June 24, 2017

Hola desde España! After a long day of traveling, delays, and settling in- we’re finally all here (25 in total with staff)! We ate together in our home base at one giant table! Our dinner consisted of family style salad, pasta, bread, and melon! After dinner we had a “snowball fight” as one of our icebreakers! Everyone is settling in nicely and getting some much needed rest for our first full day tomorrow! Viva España! Sincerely, GLA Spain

Day 2

Feliz cumpleaños Emily G!! Today we filled the day with a walking tour, paella lunch, flamenco class, and orientation! We walked around the city and saw ruins, the city gates, a few cathedrals, and the central market. Of course, we had to include ice cream in the tour as well. After, we had the traditional lunch of paella- or as locals call it “arroz con cosas.” We learned the game shipwrecked- an ongoing game that involves calling commands and doing funny actions! The afternoon consisted of a flamenco class where most of us embarrassed ourselves but some proved to be naturals! We ended the day with our orientation and a delicious tapas dinner. We celebrated Emily’s birthday together as well! It was a full and productive first full day!

June 27, 2017

The group started the day at 8:30 by the group leaders (picked randomly each day by the mentors) knocking on each door and waking everyone up. For breakfast was bread and a tomato sauce, a spanish delicacy. Once finished, the group went up to the common room and made “the being”- a contract of values our group plans to uphold. Then, we began our day trip to the local market in the city of Carmen. The market is open from 7 am to 3 pm and is indoor. Inside, most of the shops were mostly consisted of meat, cheese, and fruit. However, they sold knick knacks like magnets and fans and fidget spinners, ha ha. After the market we all went to our first spanish class where the señora placed us all into different classes based on our experience with speaking the language. Walking back to the hostel, we passed beautiful architecture, which you can only see in Spain. Once back at the hostel, lunch was served. Lunch was Patatas Bravas- potatoes with a delicious aioli and, surprisingly, the best chicken wings ever. After lunch, we had siesta time. In the afternoon, we had an activity called the value line where a pair of opposite words were read and we (the students) got to choose which value we most identify with. Our day finished off with our first official Spanish classes and an ever delicious dinner made by our hosts, Juan and Theresa. – Allison and Joshua

June 27, 2017

Our day started off with breakfast, followed by an orientation to community service. This was so interesting and we learned the basis of our service and how things work. We learned about the curriculum and what the school values are, which is incredibly important to our work. We learned about the book they are reading, about a Palestinian woman traveling the world. After this we went to Spanish class, where our group split up into levels. The higher class used their speaking skills to communicate ideas to each other. The speaking really helps to improve our speaking skills so speaking with the children will be more natural. After a delicious lunch, we had a relaxing siesta. We then went to a welcoming party at the service site. Then we went to school and took another Spanish class and improved our Spanish speaking skills. Then we slowed things down by having mentor meeting where we discussed our life stories and why sharing our stories are an important part of being a leader.

Written by Alvaro and Darcy

June 28, 2017

June 29, 2017

Today the leaders of the day, Fedora and Eva, woke everyone up and made sure everyone was ready for an awesome day!! After wake up we went down for breakfast which was toast with the topping choices of butter, jam and tomatoes along with water, coffee or tea️. Finishing up breakfast group A headed to service. We had an amazing time playing games with the children! We played games like pato pato gonzo (duck duck goose) and practicing our Spanish skill along with teaching them more English. During that time Group B did a leadership activity where the group had to get an item out of a circle using only ropes and only specific people could hold the materials, talk, and see. The group learned to work as a team and how every member was important and vital even with the disadvantages (like being blind-folded). Once group A finished doing their service it switched and group B had their turn with the kids. Group B played charades with the kids and they started watching a movie, Hugo, and sang some songs with them because one could play the guitar. The rest of the day we brainstormed games that we could play with the kids and help them improve their English. After brainstorming and a greatly needed siesta we went to Spanish class. When we were walking home (the hostel) we stopped for ice cream and it was very special for Sammy because there was a gluten free cone!! The ice cream was really good by the way ️when we got home we had dinner and it was delicious. For dinner we had delicious Chicken and fries. Finally wrapping up our day we had a quick meeting then free time and SLEEEEEEEEEEEEEPPPPPPPP!!!! Hope you guy are doing great!

~ Fedora (like the hat) and Eva

June 30, 2017

Bueños Dias! We started the day by meeting our Spanish school students and driving to an animal farm. We saw and took pictures of the baby pigs, emus, goats, donkeys, and sheep. Next, we drove to a dock, to cruise around around rice fields, with the kids. We then said goodbye for the weekend and headed back to the hostel for lunch and a change of clothes for the beach! At the beach, we shopped, swam, and tanned all while enjoying the perfect Spanish weather. Then we went to our daily Spanish class and finished up the day with McDonalds before dinner!

-Emily G and Liam

July 4, 2017

Yesterday, Wednesday July 4th, we had an early wake up call at 7:15 to get ready for service. We all went to service together and took the kids on a field trip to a park nearby. While we were there we played games, sang songs, and danced with the children. We returned to the hostel at 1:15 and had a nice American meal of Mac n cheese to celebrate the 4th.  In the afternoon the group had an opportunity to go shopping. There were many stores for all of us to buy different types of things. After shopping, we went to Spanish class where we learned about immigration and had a debate. After Spanish, we went to a presentation about immigration in Spain. It was very helpful and it opened our eyes to things we might not have known before. Finally, we went out to dinner in a beautiful outdoor market where there were many restaurant options for us to choose from. Overall, it was a very fun and busy day.

Written by Samantha and Emily B

July 5, 2017

Today we switched volunteer shift times, so group B was in the morning and group A was in the afternoon.

In the morning, we had 2 group activities where we played “sharks and minnows” and “kickball”. It was super fun and we bonded with the kids really well. After the games, we sat in a circle and reflected about nomads in the desert.

In the afternoon, we helped to clean up the morning group’s activities. Everyone did a wonderful job putting away the sand and glue. After that, we helped to clean the children’s hands and ate our packed lunches with them. After lunch the professors organized a water fight. It was a fun day! In the evening, a group of us had cup noodles during free time. After that, we had our daily Spanish class.

