t eating was spent writing. It was quite satisfying. And then dinner was over and we were relaxing some more and then a meeting. Alec lead it and, in my opinion, he did a very good job. We were asked questions like “what was the most difficult decision you ever made?”. Questions that made us think. I think it was a very productive meeting.

-Nicole

Group Photo!

Diary for the Day

Dear GLA Community,

Today we had a relaxing day. In the morning after breakfast, we went to our community service site as usual and made bricks and taught our assigned classes. Tomorrow is the last day of brick building and teaching. Despite missing all of the muscle toning and sweating while brick building, I think we will miss our students more.

After a successful morning of community service, we returned back to home base for a hearty lunch, and started on prep for a relaxing afternoon at Keta Beach. A motorized river boat was our method of transportation to the beautiful shore. We got to spend a lot of time in the sun and the water and have some good snacks with our toes in the sand! Afterwards, we heard an educationist by the name of Cyrial speak to us about his passion for teaching and his views on education in Ghana. By this time we were all hungering for a dinner of chicken and vegetables and oh, how could I forget… a taste of Shene’s wonderful guacamole.

It’s now time to wind down for bed with some journaling, reading, and music appreciation with our fabulous mentor, Kate. Cheers to a wonderful day and a Happy Happy 15^th Birthday to Abby!

XOXO,

Morgan and Amanda

Another Beautiful Day

A Satisfying Day

A Few Adventures…

We started off the day bright and early with a delicious breakfast made by our wonderful cook, Mercy. Next we headed off top the service site where the groups made bricks for a couple hours then taught their assigned grade. We headed back to home base to enjoy another meal which was chicken. The three groups separated. One group went to Father’s House and played with the kid that were rescued from child slavery, one group had a cooking lesson at home base, and the other group had a tour of a cultural village on the island. After these adventures, we had a little free time in which some caught up on sleep and some played with the village kids. Later on in the evening we had dinner, which was rice and beef and other varieties of things. At 7 we had a guest speaker who told us about story telling and how it affects their culture, then went on to tell us stories that they tell their children. After this, it was kind of late and we all just lounged around in our GLA community. This experience in Ghana has opened my eyes to how close you can become with people so quickly. I have never felt so welcomed not only by the other GLA students, but by the community we are in. Experiencing this different culture has given me perspective, and helped me to appreciate my own even more. I can take away what I like in a community versus what I see that I don’t like. 

Reflections on the Community

– Katherine Bogart

Greetings from  Ghana!

This morning when the rooster yelled, some of the students started off their day doing yoga and running on the beautiful beach. Later in the morning, when we reached the school, the kids were staring with us in joy.This is where we began our four-hour experience at school. We first started making bricks, which took a lot of effort to put together. After the two hours of building bricks, we had a thirty minute break, which was absolute chaos because we played soccer. After break, we taught many subjects, ranging from Science to English – from graphing to enzymes and from brains to adjectives. We taught many subjects that made for a compelling class experience.

After our service opportunity, we returned to home base, where we had lunch and took a break, followed by “host families.” In this activity we visited the families that we were assigned to. Our host families were very kind and welcoming, and some students even got to play games! After our departure and on our arrival back to home base, many of us felt like rock stars, being surrounded by so many incredible children.

After that, we ate dinner, and we had many discussions about human rights, which was really fun and fascinating.

Fie na me!

An Extraordinary Experience

Fie na me!

After a night of a rattling storm, we woke up to a delicious African breakfast. Then we packed our bags and headed off to our assigned schools where we would be volunteering for the day. One of the locals taught us how to build bricks in the same way you would bake a cake. We then tried making the bricks ourselves and successfully completed about 20.  Once we finished, we were ambushed by a swarm of adorable children who were fascinated by our hands, hair, and cameras.

We then played a variety of games such as duck-duck goose, ring around the rosie, tag, and piggy back rides. When the kids settled down, we followed them back to class to observe and learn from the teachers in preparation for the next day. After saying our goodbyes, we piled into the van and headed back to the base. After lunch, we went to the seamstress to be fitted for a piece of clothing of our choice. Back at the home base, we were greeted by the smiles of the multiple children from the surrounding village. Feeling tired and sweaty, but still humbled by the day, we gathered to watch a TED talk and then ended the day by preparing our lessons for the kids tomorrow. We look forward to continuing this extraordinary experience!

Headed Home

All students are on their way home after an amazing program!

