“The girls in the village don’t normally continue education past age 12 because of this problem.”

–Kelsey Glancy

Name: Kelsey Glancy
Hometown: West Chester, PA
Education: Villanova University
Passions and Interests: Country music, animal rights and surfing
Transformational Experience: Ghana: Building Healthy Villages™
Making an Impact: Started G.I.R.L. drive to provide pads and underwear to girls and women in rural Ghana

One of the truths few people like to admit when traveling to the developing world is that basics we consider ordinary and essential are far from that in places where even running water is rare. While participating on the Ghana: Building Healthy Villages™ program with Global Leadership Adventures, Kelsey Glancy got a firsthand look at the effects of not having access to the sanitary items people back home are used to having within arm’s reach.

After volunteering on a two-week project building a compost toilet from start to finish that would benefit local families in Dzita, Ghana, Kelsey saw how access to a private place to use the bathroom can be so profoundly life-changing for a person. These toilets reduce the risk of illness and diarrhea, and provide privacy for women and girls that is sorely lacking. It’s this last element that really resonated with her.

It opened my eyes to the struggles girls face due to their lack of sanitary items, and it gave me a desire to help them.”

During her time in Ghana, Kelsey made friends among the locals in the community. She wanted to give back to those who had given her a new outlook on the world – in particular, an 8 year-old girl named Abby. Kelsey says Abby was “energetic, sassy and always happy.” Despite the fact that Abby was not fluent in English, they grew close during Kelsey’s time abroad.

What she learned during that time was that girls in these communities have a tough time completing an education. By the time they reach the age of menstruation, they do not have pads, underwear or other sanitary feminine products that make staying in the classroom comfortable and safe for learning. So they miss school during their periods. And then they fall behind, month after month. And once they miss too much time at school, they fall so far behind that many of these young women simply drop out.

Often, women who drop out marry someone 2-3x their age, have children very young, and end up mired in poverty.

After learning all of these terrible facts, I realized that this would all one day happen to Abby; I knew I had to do something to prevent it, and that is what influenced me to start a Feminine Products Drive at my school and three other schools in my area. The “Ghana Improving Rights for Learning” or G.I.R.L.”

The drive was a huge success, providing 28 large boxes filled with sanitary pads and underwear to girls in in the Volta region of Ghana, where Abby lives. Kelsey partnered with Village Exchange Ghana, an NGO, to hand out the materials. Staff at the NGO will provide girls in the community with an education program on the use and importance of the pads, as well as answer feminine health questions.

Kelsey found the letter she received from her partner organization in Ghana to reflect what’s at the heart of her accomplishments, and her continued drive to give back:

The most rewarding part of volunteering for me is the after-effect, or the person’s response. The NGO in Ghana (Village Exchange Ghana) that I partnered with for the G.I.R.L. drive, sent me in an email after they received the products. It read: “The girls will be very happy. I will also like you to give us a brief background about yourself and all those who supported in getting the sanitary materials to Ghana.  I will tell them this on the days we carry out the demonstration and distribution of the sanitary materials. This is just to let them know something about the one who sent the sanitary materials to them. I think this will motivate and encourage them, and will make them very happy that someone far away somewhere cares about them.” The last line is what truly made me smile – that the girls are so grateful that someone far away thought about them and wanted to help them. I find it amazing how one person can lift up another person so high, by sometimes even the smallest acts.”

You can check out more about G.I.R.L. on its Facebook page.

Kelsey is currently attending Villanova University. She’s been accepted to the College of Nursing.

Program Kelsey attended:

GLA Ghana: Building Healthy Villages™

Curious about exploring your own GLA adventure in Ghana? Check these out:

• Ghana: Building Healthy Villages™
• Ghana: Sports Service Adventure
• Ghana: Children of Africa™

“The people I met left a big mark on my life.”