– Raina

July 6, 2017

¡Buenos días! We started off the day volunteering at the school and participating in a team building exercise at the hostel. The exercise involved working together to figure out how to escape from a maze (both groups made it!) Later, we talked with the mentors about our Capstone Projects and the progress that we have made and hope to make within the next week. For dinner our host showed us how to make a Spanish dish call Paella. This dish is mostly composed of rice and chicken with many added spices for flavor. Many liters of water is poured into the pan and is cooked until all of the water is evaporated. A drummer native to Valencia came in and gave us a show while we were waiting for the paella to finish. He showed us how to play his drum and different rhythms and sounds the drum can make and also how to clap according to the drumming to add suspense to the show. We ended the day with a trip to get gelato and packing for our trip to Barcelona!

Written by Sydney and Luke

July 7, 2017

The day began with breakfast at 9 am as opposed to our usually 7:45 because of volunteering. Then, after picking our roommates for Barcelona, the crew heads out for the day of service. The excursion today was going to a local park and playing with the kids. Once finished, everyone went back to the hostel, got their money and went shopping (Samuel and staff had a little too much fun at the vintage shop) for the free two hours before lunch, which was at 2. The crew had a little bit of time to chill and pack before leaving for Barcelona at 4. The bus ride was a long 4 hours, however, everyone made it feel shorter because of all the singing and laughing occurring on the bus. Arriving to Barcelona at 9, roommates were announced and we all put our bags into our said rooms and headed to dinner. When dinner ended at around 10:45 pm, the crew went back to the hotel and relaxed because of the long day we all had.

7.8.17

We started off the day enjoying breakfast at the hotel. Then we went to some architecture created by Gaudí. Then we toured it and took pictures. Then we went to The Cathedral of the Holy Family, or La Sagrada Familia. The tour was amazing telling us how they interpreted some of Gaudí work and kept some true to him. Then we went on a hidden tour learning about Barcelona’s past and the essential places for the homeless so they can survive. We wrapped up our day eating a wonderful meal and then falling asleep back at the hotel.

-Written by Stassi and Darcy

July 9, 2017

Today was our last day in Barcelona. We started the day with breakfast and headed out to Camp Nou where FC Barcelona plays. There, students took a self guided tour of the entire stadium (even though the field was covered with grass). Then, we went on the bus and stopped to eat lunch at a rest stop where we could also buy snacks for the long bus ride ahead of us. After that we did the cross the line activity, which was a GLA activity where a prompt was read aloud and students stepped forward when the prompt applied to them or someone they know. The game was hard for some people because difficult prompts were read aloud.

-Chloe and Eva

July 10, 2017

Today was just like all of the days that we told you about before … AWESOME!! I’m not going to include the waking up, breakfast and they daily schedule. As usual we had service and then we went to  the Horchata museum and saw baby goats and ducks. Also we drank horchata. Then we went back home and had dinner. Then a few of us went out for late night gelato. I am sad to say it, but the trip is coming to an end and make sure you are in touch with your child and talk about flights. See you soon ️

~ Fedora and Emily B

¡Hola! ¡Bienvenidos a España !

We’re so happy to have all of our students here in the Carmen neighborhood which is located in the historic center of Valencia!

After we settled into Innsa hostal, we enjoyed the sunshine and played a few “rompehielos” (ice breakers) outside to get to know all 22 students, 3 US staff, and the local Spanish team. We looked over the schedule of the fun filled two weeks in Spain, and started orientation.

For dinner, we shared a delicious tuna and rice dish with fresh melon for dessert. We’re ready for our first full day tomorrow, which includes a walking tour around Valencia and 2 Spanish classes!

Note: Natalia and Pierson will be joining us tomorrow!

Un beso,

GLA Staff

Chris, Julie, Lexi, Noelia

July 19th, 2017

We had quite the jam-packed first (full) day in Valencia. Our morning started with a light breakfast provided by the owners of the hostel we are staying at, Juan and Teresa. We followed up with a tour of the city. We saw the Torre de Serranos, one of the ten gates in the wall which stood around the city still standing from the time of the Muslim reign in Spain. We also saw the town hall, the basilica, the market and three main squares of the city. After our guided tour, we went to Spanish class, where we were tested on our skills of the language and placed into two groups accordingly. At three o’clock we returned to the hostel for lunch which consisted of a light salad and a savory vegetarian paella. After lunch, we took a relaxing siesta. At 6:30, we returned to Spanish class for our first lesson. After 2 hours or so at Spanish class (and a pit stop for award-winning gelato) we returned to the hostel to discuss out stories of self. We basically were split in half and went with our respective mentors to a private location where each of us would talk about what brought us to this program or general information about themselves. This was eye opening for all of us as we shared some deep information about ourselves. This brought us closer together because of our newly acquired understanding if each other. Finally, at 9:30, dinner was served. Juan and Teresa served a lovely salad and spaghetti with meat sauce. After our meal, we had some free time for bonding and then a well-deserved rest.

Written by Aidan and Stella

Today, July 20th was our second full day of the trip. It was also our first day of volunteering. We woke up at 9:00am and had breakfast at 9:30am. After breakfast we went on a bus ride that took us to the camp. At the camp, there were many kids of all ages. The youngest kid was 4 and the oldest kid was 12. These kids were from all over the world.

At first, we all went into a circle with the kids and one of the camp adults and Noelia gave us a quick brief of what we were going to do there in the next few days. Then we all introduced ourselves to different kids. We said our names, shook hands, tapped shoulders, tapped feet, tapped knees, kissed each other’s cheeks and hugged. It was a very cute introductory game.

After that we were free to do whatever we wanted with the kids. Some people played soccer with the campers and some people played red light green light. Other people played hand games with the campers and they taught us the Spanish song. Some other people were talking one on one with the campers. This one girl started doing everyone’s hair and we did her hair. All the campers were so cute and were correcting all of our Spanish. Everyone had a great time with them and can’t wait to come back.

After volunteering and a hard goodbye with the kids, who we already are very close with, we headed to our Spanish classes. The lessons are more fun than we could have possibly imagined. I can only speak for my class, but we are so lucky to have someone like Nuria (the profesor) and all of us have already learned – and laughed – a lot. For me, it’s very exciting because there is a special pronoun, “vosotros” that they only use in spain. It is the equivalent of “you all” and it’s very exciting for me to hear people actually using it rather than just reading it on the verb conjugation lists you get in school. Lunch was a cold tomato soup with bread, which is a traditional Spain dish. We had a small siesta afterwards. At siesta everyone branches off and does their own thing. Many of us write in our journals or text and call our friend and family, but others socialize in the common room, eat one of the snacks in the kitchen, or shower.