Saying Goodbye

Thursday was our last full day in Ghana. We started off the morning with breakfast and then moved onto the opening ceremonies of our sexy toilets. The first ceremony took place at Ashley’s service site. Tigo gave the families who would be using these sexy toilets a speech about proper usage and how to maintain them, and then Boots would translate what was just said into Ewe for the people. Around 40 locals showed up to each ceremony and it really showed how much our time and hard work would be appreciated.

After the opening ceremonies we came back to the lodge and headed off on a visit to a local clinic to speak to a midwife who both works and lives at the site. After we got back and had lunch we went on a boat trip down the Volta River with our group in the front and the same group of cultural singers and drummers sat in the back and performed the whole time. We stopped on a beach between the river and the Atlantic to hang out, swim, and play catch for a while and then headed back to the lodge. After supper we went into the summer house and were handed some very crafty and creative “Golden Toilet Roll” awards by the staff who had obviously put a lot of effort into them. To end the day we had a bonfire on the beach. There was some dancing, singing, games, and a lot of talking involved. Although the air was getting cold, the fire kept us warm until we adjourned back to the summer house to spend one last night with each other.

Starting Service

Finally, we get to start working on the toilets! Charlotte and I woke everyone up for a hearty breakfast to get the group ready for service. We lead some morning stretches and did a pump-up cheer, then headed off to work. My group is building an eco compost toilet for a clump of family compounds sandwiched between the main road and the ocean. The traditional housing, palm trees, fishermen, and beach provide an amazing backdrop as we work. We built up the 2 poo chambers and called it a day, heading home for a dip in the lagoon before lunch.

After a bit of a siesta we delve right into learning the culture with an Ewe language lesion and a herbal medicine walk with the local traditional medicine man. Around 80% of Ghanaians rely exclusively on herbal medicine, and it’s fascinating to hear how all these plants are used. For our Leader of the Day presentations, Charlotte and I expanded on the importance of traditional medicine and some specific plants we were knowledgeable about, such as Moringa and Neem. We also did a teambuilding activity by building a balloon couch, which was quite amusing to watch.

Orientation

We started off the trip strong with a morning of rules and regulations. First up, a game of pole, tandem, princess to get
everyone one moving around and up close and personal, my personal favorite icebreaker game. Next up, a round of the alliteration name game so that no one will ever forget anyone’s name again- seriously, best name game ever! Then down to business, GLA history, home base standards, code of conduct, etc., with a few games to break up the monotony. Maybe it’s because this was our third and last time doing orientation, but it seemed to fly by and not be as boring as usual.

Rita and our lovely kitchen staff prepared a lovely lunch for us, and then Dougal explained Dream Big Ghana, the NGO we are working with, and their vision a bit more before taking the group on a tour of one of the local communities we will be working in. Sanitation is such a huge issue worldwide, with 4,000 children dying everyday from diarrhea and 1 in 3 women worldwide being harassed, bullied, or raped because they don’t have a safe place to go to the bathroom, that we should be very proud to be building toilets to make this community a safer, healthier place.

After a brief discussion about what we had seen in the village and a bit of free time, we ate another lovely meal on the decking of the Meet Me There lodge, a truly beautiful setting. Another great icebreaker to get people giggling and feeling less squeamish about feeling ill, and my favorite to deliver, a presentation on the causes, prevention, and treatment of diarrhea followed dinner. By this time, everyone was a bit tired, so we finished off the day with reflection circles in our mentor groups. Quite a full day, but a great start to the trip!

First Days

We had a wonderful time at the original cocoa farm with trees 136 yrs old. We ate fresh fruit from the farm. We also went to the Boti Falls where we had 3 attractions in one. Waking to a  beautiful mild weather. We have had great weather throughout and hoping to finish well. We have not been active online , our internet is a bit slow. . . . No news is good news and get ready for a picture and video blast soon!

We’ve Arrived!

All students have arrived safely in country and are ready for an amazing program! Stay tuned for blog updates and photos!

Headed Home

All students have gone through security at the airport and are headed home!

Photos

First Day

*We apologize for the copied blog entry.

We’ve Arrived!

Al students, with the exception of two arriving tomorrow, have arrived safely in Ghana! Stay tuned for program blog updates and photos.

Flying Home

All students have checked through security and are ready to depart home!