–Julia Nijnens

Name: Julia Nijnens
Hometown: Little Silver, NJ
Education: Currently in High School
Passions and Interests: History, English, writing music, and track
Transformational Experience: Ghana: Building Healthy Villages™
Making an Impact: Featured in two newspapers for her volunteer contributions with GLA in Ghana

One of the realities of living in the Volta region of Ghana, like many other areas in rural Africa, is lack of access to toilets. In Dzita, Ghana, 10,000 people live and work without adequate access to sanitation, and operating toilets are few and far between. Most people are forced to use the bathroom out in the open, which is particularly problematic for women.

Fortunately, there are teens like Julia Nijnens who are not only willing to lend a hand to a community-in-need, but who are excited to bring much-needed solutions to problems that are often overlooked back home in the west. Julia joined Global Leadership Adventures for two weeks on its Ghana: Building Healthy Villages™ program, and she was excited before she even left. It wasn’t until she arrived in Ghana that she began to see that reality was a bit different than what she thought.

I had all these dreams about it, and when I got there, all my dreams were so far off. It exceed my expectations.”

Dzita was safe, the people were exceedingly kind and welcoming, and the village was on beautiful coastline with lush vegetation and unbelievably starry nights. Still, for all of the natural beauty of the area, the issue of toilet access loomed everywhere. Access to toilets helps to prevent diarrhea and other illnesses, and is an essential component to local public health.

On this program, Julia joined her follow student volunteers in constructing an eco-compost toilet, from start to finish, in just two weeks. When they arrived at the work site, there was only a foundation on the ground. By the time they left, they had provided a family and its neighbors – 43 people in total – with a compost toilet building they could use any time of the day.

Julia wasn’t left to her own wits to get the job done either. Building a compost toilet is hard work, but it’s rewarding work, and she has the help of GLA directors to make the two-week completion deadline.

[My directors] were both amazing leaders and they had an impact on me every single day. I was inspired by their hard work and dedication. They were well educated about everything we were doing and always knew how to help us.”

From mixing cement and pouring concrete to building the walls and the compost chamber, Julia was involved in every step of the construction project. With the guidance of her directors, the help of local carpenters, and the commitment from her fellow GLA student volunteers, they were able to change the lives of 43 people in only two weeks’ time.

Julia also learned about how projects in developing communities make the most out of volunteer efforts by making as many projects as possible serve multiple purposes. Given the decline of the local fishing game, more Ghanaians than ever before depended on farming to provide for their families. So the compost toilets provide one final gift to their families beyond sanitation alone: they provide highly potent compost that will help to improve crop yields in the community.

After returning to the U.S. from Ghana, Julia started working at the nearby supermarket so she can save up for future volunteer work abroad, and she looks forward to picking up a few things for her new friends back in Ghana.

Looking back on her GLA experience and how it moved her to continue contributing to the world, Julia learned to appreciate the little things:

I got back from Ghana and had a completely different outlook on everything. I smiled when I turned on the faucet to brush my teeth and felt so lucky when I went to take a shower and the water was warm. Ever since I returned from Ghana I appreciate the little things in life rather than stressing unnecessary things. Going to Ghana has inspired me to return to the town in which we stayed and do another trip. The conditions in which I was in for two weeks have inspired me to really make a change and return.”

I never thought that flushing a toilet when coming home would be such a big thing.”

Julia attends high school in Little Silver, NJ. She’ll be participating in the Ghana: Sports Service Adventure program this summer.

Program Julia attended:

GLA Ghana: Building Healthy Villages™

Curious about exploring your own GLA adventure in Ghana? Check these out:

• Ghana: Building Healthy Villages™
• Ghana: Sports Service Adventure
• Ghana: Children of Africa™

“My life makes more sense when I am helping others. By using my passion for the ocean to help others, I believe I can make a difference.”