After the siesta we went out into an open space in a park very near the hostel and did “speed friending”. We created an inner circle and an outer circle so that two people were facing each other and then responded to the question Lexi gave us. Then the people in the inner circle would rotate to talk to a new person with a new question. One thing we focused on was having big talk rather than small talk so we could actually build trust and a relationship, as well as have a real conversation. This activity was really popular.

Following that, we had yet another Spanish class. Today and yesterday are the only days we will have double classes.

Over all, today was wonderful. We’re constantly getting closer and having great conversations. The whole group works very well together, and it was impressive how well things went with the kids and how quickly we formed relationships with them despite age and language differences in some of us. I’m so excited for tomorrow!

-Nola and Elisa

Leaders of the Day

July 21, 2017

Today we all volunteered in one big group today, it was raining but we were all having a great time. We sang, we played and we danced in the rain. The children at the school had such a good time as well. Then after volunteering we got to spend a few hours at the beach. The beach was the highlight of most people’s day, and yes parents we did put on sunscreen. After the beach we had Spanish class and we learned so many phrases that will definitely help us out.

Written by Haley and Nicole

-Justin and Jonah

July 25, 2017

Today, we started our day by having breakfast and heading to the school to volunteer. Each of us got a partner and we walked with them to a local park to do activities and play with the kids. One group of kids practiced for their theatre presentation that will occur on their last day of camp, which is this Thursday, while the others played tag, talked in circles, or played games. We walked back to the school with the kids and had about an hour to talk with them. After volunteering, we arrived back at the hostel and had paella con mariscos (camarón y pulpo) for lunch. Maya drew pictures that were cut in half, so we had to pick up one half and find our matching person. After eating lunch and our siesta, we went to the beach. Soon after that, we travelled to our last Spanish class. At the end of the class, each of us received a certificate in celebration of our completion of the course. Then, we walked back to the hostel where we ate dinner (which was spaghetti) and celebrated JFast’s birthday by singing “happy birthday” and eating brownies as our desert. In addition to our usual shoutouts at the end of each day, we shouted out J-Fast to express our appreciation for the amazing work she does to make this program fun, positive, and a learning experience.

• Gillian and Madeline 

July 27, 2017

Hi everyone!

Today we started with an early morning for our adventure activity: white water rafting. After a bus ride, we arrived in the beautiful city of Montanejos where we were given wetsuits, helmets, and life jackets before getting in the raft. Our ride down the river was full of rapids and even a waterfall! We even had to get out of the raft once to avoid a tricky situation. There were many opportunities for us to face our fears with cliffs to jump off of. It was a great experience.

We visited “Los Baños” after rafting which is a river with room for people to swim, play, and picnic. Some of us took naps, while others went to walk and explore the landscape of the canyon we were in.

After a well needed break, we began to prepare ourselves for shopping in the heart of Valencia. Originally, groups were created according to interests (sports apparel, vintage, etc.). However, after around half an hour, we were allowed to roam free in designated areas. People bought food, shoes, clothing, accessories, and multiple other authentic Valencian items. We found our way home just in time for dinner (mac n cheese), and all were happy for the break.

Then, as a surprise, we were offered a trip to a local concert. About ¾ of us went, and had a blast! The live music was great, as was the atmosphere. Those who attended enjoyed themselves thoroughly, and fell asleep immediately upon return from exhaustion.

Overall, we had quite a spectacular Saturday in Spain.

Written by Maya and Julia

7/24

On our 7th day of this adventure, we had an exceptionally fun-filled day! To start of the day we had “desayuno” at 7:45, so we were all up bright and early. Soon, we all departed the hostel to volunteer. As for us all, it does not seem as volunteering for the reason that we all enjoy every minute of our time there. Today our time with these amazing children included playing a soccer game (World Cup style) and also being taught various circus tricks!

Our next activity for the day was the paella and  cajon workshop. Everyone got to watch traditional paella (which originated in Valencia) be cooked! The cajon is a box-shaped percussion instrument that is common in Spanish culture. This workshop was while the paella was cooking, and when it was over we enjoyed paella for lunch. We had free time after lunch and a few took a much needed siesta.

Wifi: this is what we had all been waiting for! We were very lucky to have time in a cafe to catch up on our online activity. From here, we went to Spanish class. Spain is a wonderful environment to learn Spanish, we are all constantly using our best Spanish to communicate with either locals, the children, and often our amazing local coordinator Noelia. Following class, we walked through the beautiful streets of Valencia to a class that informed us on immigration. This class was very helpful in giving us the answers to all questions we may have had about immigrants in Spain. Overall, it was a great day for everyone. Today marks the halfway point of the trip and everyone is very ecstatic for the upcoming week and also very glad for the memories we have made in the past week.

Written by: Kirsten and Giorgio

July 26, 2017

Today we woke up at 7:15, had breakfast, and then split into Groups A and B. Group A went to the school first and had a big water fight with the kids! At the same time, Group B was at the hostel doing leadership activities, discussing identity and privilege, such as gender, sexuality and education, as well as a teamwork activity. Then, Groups A and B switched. After siesta all of us went to the Horchata Museum. We learned about the history of Horchata and the Alquerias (which were rural homes for the Arab elite). We also got to try Valencia Horchata! Finally, we ended the day by going out for dinner. We were able to explore the restaurants of Valencia and taste its distinct cuisine. Then we ate gelato! Overall, it was an eventful and exciting day!

By: Mia and Gabby

7/27

We spilt into two service groups today: group A and B. Group A went to service from 8-1 while group B went to service from 1-5. While each group was at the school, the others performed a leadership activity that tested our group dynamics and flexibility. The activity begun with us writing down our hopes and dreams on small slips of paper and putting them in a Tupperware container. We were each then given one of 3 handicaps. A third of us were blindfolded, but were the only ones allowed to touch the materials that would enable us to remove our hopes and dreams from the “pit of death”, which was a circle of string on the ground. Another third was prohibited from talking but could touch those who’d been blindfolded. The final third could only talk and couldn’t touch anything. The goal was to get the trash bin with our hopes and dreams off the trash bin it was sitting on but not drag it out of the circle. This activity helped shift the focus from those who would normally lead group activities and new leaders stepped up to take their places.