A Perfect Ending

Saying Goodbye

The atmosphere is bittersweet at Meet Me There this morning. Yesterday was our last full day in Ghana. We started our day with breakfast as usual and then headed out for our last ride to the site for the opening ceremony. There was a big turnout with about 50 plus people if you include us. It was amazing to see how many people who will be effected by these two toilets. After a speech Dugal took people to the toilet five at a time to teach them the proper way to use the toilet so the it can be effective. The ceremony was full of thanks coming from both ends, and Hunter and Amar stood up and spook on the behalf of GLA. The families seemed so thankful, I remember Joseph(a new toilet owner) said he was honored to have a toilet. The even really closed out the trip well.

Once we got back to the lodge we all gathered into the summer house where Dugal gave us a very informative talk about Dream Big Ghana. We learned about future projects and ways we can help once we get home. I’m happy we can stay in touch with the program because after living here for two weeks you grow a union with the area and the program that makes you want to stay involved. Nomande and I both shared ways that we felt we could help Dream Big Ghana with building the soon to come learning center, and thanks to this program I believe we have the knowledge and skills to affectively carry out our plans once we get home.

Our lunch was in honor of Oliver because he was leaving that day. We all said nice things about him and he responded with a very touching speech. Then we went on a boat ride down the Volta River in very stylist lifevests. We rode along to the sound of drums and singing. It was about a hour ride and then we stopped at an island for a bit and drunk sodas given to us a s a gift from the families of the toilet owners. We headed back on the boat and danced back to land.

After a final game of volleyball we put on our traditional Ghanian attire for dinner where the main course was Richard the goat. Then we gathered with the staff by the bar and danced before we went to the beach for the bonfire. The bonfire was lovely. It was our final night and our last star gaze. We just chilled and listen to music around the fire for hours, a perfect ending.

Enjoying Our Last Nights In Ghana

We began the day fired up ready for our big football tournament. After a game of hydration pong with Oral Rehydration Sachets (yuk!), we headed over to the local pitch in Dzita. It was sweltering, but everyone made a massive effort and it was a pretty even game until Charlotte’s service team took the lead. After a couple more matches, we headed back to the lodge, ready for our Batik workshop. We learnt how to make tie dye, marbled and batik fabric, which is huge in Ghana. Everyone’s pieces came out amazingly, especially Fiona and Ethan’s! Post Batik, we all collected out fabric pieces which we’d had made into dresses, trousers or shirts (ready for our last night), and then had pizza (there have been a number of fierce ping pong games to secure pizza for one more night for the group!). We finished off the evening with a GLA workshop on Action at Home and a late-night “slumber” session in the Summer House with our group leaders, playing games and enjoying one of our last nights in Ghana.

A Filled Day!

Today, the group finally completed their compost toilets! Despite what looked like rain, we were able to head over to our work sites and finish off final touches, including painting the exterior and cleaning out the inside. Friday was also our lights out day – this meant we had to embrace no electricity or running water for a whole day. To really take advantage of the experience, we also learnt how to farm and cook local cusine, such as Banku and Fufu. Later that day, after some volleyballing during free time, we gathered for a GLA workshop on leadership, before enjoying the stars.

The Slave Fort

We were onto our usual schedule of waking up, having breakfast, and going off to the work site. It was raining a little bit at the work site but we were able to complete the task of painting the door and plastering the stairs for the day. After the work site we had a little bit of free time and then we were off to the tro tro to visit the slave fort. We had Uncle Ralph to tell us some information on one of the structures of slavery before we got to the slave fort. We then had the tour of the slave fort and at the end we were able to write reflections in our journals.

More Service

To start off the day we had breakfast at the home base, then moved on to our service site. After four productive hours at the site we came back to the home base for lunch. In between the four hours of working at the site we had a thirty minute break to prepare our presentation for the school we were going to later that day. It was the boys teaching the boys at the school and the girls teaching the girls about sexual education and hygiene. After the lesson we were able to take pictures with the students. We then made our way back to the home base and had dinner of yam balls and egg sauce.

-Ashrine and Nomonde

From Service to the Clear Night Sky

Yesterday, Melody and I shared responsibility as leaders of the day. We had quite a long day as we started off the morning by helping the local fishermen pull in their nets. We met them at 7 after they had already cast out their nets, and gave them some extra muscle power to pull the last 300 meters. We hauled in a decent catch and were nicely rewarded with a pitcher of shrimp. We then returned to the lodge for breakfast before heading to the work sites. At our site we spent most of the day working to plaster the walls. We also set the concrete foundations for the steps that lead up to the eco-compost toilet.

