June 20 2017 by Allison Hagler

Today we finally arrived in Guatemala! From the plane, the beautiful mountains proved you were getting close. After speeding through customs and baggage claim, we were ready to meet the rest of the group. It was so nice to put a face to the people we had been texting. From arriving in Guatemala city, we were greeted by friendly locals and a welcoming staff. We came to find out, driving through the bustling city was much different than in the states. We had a filling lunch of fried chicken and met more arriving students. For an hour we drove through the beautiful towns becoming more acquainted with guatemala. The stunning hotel in Antigua was where we unloaded for the night. The afternoon was filled with “get to know you” games and a trip to the market across the street. We decided to immerse ourselves a little more by trying an exotic fruit called “leeche”. The night ended with a walk to dinner. We shared our first Guatemalan dinner together, although we all became distracted by the smell of fresh bread baking across the street. As the night came to a close, we trudged through the rain back to our hotel for a heavily needed sleep.

Not included in photos and arriving tonight and tomorrow:  Maura W, Catherine R, Olivia H, Sarah S, Summer A, Lena B, Maria R

Blog written on June 21st by Allison Hagler

This morning the sunrise woke us to start our early day in Antigua. Breakfast of eggs and beans was served in the hotel. Our suitcases packed on the roof of the vans, we headed out for the first activity, A traditional wedding ceremony. After a small drive, we piled into a small room and gazed at the beautiful clothes and bags surrounding us. Two indigenous women welcomed us and told us about the customs of the mayans. They told us that because of modern innovations, the locals were straying further away from traditions. It was moving to see the passion and dedication the women had for their beliefs. After reenacting a typical mayan wedding, we shopped to support their movement of cultural preservation. We then drove to La Azotea for a tour of the coffee plantation. Our tour guide informed us that Guatemala has the 3rd best quality of coffee in the world. While Brazil wins in quantity, Guatemala is the only country that produces the coffee by hand. As demonstrated by the mayan women, we saw how locals take pride in their traditions and history. From La Azotea we drove to a local restaurant for a Guatemalan lunch. Prolonging our time in Antigua, we shopped at a market in town. Finally, we met up with the last arrivals to the group and left for xela. Filled with anticipation and dramamine we twisted around the mountains for approximately five hours until we reached the destination. Instantly it felt like home with welcoming staff and a home cooked dinner. Still full from the delicious tamales, we showered and drifted to sleep excited for the service project in the coming days.

June 22nd

Blog written by Allison Hagler

This morning started a little rocky. Literally. Mother Earth decided to give us a wake-up call with a small earthquake. Luckily our staff had prepared us for emergencies like this one. We ate a filling breakfast of french toast and fresh fruit and packed our bags for the first day of service. As we arrived at the school, we were instantly surrounded by the smiling children. We watched as the students performed a Son, or a traditional dance. They also performed a skit for us that showed the importance of education. In the end, we were gifted a homemade craft by some of the younger children. As recess began, the children were running and playing games with the volunteers. Afterwards, we were given a tour of the small school. A teacher informed us that the government does not pay enough money for the upkeep and daily necessities of the school and children. It was eye-opening to see the kitchen intended to feed 600+ students to only be the size of an average bedroom. Teachers face the problem of underpayment combined with limited supplies required to teach. As we are more aware of the government struggles, we begin to see graffiti saying ¨we want more” or ẅe demand equality”. On the way home, our van groups became better friends with each other and we all decided to have a dance party in the living room at home base. To end the night we watched a documentary about the history of guatemala. As Cate put it, “even though it was dated, it gave very important insight into the history of guatemala.” With somber hearts, we head to bed with new perspectives and ideas about the country we are visiting.

June 22, 2017

The morning of the 22nd of June started as any morning would for me as International Director. I woke up at 5:30am, jumped in the shower, listened to a few songs, and began to dress myself for the day. Just as I was putting on my undershirt, I felt the ground massaging my feet. Oh the familiar thrills and marvels of a free and 100% natural foot massage! Most of staff was awake and immediately jumped into action waking all those that were still sleeping. We quickly evacuated the building with a mob of sleep-walking teenagers, meaning that the evacuation was in complete silence. Wow! Less than two minutes later the chatter and jokes began to flow. The volunteers began to reflect on ac experience that can be frightening but also exciting to someone who has never experienced an earthquake. After waiting outside 10 minutes for the aftershocks to pass, everyone entered into the house, but this time wide awake and ready to start their day. Activities for the day proceeded as normal and staff is continuing to follow all emergency prevention procedures. The day’s activities included the volunteers meeting and playing with the kids at the school, learning about the history of chocolate making in Xela and Guatemala at a  family owned chocolate factory, and  learning the history of the Guatemalan civil conflict. Everyone is safe and enjoying their time in the ¨Land of Eternal Spring.¨

The earthquake with the epicenter near the coast of Port of San Jose, Escuintla. Quetzaltenango, also known as Xela, is a 4 hour drive from the warm and small beach town San Jose. The majority of damage in the country of Guatemala occurred in areas where the buildings are composed of materials such as adobe, which are not the best for withstanding earthquakes. Luckily, GLA believes in providing the best facilities for its programs to operate in and no damage was done to GLA Guatemala’s facilities.