During Group B’s time at the school, we kept it fairly low-key. We painted, wrote on the chalkboard and played some casual soccer matches. Later, we sung with the kids in front of their parents who were visiting for an end-of-program party.

Next, we bussed over to a bike shop to begin our bike tour of El Rio, a river converted to a park that runs through Valencia. We explored a huge Gulliver’s head and visited the new Science Museum. Our group especially enjoyed a specially engineered wall where we split in half and talked through holes to communicate with each other from all the way across the courtyard.

Written by Ethan and Natalia

 

7/29

Today we enjoyed many of Barcelona’s beautiful features. After a refreshing breakfast of more than toast and tomatoes, we went to Park Güell and learned a lot about the history of the park while viewing the scenery and famous architecture. After the park, we went to the beautiful La Sagrada Familia. Although it isn’t complete yet, the church was breathtaking with its tall ceilings and stained glass everywhere. The stained glass is positioned in a way that changes the color of the church as the day progresses. Finally, we took a tour of the city from the eyes of former homeless men. They gave us a new point of view on the city and showed us how they lived their lives on the streets.

Written by Dakota and Sammy

We are happy to report that all but one student has arrived in South Africa and the group is excited to welcome it’s last member when she arrives!  Stay tuned for another update coming soon!

Students trickled in to OR Tambo International Airport throughout the day on Sunday, July 9th, beginning the GLA camp at African Leadership Academy in Johannesburg, South Africa. Upon arrival, students were taken to ALA’s campus for a number of “Icebreaker” activities and a briefing on expectations for the program. With a relatively small group of 14 students and 7 mentors, we were able to reach a high level of familiarity with each other by the end of Day 1.

Early on Monday morning, we boarded a bus for Kloofwaters Outdoor Camp in the Magaliesburg Mountains. Students participated in team-building activities including a low ropes course, “build a bridge,” and a series of athletic competitions, before settling in for an evening bonfire under a rising full moon. As we prepare to dig into our social entrepreneurship curriculum beginning on Wednesday, we are encouraged by the engagement of all of our GLA participants- and excited for the weeks ahead!

-Connor, International Director

10th July, 2017
What is leadership? Perhaps this was the question on the minds of 14 most promising group of young people, but, why come to Africa to find out? Actually, no, why come to South Africa to find out because Africa is not a country, right?
Well the birds outside are chirping and the plush rays of the strong South African sun are shining over the Kloofwaters nature reserve. Our 14 leaders were having breakfast, hungry and excited but also anxious about what lies ahead. The funny thing is that no one actually knew what lay ahead. All 14 students were eating, laughing and sharing stories of their childhood in an effort to continue and strengthen the bonds they had formed the night before. The night before, Sunday 9th July 2017 was the night everyone arrived. They arrived as strangers, not comfortable with each other however, they were encouraged into familiarity by playing games such as crazy crane and telling stories by the burn fire while drinking hot chocolate under the vast colony of stars displayed by the clear night sky. So today, these ex strangers were going to continue the spirit of bonding through a day that looked to be more intense than the night before – who would blame them for being anxious and excited at the same time?

-by Bubelo Mlilo(Educator)

July 11th, 2017

The time is 8.30 am and we were all walking down a trail that led into the dense forest of the unknown that is the Kloofwaters Nature Reserve. As the group walked up the hill with rocks sliding from under their feet, the suspense of the expedition grew stronger. The blistering pain felt in everyone’s shins due to the steep slope of the hill mattered not because the students kept the mood jovial. While they hiked they listened to Brenda Fassie’s ‘Vul’indlela’ which ironically means “Open the way”, they sang along to Luis Fonsi’s ‘Despacito’  and they spoke about their future; what would happen when they completed their college education.

However, what did all of this have to do with leadership?  Well, our young leaders would find out when they reach the abseiling course. For some this was the first time they had ever considered jumping down a cliff, for others this was the first time they would challenge their fear of heights, while for others this was a perfect exercise to get that adrenaline pumping.

As the group stood before the abseiling course, being instructed about how to safely climb down the rock and make it to the bottom, one could feel the excitement, apprehension and curiosity that flowed through everyone’s veins. These feelings were not only towards the obstacle in front of them, but, for the next 18 days of their Global Leadership Adventures experience. Could they trust these people that they hardly knew and could they trust each other? Could they work together despite being so different, could they reach the end of the camp? Well, they all abseiled down the cliff despite whatever feelings they had. They all abseiled down, reached the bottom, looked to where they started and in astonishment, questioned why they were anxious to begin with.

The scent of accomplishment filled the air and students filled their lungs with the confidence that came from achievement. Maybe, this was about leadership after all. Learning to trust one another, to work together toward a common goal and to jump off the cliff despite insecurities about reaching the bottom, our brave young leaders began their 18 day experience. Already, they had learned their first lesson in leadership: to take courage, jump into the water and swim together because alone you can go fast but together you can go far.​​​​​

Thursday, 13th July 2017

Today was another amazing day in Johannesburg, South Africa. We woke up early to take a trip down to the Apartheid Museum. The experience through the museum was equivalent to taking a walk through the entire history of the people of South Africa. Watching at the videos how people were tortured, killed in terrible ways, some exiled. It was annoying, we felt bad, and angry. These racial issues and discrimination occurred from the late 40s to the early 90s. It was very shocking and mind opening for all of us. Next we viewed the museum commemorating Nelson Mandela. This showed the brilliant achievements of a man who went from a prisoner to a president. We became motivated and elevated. Whatever you fight for, if for a good cause, you will get it ‘fight for what is right’ It was truly an amazing experience.
Next we went to a large mall (Rosebank Mall), we were so excited. It was clean, big and remind us of America. We then headed back to the ALA (African Leadership Academy) campus where we had some flex time then dinner. After dinner we had lots of fun competing in games and finished off the night with a dance competition. Can’t wait to see what tomorrow brings!