We returned from the work site to a nice lunch before getting to enjoy some ever-valued free time. Some of us got to return to the seamstress to get last minute orders in, while others used their time to have a long swim in the lagoon. We then met just before dinner to plan a presentation for the school children, who we were going to visit the next day. We were heading to a private school in the nearby village to have a discussion with the kids there on a topic of our choice. We brainstormed many topics, from malaria to sanitation to the importance of education, before deciding on sexual education. We agreed to split the guys and the girls and talk about sexual education, as teenage pregnancy has become a very large issue lately. We planned out our presentations until our special dinner was ready. We had pizza and were all very happy to have some more familiar food after days of culinary exploration.

Then came the big event of the night. The Dzita/Agbledomi cultural troop performed for us at the lodge. The troop practices traditional drumming, singing, and dancing. They performed dances with very religious meanings for them. It was impressive to see the passion they had in their performances and the preservation of their culture. We were invited to join them in dancing at the end of the performance, which was a very special experience. We ended the night laying on the beach, watching the stars. Since there are fewer lights at night here, the stars are extremely vibrant. We were able to see part of the Milky Way and many shooting stars, a great end to a great day.

– Ben Millar

Lessons on Village Life

On Sunday, Youssef and I led the group. We woke everyone up and ate breakfast. After, we gathered our WITS (water, insect repellent, toilet paper, sunscreen) and met up in the Summer House. The quote we presented to the group was, “A team is only as strong as it’s weakest player.” This suited the group well, because we always work as a team and we recognize that each person has different skills to contribute. We played some games to get everyone warmed up and then headed off to work. Unfortunately, I wasn’t feeling well and had to leave early. However, the group got a lot done, adding the last few layers of bricks to the compost toilet structure.

We ate lunch and prepared for a meeting/Q&A with one of the five Dzita village chiefs, Hatchu. He was accompanied by his wife and another chief of the village. Hatchu explained his role as chief, and spoke about his involvement in the government. We got to ask questions about his personal life, learning that he loves to watch football and be with family. After the meeting, our Mentor Ashley did a presentation for us about Malaria. I learned that Malaria is the number one killer in all of Africa, and that it is important to continue taking medicine after the trip because the parasite can stay in the body for weeks at a time.

Later, we headed to the volleyball court to practice our skills. Some of us sat and watched while others played. We gathered for dinner as Youssef and I prepared for our presentation on malnutrition. We spoke about the causes, like lack of access to proteins and overcooking foods (causing them to lose nutrients), and some of the symptoms. A child with a bloated belly but small arms and legs likely has a protein deficiency. Also, sagging skin and hair loss can be signs of malnutrition. Some treatment options are protein enriched porridge, or eating complete proteins, like a combination of rice and beans. To lighten the mood after a tough presentation, we played a big card game with everyone in the group. As teenagers tend to be easily distracted, the game didn’t last for too long, but we still had fun. Ashley’s group went to the barn to play with the puppies for reflections. Puppy therapy is best way to end a long day.

Being the leader of the day can be a tough job. However, working together with your team mate makes everything easier and more productive. I’m glad I got this experience as the leader, and the most important thing I learned was that being patient is one of the best ways to lead a group.

– Fiona Kavanagh  

World Cup Wonders

When I got to be Leader of the Day, it was a great experience. We had a productive day on-site as we began to build the walls. After so much building over the past days we were running out of bricks, so to replenish the stock we got to mold bricks. The process involves using a wooden mold with stick pegs to compact a mixture of sand, cement, and water into bricks. We then leave the molds out to dry. While working, the following question was posed, “What happens if it rains?” and it was answered with “Then that’s bad news.”

A slip in the weather could ruin an entire days work in Ghana because of their tools and processes, but Ghanaians appreciate hard work as I have noticed. As they pass us working we will often hear “Iyiku” to which we respond (when we remember what it means) “I-A”. Ghanaians enjoy fun  as much as we do, and more specifically football.

Last night was the Ghana vs Germany game so everyone at Meet Me There, especially the staff, was very excited. Thanks to Tigo, we all had Ghana shirts, and Charlotte made sure we all had face paint of red, gold, and green flags and black stars. The BEST face paint design was worn by Frank and designed by Nomande and me. Our decked-out spirit wear was accompanied by horns, whistles, and cheers as the game began. We did the wave and shouted “Hose Ghana” as we all packed in close with the staff and a few of the other guest at Meet Me There. When Ghana scored everyone went crazy, especially the staff. They were running all around, picking each other up, someone threw a soccer ball, and horns were blowing for at least 3 minutes. It was a moment of pure happiness that I was happy to observe.