–Noemie Roy

Name: Noemie Roy
Home Country: Canada
Education: College Nouvelles Frontieres
Passions and Interests: Hiking, snowboarding, ice skating and yoga
Transformational Experience: Costa Rica: Protecting the Pacific™
Making an Impact: Winner of the 3rd annual My Ocean Guardian Journey Contest

My friend Mathilde and I won the Ocean Guardian Journey Contest 2015 with our project, Bracelets for Belugas. The public had to vote for the Best Action for Environmental Stewardship. The grand prize is a surf and yoga camp for two people at Bodhi Surf School in Bahia Ballena, Costa Rica. I think the major support from all of our entourage helped us win. Everyone has been very supportive throughout the contest.”

Also, last September, my friend Mathilde and I started a project named Bracelets for Belugas. The Saint-Lawrence Beluga is an endangered species particularly important to people from Quebec, Canada because of the proximity with the Saint-Lawrence river. Wanting to protect them, we decided to raise funds for the GREMM (Group for Research and Education on Marine Mammals), a group working to protect this animal. To do so, we sold Pura Vida bracelets. We wanted to spread awareness through our project. So, each bracelet came with an information card explaining the situation of the Saint-Lawrence Beluga, proposing easy actions to prevent the Saint-Lawrence pollution, and encouraging to spread awareness about this issue.

Noemie and her project partner, Mathilde, started a project they named Bracelets for Belugas. An endangered species important to people from the Quebec region of Canada, the river-dwelling Saint-Lawrence Beluga faces environmental and habitat threats on multiple fronts. Bracelets for Belugas was designed by Noemie and Mathilde to raise funds that would benefit preservation efforts for the animal.

The two decided to raise their funds for GREMM – the Group for Research and Education on Marine Mammals – an organization working to protect the Belugas. With the inspiration of the Costa Rican motto Pura Vida, or Pure Life, these women sold Pura Vida bracelets. Each bracelet they sold came with an information card explaining the situation of the Saint-Lawrence Beluga, and proposals for easy actions people could take to prevent pollution in the Saint-Lawrence River.

According to Noemie:

We sold all of our 100 bracelets, raising $410 and making a lot of people aware of this issue. Also, bracelet buyers are now wearing them as a sign of support for the Beluga’s situation. So, the movement is spreading.”

Noemie already had a passion for the environment prior to attending Global Leadership Adventures’ Costa Rica: Protecting the Pacific™ program. She chose the program because of her interest in studying marine biology and pursuing environmental conservation, and the opportunity to link the two.

On how her GLA program influenced her future direction, Noemie is modest:

I already liked helping others. [After my GLA program,] I now know I will be doing service and volunteering my entire life. Also, it made me thinking about linking environment and social good. For example, I would like to help coastal communities that are challenged by environmental issues. In this way, I would use my passion for the marine environment to help humans in need.”

Upon returning from Costa Rica inspired to make change in the world, Noemie knew she wanted to make the “oceans healthier and help people in need.” Her parents also noticed an immediate difference.

Her parents reflected on the changes they saw:

Before she went, we thought GLA was a safe program for students who wanted to do service in a country in need. This program has made her grow. It brought her greater awareness to oceanic and environmental issues. Now she has a greater impact on the people around her by constantly making them aware about the actions they can take and should take to protect the ocean. We were impressed by the depth of the program and the knowledge she gained. That, and the chance to meet colleagues from numerous countries will make her a better citizen of the world.”

Noemie has a promising future ahead. She’s currently a semi-finalist for the Loran Award, a scholarship awarded to Canadians who “demonstrate character, service and leadership.”

Since her trip, she also makes concerted efforts to reduce her use of plastics and encourage others to do the same. This includes a particular focus on picking up trash in order to prevent it from falling in waterways.

Looking back on her GLA experience and how it inspired her, Noemie sees in herself the passion and dedication brought by the two directors on her program:

They are both very inspiring persons. They devote their every day in making a difference in the world, and seem so happy doing it. They make it look possible, to make a real difference. It makes me want to do the same.”

Noemie attended College Nouvelles Frontieres in Gatineau, Canada.