-by Zachary Wargo

July 14, 2017

Incredible and inspiring Day 6 in Honey dew. We wake up and after eating breakfast we all did a group activity that helped further our skills in communication and teamwork. After having snacks, we reunited as a group and learned all about emotional intelligence and its importance in being a successful leader. what was really fascinating was the game we played the handcuff experiential, which gives us the opportunity to improve ourselves. ‘Nothing is too easy to do just viewing’. After eating lunch, we took a survey to rate ourselves concerning the following skills: self-awareness, self-regulation, empathy, social skills and motivation.  This helped us to understand our strength and weaknesses. Our last activity of the day was learning about the importance between being proactive rather being reactive. We had dinner at Moyo restaurant in Johannesburg, a unique African dining experience inspired by the traditions and values of African ancestors. There, we got our faces painted. This journey is getting so interesting. We all cannot wait for what tomorrow has in store.

Done by Henry Taylor

Teah Serani on Saturday July 15, 2017

We started our day by jamming to music on our way to Soweto. Once we arrived we enjoyed coffee and bought products from young artisans at The Box Shop. The Box Shop is a retail initiative focused on solving market access problems faced by small businesses. Afterwards, we got a one of kind tour of the township from Mr.Steve, a participant of the ’76 Soweto student uprising’. He took us to the Hector Peterson memorial and museum, dedicated to the twelve-year-old boy who was the first to be shot during the 16 June 1976 student uprising in Soweto. Afterwards we visited Nelson Mandela’s house where we learned more about his home life. Then we drove to S.W.A.N.K, a local clothing brand founded by a young South African entrepreneur. We also got to play with the local kids from the surrounding community.  We then headed to Constitution Hill, to have lunch and to get to know the community partners that we will be working during our time in Johannesburg. From Constitution Hill, we were able to see the whole Johannesburg skyline. We then headed back to ALA for some flex time and another thought provoking seminal reading.

Hannah Pearlman on Sunday the July 16th, 2017

The day began with our new entrepreneurial assignments. Each of us divided between RTHC (Returning Home To Create) that encourages the young people in South Africa to be creative and helps them retail the brands they produce, LOCRATE market which means Local creative. It brings together people in fashion, culinary creators in Soweto to showcase their creativity once every month, and FIXING DIARIES that focuses on the social aspect of cycling in Johannesburg. In our respective groups, we planned and prepared for our first official business meeting with our partners. Afterwards, we took time to learn about the differences between needs & wants and their relation to solutions for small businesses or communities. We also focused on acknowledging unconscious assumptions and prejudices when assessing a situation. At night, an Anzisha fellow and successful entrepreneur named Jeff  Maluadzi spoke to the group about his hardships in school with his severe dyslexia, issues at home, and personal problems that he overcame to become the success that he is today. Many of us ended our day in a reflective state regarding our first week in the beautiful Republic of South Africa.

July 17, 2017

Today we started with a short assembly like always, but it was different because it was our first day working with the entrepreneurs. Over the course of the week we have worked to create ideas and stir our thoughts about entrepreneurship and economic stances of Africa and the world in general. We used these tools to help generate ideas with our groups and help tackle different issues within the different companies. After getting the basic idea of the problems we needed to tackle within the companies we headed back, inspired and ready to tackle the issues. We then debriefed and came out with needs statements. After a long needed break, we reconvened and had an in depth conversion about Aid and the way it has affected Africa. We end the day excited to sleep and inspired to help contribute to our entrepreneurs.

-Samuel Lewis

July 18, 2017

After a very refreshing extra few hours of sleep, the GLA team assembled for morning assembly at 10:00 am. Everyone seemed much more rested, so we began with an activity about the connection of mind, body and spirit. Essentially the activity consists of a person who can talk representing the mind, a person who can see and give direction but cannot talk representing the spirit and the one who cannot talk nor see but can move or act representing the body. After a humorous example round, we tried a few different sets of three. The exercise whole point was to give an experience that allowed us to see the importance of internal communication.

Then soon after a quick break, the team began working on compiling a list of basic needs that affects our respective entrepreneurs. We were then instructed to narrow down the list to three. Simplifying these needs was crucial due to the construction of need statements. These need statements would essentially cover most of the needs while still being concise and presentable. Discussion was very beneficial in each group and after about an hour, this task was finally completed. Everyone was very relieved to see their work pay off. Eventually each group had made lists of simple solutions to the need statements. Then, we went through the same process as with the needs and simplified the huge lists of solutions into solution statements. Which, as previously repeated, make a concise but understandable form of the solutions. Finally we had finished the process of brainstorming/constructing the work with our respective entrepreneurial companies.

In addition, we had a fun yet educational activity of the classic egg drop. Each team had the following supplies: 4 rubber bands, 2 sheets of newspaper, some tape, and a bit of string. As each group pondered how in the world they would save this egg from being splattered onto the ground beneath it, the teams made very unique designs. On the trial round, 2/3 groups survived. On the real trial only 1/3 groups survived. After convening, we discussed the importance of prototyping and how they play a major role in just about any problem-based situation. Lastly the three separate teams (RHTC, Fixing Diaries, *Locrate market*) separated once more to make prototypes that connect with their solution statements. Each group worked very diligently. After a very long period of construction and discussion we finally made it, feeling accomplished. We had the rest of the day to rest our minds to prepare ourselves for the next day where we’ll be meeting with the entrepreneurs for the second time and discussing our findings and showing them the prototypes.

-Morgan F

Wednesday, July 19:

Today we started the day with our normal routine. We woke up for breakfast at 7:00 and went to assembly at 8:00. After giving shoutouts for anything that had happened the day before, we went to the bus and headed off campus to help our local entrepreneurs. This was our second time meeting with them and we presented our solutions and prototypes to them. Surprisingly, all three groups received very positive feedback on their ideas and the entrepreneurs were impressed with what we had come up with. After three hours collaborating and discussing what to do next with our entrepreneurs, we headed back to campus and engaged in a quick group debrief. In our groups, we made sure that we knew what we needed to work on tomorrow for our third visit and how we were going to accomplish our goals for the local business. We then had free time until dinner which we spent with our advisory families, making sure everyone is having a great experience and becoming closer as a small group. After dinner, we had free time until 7:00, when we read our last seminal reading called, “Solitude and Leadership” by William Deresiewicz. Solitude and leadership seem to be opposite ideas but as Deresiewicz states, “The position of the leader is ultimately an intensely solitary, even intensely lonely one”

-Mathias E

 Juliana on Thursday the 20th of July, 2017.