The fun didn’t end there. At halftime both Mentor groups performed a dance with the moves we learned earlier that day from an Alzonto lesson directed by Ballatelli, Mama Rita, and Abby. The lesson was really fun and it was very cool to learn modern Ghanaian dance styles from the staff, who are all really good dancers. They helped fuel our halftime show and lead my team to victory! I just wish Ghana could have done the same in the football game, but at least they tied.

– Tagan

Two Reflections on Building Healthy Villages

The day started out with tons of anticipation to start our service project, but first we had to learn a bit about what we were doing. We started with a little background information provided by Dougal about Dream Big Ghana, the NGO we were working with, followed by a tour of a completed eco-compost toilet and how it works. Then the group took our Ghana fabrics to Auntie and her sewing school and were fitted for our various African clothes. Then, after lunch the real work started.

Here is what our Leader of the Day, Hunter, had to say about it:

“The heat, mosquitoes, and intense labor were evident from just the beginning of the day, yet it was not merely enough to ruin the untamed beauty that is Ghana. Luckily, I had the opportunity to lead our group through the challenges that were presented to us, such as constructing the base of the eco-compost toilet. Although it was a daunting task, we had the support of our directors (Ashley, Barnaby, Charlotte, and Dougal) to guide us through the day. In addition to our directors, we had the amazing help our Balotelli and Jasper, which without them, the task would be impossible. In its totality the day was a learning experience parallel to none other.”

– Hunter

Leading the Day

It was a joyous experience being leader of the day.

Today started with a nice breakfast, followed by an efficient day at the work site. During our service we got to have fresh delicious coconut water and coconut to hydrate and fuel ourselves for more work. After work, we ate lunch and then played a staff vs student volleyball game, which was the perfect combination of competition, cultural exchange, and fun. After that we all jumped in the lagoon to cool off. Once clean and dry, we took a walk to see all the Ghanaian herbal medicine and had an Ewe language lesson. It was great. Then we ate dinner with our hands and got to play some Ping-Pong.

T’was a day well done.

– Amar

‘Sleeping in Late’ is all Relative

Thankfully our directors took pity on us and we got a bit of a lay in this morning. We had breakfast at 8 am and started sessions at 8:45. First things first, the icebreaker game “pole, tandem, Princess;” nothing like jumping into each others arms and throwing each other down on the ground to break down the awkward boundaries. Next we played the alliteration name game to master each other’s names. The rest of the morning mainly consisted of the boring orientation stuff- code of conduct, house rules, community standards- intermixed with some fun games and pick-me-ups. One all star student, our GLA alum Hunter, even lead us in a team-building exercise game he had up his sleeve, which provided lots of laughs.

After a taste of a typical local lunch by our excellent cooking staff we headed to a local market.   What an experience! There were so many new things around, and to introduce the students to some of the highlights we sent them on a scavenger hunt. Many items on the list they had never heard of before and they had to figure it out with the aid of our local staff. After finding local brooms and snacks, all the students went searching for traditional fabrics. Tomorrow we will go to Auntie, a seamstress, and get clothes made. Once returning to the home lodge, we had a bit of time before dinner, so we stuck up a volleyball game with some of the local staff. It was a blast, a high of the day for many of the students! We were so sweaty after the game we all jumped into the lagoon with all our clothes on to rinse off before dressing for dinner. The lagoon is amazing!

Following dinner, we created our group flag edition of a full value contract. Our international director, Charlotte, led us in identifying the fruits and roots of our community, what we want our community to become and what we all must bring to the table to achieve those goals, and we all signed it. Then we split into our mentor groups to debrief the day and reflect in our journals. Finally we ended the day by getting caught in a downpour on the beach. Great start to an amazing trip!

We’ve Arrived!

Hurray! We’ve all arrived! After a very long travel day, and a 12-hour difference in arrival time, we are ready to hit the road running. The local and international directors met most of the students at the airport, starting at 5 am. We were lucky enough to mingle a bit with the other GLA Ghana group a bit and grab a bite to eat before the next round of pick-ups from the airport. A pit stop at the Accra mall to exchange money and pick up snacks, and around 4 pm we hit the road for the 3-hour drive to the home base. Students were given a bit of time to settle into their rooms before dinner and after dinner, and it was generally a quite evening of jet-leg and getting-to-know-yous. The last student arrival was picked up around 6 pm and after a little bit of a misadventure involving a delayed flight and a dead car battery, we finally met up with the group at the home base around 2 am; the rest of the group were sleeping soundly. With the group all together, the real fun starts tomorrow!

– Ashley Randall, GLA Program Mentor