Program Noemie attended:

GLA Costa Rica: Protecting the Pacific™

Curious about exploring your own GLA adventure through environmental conservation service? Check these out:

• Costa Rica: Protecting the Pacific™
• Costa Rica: Empowering Rainforest Communities™
• Dominican Republic: Building a Sustainable World™

“There is a whole process to development and education that is very important to partake in to have real impact.”

–Alex Moscovitz

Name: Alex Moscovitz
Hometown: Guilford, CT
Education: Fulbright Scholar
Passions and Interests: Cooking, reading and spending time outdoors, in the woods or on trails.
Transformational Experience: Dominican Republic: Building a Sustainable World™
Making an Impact: Fulbright Scholar studying food insecurity with an NGO in the Dominican Republic

Identifying problems seems easy, but it takes a keen mind and a lot of research to dig beneath the surface issues and find the root of the problem you’re trying to solve. For GLA alum Alex Moscovitz, digging deep is part of her daily life.

As a recipient of a Fulbright scholarship, Alex is spending 10 months with a local NGO in the Dominican Republic studying food insecurity. Her research will help determine the differences in food security as experienced by urban vs. rural populations. This research may be used in the future to help NGOs and organizations better tackle how food insecurity affects populations differently, since a one-size-fits-all approach rarely works on a large scale.

To Alex, the research is important because the work it affects after matters. The wrong approach, if ill-informed, can not only have no net gains, but could possibly have a negative impact on a community.

I’ve seen how important development work can be. I’ve also seen how damaging it can be if not done right.”

Part of Alex’s interest in this work began with GLA in the Dominican Republic, while on the 21-day Building a Sustainable World™ program. GLA partners with a local organization in the Dominican – 7 Elements – which teaches student volunteers about the cross-section of sustainability, human security and education through instruction and real-world examples. It was here that Alex was introduced to issues of food insecurity, environmental degradation, pollution and more.

Alex took her trip right after she graduated from high school, and her experience with GLA in the DR helped inform her educational goals. She graduated from college with a dual degree in sociology and environmental science, and Alex intends to go to graduate school to earn her Masters degree in environmental urban planning so that she can “work on projects that solve problems in how our human systems (food, water, etc.) affect the environment, and make steps towards socially inclusive, ecologically friendly cities.”

While in the DR with GLA, staff took groups, including Alex, through small development projects working to correct harms caused on the environment by people. She began to learn – and take interest in – to what extent people have an effect on their environment, and vice versa.

I am moved to dedicate my time to work in topics of social and environmental justice because I believe that we should work to build communities that improve the environmental health, function sustainably and do not foster inequality.”

Alex’s concern, which she hopes to address through her Fulbright research, is that people in many communities are unable to eat their staple foods due to the uniformity of what they grow for income production. “There’s a lack of diversity in the food being grown here,” she said, and her research into food issues at households, markets, and farms may help to pinpoint where the gaps in the system are occurring.

These are complicated problems with potentially complicated solutions, but when it comes to her insights on making a meaningful impact, Alex’s advice is simple.

Leave more behind than you take.”

Alex is currently a Fulbright scholar doing research in the Dominican Republic. She plans to attend graduate school after, where she’ll study environmental planning and public health.

Program Alex attended:

GLA Dominican Republic: Building a Sustainable World™

Curious about exploring your own GLA adventure? Check these out:

• GLA Dominican Republic: Building a Sustainable World™
• GLA Dominican Republic: Beachside Service Adventure
• GLA Dominican Republic: Global Health Initiative™
• GLA Dominican Republic: Spring Break Service Adventure

“Tourist industry income is sporadic and not stable at all. Radiate is the solution.”