We started the day with assembly at 8 am. Then, filling out our Project Canvas sheet to finalize what we are presenting to our community partners the next day (Friday the 21^st). This included our mission statements, solution statements, customers segment, value proposition, resources needed, partners, etc. After this we typed everything up and presented it to the rest of our peers and Mr Tait, who is in charge of all the entrepreneurial leadership programs here at ALA. He listen to us and gave us feedback which help us improve and solidify our projects. After taking his advice into consideration, we went back to work on our prototypes and solutions. After we finished these we had a lunch break and moved into Olympic Games. We were divided into two teams: wahlbergers and Waboo. We competed in games and sports for 2 hours. Some of the activities included soccer, human pyramid building, and our opening dances. I’m proud to say that my team, the Wahlbergers, won in every event except basketball. We added some final touches to our projects, had dinner, and discussed the seminal reading we read the previous night. This article was a speech given at a graduating class at West Point by William D. It was about solitude and leadership. The discussion was very challenging because questions arose that were really difficult but I felt we did a good job in answering them. The discussion based on our answers and the passage were passionate and engaging.

 by Varsha Thatte on Friday the 21st July, 2017

Today was another wonderful day at Global leadership adventures.
We woke up to have a delicious breakfast and headed to assembly like always. Students gave shout-outs to the people based on whatever had happened on the previous day and we also played a fun game of two truths and one lie. Then we headed off campus to meet our local entrepreneurs for a final third meeting with them. We had all worked hard to modify and revise our solutions based on their feedback on the previous day and we were really excited to present our final solutions to the local entrepreneurs.
All the three groups, Fixing Diaries, RHTC and LoCrate Market discussed  their ideas and presented their final solutions and got a very positive response. After 15 minutes of shopping at RHTC. We all headed back to the campus around 1 pm. When we reached campus we all sat in a circle and reflected on our work with the entrepreneurs. We all talked about our amazing accomplishments. Then we had break time. The Glow party started around 7 pm. The facilitators has worked very hard to organize the amazing party there was great music and delicious food.

July 22nd, 2017

First, we woke up and had assembly as always. Today was a special day – we went out to see the Cradle of Humankind and the Lion Safari Park! Couldn’t contain my excitement…Kids with a profound love for nature!!

We had an understanding of the history of humanity but going to the museum widened our scope so much more. Under the Earth lie the earliest remains of the Homo genus- it really put our humanity into perspective.

Ghosting our past while we are so technologically advanced in the present was also an eye opener. Rumour had it that we were going to see cute baby lions in the next activity. Ahh! Some of us couldn’t contain our excitement. “Sweet” said Morgan, and everyone shared his enthusiasm. Fun times were ahead. Eagerly getting out of the bus, we rushed through the gates of the safari park straight to the cars that would bring us around the place.

Here we saw ostriches, wildebeests, hyenas, cheetahs, zebras, giraffes, and wild dogs (commonly referred to as Devil Dogs). It wasn’t a surprise that our favourite animals were the lions. Lions are immensely beautiful creatures with majestic manes and the sharp eyes of a predator. Living in captivity must be difficult for them. Lions tend to be very protective of their food. I saw a female lion take a male lion’s piece of meat and thus a high speed chase ensued. Everyone was shocked to see the lions fighting. Survival of the fittest, I suppose.

Going on with the program, we soon got off the safari bus and waited in line to pet some baby lions. Oddly enough the baby lions seemed very tired. Daunted, many of us approached them gingerly. “Don’t be afraid, they’re very friendly” said the lion supervisor. Once we got closer, our hearts melted at the sight of their sleepy yawns. Even after we left, our minds were still set on the cute baby lions. So we arrived back at ALA. Next activity was at 7 pm. In our activity we played a game answering yes/no to a series of questions posed by Saša, our facilitator. Some of them were very personal and allowed us to open up to each other more – I gained a much better understanding of my peers.

July 23, 2017

While the site visits to work with our partners have concluded, our entrepreneurial journey is not quite over. Today we began the final stages of our projects by learning the best ways to give and receive feedback.  We had the opportunity to trade constructive feedback between several members of our group about the work we did over the past week.  Then after lunch we met up at the tennis court for a fun team building challenge called ‘swamp crossing’.  The task was to use four wooden planks and some ropes in order to get all members of our teams across the swamp arranged on cinder blocks.  While we all struggled a bit at first, we were much more successful after we were given the opportunity to share some feedback.  We learned that our success was directly related to the amount of us working together, as long as our communication was clear and concise. After a snack of some delicious cake, we reconvened to introduce the final step in our process: presenting about our real-life experience using the BUILD process. We practiced sample presentations and received tips from the educators so we can make the most out of tomorrow’s opportunity to share with the whole group at our ideas festival.  It has been wonderfully fun and enriching process and I, for one, can’t wait to hear from everybody.  Lastly, we did our final seminal reading.  We read a speech entitled, “To Hell With Good Intentions” by Ivan Illich.  Illich proposed a thought provoking argument regarding the negative consequences of international volunteer service efforts and we took some time to consider our own intentions for our roles in this program.

July 24, 2017

Today was our last full day at the ALA campus and it was tough but also exciting. We had made a lot of great memories here but we are also super excited to head to Cape Town and spend half a week there. Today we presented our ideas for our local entrepreneurs to the rest of the GLA team and we really got to see the professional side of our peers. All in all, it was a day of mixed feelings, sadness, excitement, and most of all curiosity.

Mathias Epstein

July 27th, 2017

The tour van pulled up as we scrambled to grab our things at 33 South backpackers and begin our Cape Peninsula tour. Leticia, one of our guides’ native of Cape Town, put on her microphone and thus began the tour. Driving through the Table Mountain Chain I was stunned and awed by the beauty of this place. We began by taking a boat on the choppy waters out to an island with enormous sleeping seals. After getting off the choppy boat, a few of us tried out luck bargaining at a local market. Our next destination lay on the Cape of Good Hope where we were surrounded by incredible mountains. We hiked to a lighthouse which overlooked the deep, translucent blue Atlantic Ocean. Continuing on our hike, we reached the lowest south western land extension on the African continent. The deep blue of the ocean was incredible and no picture did it quite justice. Reluctantly we left the spot and continued on to see penguins a short drive away. When we got there we were able to see penguins clumsily playing on the beach as well as sitting over their young. We completed the day with ice cream and a beautiful sunset drive back to the hostel.

By Isabella Farfan

July 29, 2017

We woke up at 6:50 am and ate some amazing bacon egg and cheese breakfast wraps with orange juice and tea. At 8 am we left for hiking on the famed Table Mountain. The guides that took us for the hike gave us the impression that everything would be manageable and not too hard. We immediately found this not to be the case and we all proceeded to express signs of fatigue. While the pain in the moment was gruesome, it provided us an excellent opportunity to bond over the adversity. Once we made it to the top of the mountain everyone was overwhelmed with happiness. After the hike, we stopped by the Eastern food Bizzare market for lunch. Later to the Green market square for shopping. Later in the evening we all piled onto the van for the last time and ate a rewarding dinner at Moyo. It was a great last day to an excellent GLA program.

by Henry Taylor

Exploring Coya 

Served a sweet mint tea at one of the service sites 

Warm welcome from the school, complete with musical performance by the kiddos 

July 27, 2017 written by our leader of the day – Maycee! 

What a weekend! After the first full week of service, the students had three days of adventure and exploration. Here is an account of the weekend events, written by one our leaders of the day, Zoe.

On Friday we started off Peruvian independence day by biking 10 miles through the Andes Mountains and afterwards went to see the beautiful moray terraces created by the Incans. We spent the afternoon having a music class and learning to use the local instruments in Peru. That night we ended our celebration by lighting sparklers and having a disco dance party. On Saturday we ventured to Cusco city and enjoyed an informative walking tour. We ate out for lunch and had pollo a la brasa. Later we visited the Saucsayhuman ruins and had a mellow evening with an inspiring talk by Jorge. On Sunday our excursion was to Chinchero, where we had a weaving workshop, tried cuy (guinea pig). Lastly we got an opportunity to shop at barter in the market in Chinchero and met with our mentor groups. Overall this weekend has been very fulfilling and we look forward to continuing our service work and Spanish classes this week!

August 1, 2017

Today we were awoken to the sounds of fireworks and music at 3am. We soon found out it was due to the beginning of a new year in Coya. We started the morning with a 7:00am breakfast consisting of the usual toast. At 7:30 we headed to our designated service projects where we continued our work. After service we headed back to the home base for lunch and free time before Spanish class. At 4:30 we went out to the plaza and interviewed the Coya inhabitants on how they celebrate the new year. Afterwards we had noodle soup and soy chicken for dinner. Finally, we had mentor group. Another great day in Peru!

 

Wow! What an amazing past few days we have had.

Our last day of service we spent working to finish the roof on one of the schools. To do this we had to mix a LOT of adobe, which meant getting our hands and feet dirty (we were covered in mud!). While some were working on the roof, others played soccer with the kids or worked on arts and crafts. After we finished Service the community put on quite a show (including a lively competition with the school kids) and served us potatoes and “tortillas”. After service we had a surprise trip to visit the salt mines!

Our last day together was spent rafting. We got in four rafts and floated down the river for two hours. Some brave souls jumped off a bridge at the end!

On our last night the kitchen staff cooked an amazing dinner and brought out a surprise – a giant cake with all the students names on it! After dinner we reminisced about our time in peru and closed up with an appreciation circle to show some love to the people we’ve spent the past three weeks with.

This morning some students woke up with the sun at 6:30am to hike up to some Incan ruins above the home base. Everyone is all packed up and ready to go… we cannot believe this adventure is coming to an end!

Thank you to all the participants of the Spanish Service Adventure in Coya, Peru. Your mentors and directors are proud of all you have accomplished and can’t wait to see the things you do in the future! Safe travels home!

️

All the kids have arrived, pictures and post to come

Blog for June 30th and July 1st

Blog collaboration by Shefali, Hallie and Lucy 🙂

Thursday was our first day of service! Though we were split into two groups in order to help out at two different schools, both groups started similar projects.

At the primary school, we learned that we would first have to level the ground before any building could be done. The local parents were kind enough to come to the school in order to teach us their traditional ways of building. It’s amazing how much work can get done using rather simple building tools! Our first task was to level the ground on which we will be building a small kitchen. As the cheeky children looked on, we went at it with pick axes and shovels! We also had the opportunity to get to know the kids and help with smaller beautification projects around the school including planting the garden and making traditional necklaces and bracelets.

Similarly, at the primary-secondary combination school, we dug a lot of holes to lay the pipes for the new bathroom. We were also put to work in beatification activities, which included gathering heavy logs and rocks.  Even though we were supposed to be the ones working, we felt the altitude in full effect and the 9 year old boys beat us in strength by a long shot. They laughed as they sped past us with 40 pound logs, eager to show all of us up. In fact, all the kids eventually had to shooed off to let us do the work! Additionally, we got play with kids and practice our Spanish over lunch.

We continued work on Friday, but took the afternoon to take a hike up to the local ruins (because we have those here!!) Our dear, dear mentor Patrick told us that it would be a simple hour long hike to the top of the mountain and then a short while down. But lo and behold it was one of the hardest hikes most of us have ever done! Save the super speedy cross country runners, we struggled up the steep, rocky incline taking breaks every few minutes due to the altitude. Despite the struggle, we all made it to the top! As of now, we can say that we have successfully hiked the Andes Mountains! The ruins had a view of the entire City of Coya, and all of us were (extremely tired) proud of our accomplishment!

Today, we took a break from service to go into the City of Cusco for some shopping in the local markets. We got a chance to practice our Spanish as we bartered with the shopkeepers for authentic llama wool goods. Pro tip: ask for a yapa! We were also assigned to find various vegetables for lunch! We helped cook a delicious meal of causa and lomo saltado!

After lunch, we made our way to the scenic Saqsaywaman ruins! We had a chance to slide down the natural slides and learn about the Incan Empire and its communication system from the guides.

We made it back to the base just in time for dinner!

All in all, it’s been a truly rewarding trip thus far 

4th of July Blog– Lauren, Mia and Safi

Sorry for not sending this update sooner – we lost wifi connection for a couple days and then left for the craziness of Machu Picchu!

On Monday, after a long morning working on our service projects, we returned to home base for lunch. After a traditional Peruvian lentil stew for lunch, the staff challenged the students to a friendly game of volleyball. Despite their valiant effort, the staff beat the student team (Safi, Todd, Hallie, Gabriella, Avery, Ben and Jack) 2-1.