–Alyssa Rose

Name: Alyssa Rose
Hometown: Las Vegas, NV
Education: Fordham University
Passions and Interests: Hiking, spending time with family & friends and drinking too much coffee
Transformational Experience: Dominican Republic: Beachside Service Adventure
Making an Impact: Co-founded a microfinance venture that empowers artists in developing regions

In many developing regions of the world, tourism is a critical source of income for families working to make ends meet (and often only barely). Yet income from tourism is sporadic and unpredictable. A worldwide economic downturn like the one that began in 2008 can have especially severe consequences as consumers in wealthier countries cut back extraneous spending. Except that what is ‘extraneous’ to someone from the United States may be the money a family in a developing country depends on.

Fortunately, there are new and exciting ideas coming to fruition that are looking to overcome these issues, and provide families in these regions with reliable income sources that can be counted on long-term. And Alyssa Rose is one of the people making it happen.

As a co-founder of Radiate Market, Alyssa is working to “empower artists in developing regions by providing an online platform which will allow these creators to access a larger and more consistent market.”

The benefits are twofold: artists are able to find buyers with resources who can support their art, thereby letting local art flourish in places like the Dominican Republic, while also providing a steadier income to artists who participate, so they can better provide for their own families.

Alyssa started her road to founding Radiate several years back. One early, eye-opening experience was her trip to the Dominican Republic through GLA’s Beachside Service Adventure program. Her passion for global health influenced her initial decision to go on the program. She said that public health “is a core human right that is often overlooked.” However, after her time in the DR, she’s now more interested in the “social construction of health.”

Since then, she’s put her new passion to action.

My group of [GLA] returnees raised $17,000 to go towards medical clinics in the DR. Radiate’s initial Indiegogo campaign for seed money raised $1,800, and all of that and more has been invested directly into our 7 artisans. I’ve spent over 6 months abroad (in total) doing various service projects since GLA.”

Since her experience with GLA, Alyssa has kept herself busy. She went on immersion trips to Ecuador and Nicaragua, led a medical outreach excursion to Guatemala, and will be leading her second medical outreach trip over winter break from college to Albania. Alyssa has also returned to the DR to work with GLA’s local partner organization, 7 Elements, for the past two summers.She credits her extended time in the Dominican Republic for helping her form the idea for Radiate, which she started in collaboration with her friend, Kiera Maloney.

It’s really great to be able to use what I learned on my GLA project and be able to directly apply that to the situations of some of the people I got to meet there. When you go on a trip like GLA, I think you’re often left feeling so passionate about the causes you just learned.”

Radiate Market is working with a number of artists and co-operatives in the Dominican Republic right now. Artists are supported on their “journey towards growth and sustainability by Radiate.” This is accomplished by selling and promoting artists’ products on Radiate’s online marketplace, which is targeted towards consumers and supports who are socially-minded.

By purchasing the goods available on Radiate, consumers are supporting artisans as they “develop a sense of financial security, a position of respect within their community, and an opportunity to radiate their true self.”

As for the continued growth of Radiate and her next steps, Alyssa is open to what the future has to bring. Regardless, she’s committed to making a difference, no matter what form it happens to be.

I don’t know that I have an ultimate goal for service. I don’t think there’s any benchmark that would be good enough for me to reach that I could say “Okay, I’m done now.” It’s more of a lifestyle choice. Volunteering, traveling and experiencing different cultures is what excites me. If I can continue to do that and live a life that’s dedicated to experiencing all that the world has to offer, and hopefully helping to make it a more fair and equal place, that would be the goal!”

Alyssa is currently attending the Fordham University in New York. Her advice for meaningful life? “Find that thing that sets you on fire and jump in head first. The best thing you can do for the world is be passionate.”

If you’d like to help support participants in Radiate Market, you can do so here.

Program Alyssa attended:

GLA Dominican Republic: Beachside Service Adventure

Curious about exploring your own GLA adventure? Check these out:

• GLA Dominican Republic: Beachside Service Adventure
• GLA Dominican Republic: Building a Sustainable World™
• GLA Dominican Republic: Global Health Initiative™
• GLA Dominican Republic: Spring Break Service Adventure