The next day, students left their service site 15 minutes early to visit the town over, Pisac. There, students not only enjoyed high-speed wifi but were also able to shop for snacks for our upcoming excursion to Machu Picchu. After, students returned to home base to celebrate the 4th of July.

Before our 4th of July celebration, students and staff were treated to a tradition Incan music performance. They explained the instruments (some are up to 2,000 years old!) as Shafali and Maya translated. They then proceeded to play various songs, including one of their originals. After, students got the opportunity to try their hand at Incan instruments, but, it doesn’t seem to be a promising career path for any of us.

The festivities started with a dinner of asparagus soup and a Peruvian attempt at french fries and hamburgers. Afterwards, we all went into the plaza to enjoy sparklers and fireworks. Some bought ice cream and we even attempted a human pyramid!

Soon after we went inside for a dance party featuring crowd surfing and lifting each other up on chairs (similar to a Bar Mitzvah). The dance party also including a disco ball and dancing to various American classics such as the Cupid shuffle and Super Bass.

We’re all having a great time and are making serious strides at our service sites. At the first site, (just a lower school) students have laying the foundation for a kitchen and clearing the land to create a garden. At the second site (the lower-middle school) students have been hard at work digging a 500 foot trench to lay the pipes for the school’s new bathroom. In addition, they have been painting signs and gardening to beautify the school.

July 7-8, 2017

What an exciting weekend! On Friday morning we packed our bags and set out for our day-long bus ride to the Machu Picchu region. During the ride, we made several stops to grab snacks and admire such sites as a glass hotel built into the side of a mountain, reachable by only by rock climbing. Later on, we stopped at the top of a mountain peaking at over 14,000 feet, the highest point we will reach during the entire trip. Following that, we partially descended into the Amazon basin, where we stopped for lunch at a small tea plantation. After a short tour from the lady who runs the plantation, people also had the opportunity to pick fresh granadilla fruits from several trees. For the next several hours, we enjoyed more scenic driving until we reached our hotel in the town of Santa Teresa. Once we dropped our bags off, we headed to a local hot springs to relax for a few hours. Friday night concluded with a buffet dinner near the hotel, and then lots of rest to prepare for Saturday’s hiking.

After a quick breakfast at the hotel Saturday morning, we took a short bus ride to the trail and began the hike. The trail followed train tracks and was mostly flat, so it wasn’t particularly difficult. Along the way, our tour guides, Andy and Tulio, pointed out many different birds and trees that are native to Peru. As it turned out, we could also see part of Machu Picchu mountain throughout the day. After about two hours of hiking, we took a break to explore a botanical garden and have a short swim near a waterfall. Once we dried off, we had lunch at a restaurant along the trail. We then got back on the trail and walked for another hour and a half until we reached the tourist town of Aguas Calientes, the site of our next hotel. The rest of the afternoon was spent relaxing at the hotel and at various WiFi cafes around town. For dinner we were treated with pizza, which was a nice taste of home, and break from Peruvian cuisine.

July 9, 2017

On Sunday, we all woke up around 4 a.m. so that we could get in line for the bus to Machu Picchu as early as possible. After standing in line with hundreds of other tourists, we boarded the buses that took us up to the ruins in time for the 6 o’clock opening. Although it was initially foggy, we were greeted with stunning views of the ancient city and the surrounding Andes. Following a short history lesson from Tulio and Andy, we split up into groups to explore different parts of the ruins. Many of us began by hiking up to the Sun Gate above Machu Picchu, which marks the end of the historic Inca Trail. Others chose to take a different hike to view the ruins of an Incan bridge, while the rest began exploring the main site immediately. The ruins were fascinating, and we all had a wonderful time learning about all the history behind the city. When our tickets ended around midday, we went back to Aguas Calientes for lunch and a restful afternoon of exploring the town. At night, we took a train back to Ollantaytambo, and from there a bus back to the home base in Coya. We are looking forward to our last week of service and exploring in the Andes!

Written by Ian Rackow

July 11-14, 2017

Hello, Todd and Leo here, and we’re going to describe to you the past four days.

Wednesday – We started the day late with scrambled eggs, sausage, and toast. Then, due to the strike, we went out into Coya to pick up trash for the municipality. We used latex gloves and trash bags to pick up plastic bottles and other rubbish.  Then, we went back for lunch before having a Spanish class and free period. During free time, we went out to play volleyball and soccer.

Thursday – In the morning, we had a breakfast of quinoa porridge and toast. Next, we went to the municipality to get tools and salt water for scraping posters off of the light posts in the town square and by the river. During this work many locals stopped to ask what we were doing and they were very grateful that we were helping their community. Afterwards, we had lunch and then got a visit from a group of traditional Peruvian dancers. The dancers put on a performance for about an hour, and then they taught us all how to dance with them. Following dance lessons, we had Spanish class. Once Spanish was finished we had dinner and then free time until bed.

Friday – Finally we were able to return to our school worksites because the strike had become less intense than the two previous days. We worked for about half of the morning and then played games with the kids because it was our final day together. Then the GLA students working at the primary school and some of the local students got on a bus and went over to the bigger school where the rest of the GLA students have been working for three weeks. Here we had a closing ceremony where various people spoke and ate lunch together. Once the ceremony finished, all the GLA students and the students from the primary school got back on the bus to bring the little kids back to their school. After dropping them off, we returned back to our home base in Coya, and had an amazing talent show featuring various musical and comedic acts. The night closed with a delicious cake made by the kitchen staff to celebrate our talents.

Saturday – Today, we woke up to eat breakfast at 7:00 and left for the lake.  Once we got to the lake, we were given bikes and started our ride along the lake in the highlands. All the way, the views were amazing and we could see snowcapped mountains in the background. We went on for about an hour and a half before we arrived in Moray, the archaeological site with circular terraces used to acclimate and adapt potatoes and other crops. Then, we took the bus back to the home base for lunch and free time before we went out again to Pisac. Once there, we shopped in stores and watched the parades for Dia del Carmen. For dinner, we were treated to a non-Peruvian meal at a local café before heading back home.

Final Blog Post

The staff is so proud of each and every participant on the Peru Spanish Service Adventure! Each student was pushed out of their comfort zone, worked hard, and contributed so much to our team. We will miss you all! ️