June 23

This morning we woke up to a breakfast of eggs and fresh bread. After the meal, we had our first reflections with our groups. We talked through any questions we had regarding the children or the different culture. We left for the school shortly after and split into stations of construction, painting, or teacher planning. Construction groups learned how to smooth a cinder block wall and plaster cement onto it. Teacher planning made  posters in English so that the next GLA group would be able to teach the children. Painting groups painted the unfinished kitchen and painted desks. Although we were not able to spend as much time with the kids as we were expecting, I think we all agree that the hard work was just as rewarding.

From the school, we came back for western lunch of chicken and mashed potatoes. We drove about an hour outside of xela to go to a small family farm. The family farm produced natural wool creations. We were able to have a tour while the family demonstrated how to weave. At the end of the tour, we were fed fresh corn tortillas with salsa and guacamole. We drove back to home base afterwards, to finish the day with a dinner of enchiladas and chicken.

June 24

We woke up early this morning to have breakfast of cereal and fruit before we left for our weekend excursion. It was about a 2 hour drive outside of xela until we finally arrived at lake atitlan. We got on a boat and went from one side of the lake to a small market on the other side. The mountains surrounding the lake were stunning. We spent a little bit shopping and walking around before we got back in the boat to go back to the lakeside hotel in Panajachel for lunch of mashed potatoes and beef soup. From there, we unpacked with our new room assignments while most of us then took a nap. We had a choice then to stay at the hotel or walk around the town. Dinner was a buffet of chicken and corn tortillas. After dinner we had a group reflection on our feelings with seeing children on the streets. Today was mostly a day of travel and time to relax from the busy schedule at home base.

June 25

Today we woke up excited for the day at chichicastenango market. We learned that it is the largest market on the western hemisphere. After a crash course on pick-pocketing safety and procedures, we crammed into the buses and left for the market. It was a windy two hour drive up and down the mountain to our destination. We unloaded the bus at a hotel near the market. Immediately we saw people trying to sell items to us. No matter how many times the staff could tell us about the market, we never really knew how overwhelming it was until we were right in the middle of it. We separated into small groups to complete our shopping. For about three hours we wandered the streets shopping and observing. Armfuls of bags, we met up at the hotel at 1pm to have lunch. We had a choice of chicken, beef, or fish. It was fun to talk about our purchases and how we haggled for lower prices. Because it was raining, we had a small delay of departure, but in no time we were back on the vans going back to xela. When we arrived, everyone was really tired, but we made it through dinner before a quick nap time. Then we all watched a TED talk regarding stereotypes and the dangers of a single story. It was a good time to reflect on what we thought of Guatemala before and after traveling here and how we need to be careful before a we judge a different place or nationality. That night we also popped some popcorn for the group and gathered around for the movie ¨step up revolution” before heading off to bed.

June 26th Written by Allison Hagler

Today we woke up to a hot breakfast of watermelon and scrambled eggs. We packed our bags and headed to the school for another long day of service. This time we switched the groups up in order to work with different people. We are making lots of progress with our projects. We are almost finished with putting cement on the walls, the kitchen looks completely different with fresh paint, and many desks have been repainted and sanded covering any scratches or writing. From speaking with locals and the staff, our spanish has definitely improved and we are now able to communicate with more confidence. Satisfied with our work, we headed back to base for lunch of spaghetti and pineapple (upon olivia’s request). From lunch, we drove an hour away to a small church. The bright yellow walls definitely stood out in the otherwise quiet town. The tour guide told us about the symbolism of the statues on the front and how the history of the mayan-catholic people plays into the architecture. One tradition we learned was that during a festival, a rope was strung from the top of the church to a large pole about 100 yards away. Volunteers dressed as monkeys would then walk from one side to the other lacking a safety net or harnesses. Once they reached the middle of the rope (halfway from the earth to the sky), they would find themselves. After a steep climb, we went inside a house where we sat in a circle. This was the home of a man who practices the tradition. The man came out remaining anonymous dressed as a monkey and welcomed us with a traditional dance. It was really interesting to see how this town preserved their history and culture. Another steep climb led us to a woman´s house. This woman is one of the ten families who continue to hand-make traditional dress. We walk in to see her sewing on a beautiful pattern around the neckline of a shirt. We learned that the clothes she makes is for the festival. Because it takes about three months to make each one, people typically only own one for the festivals. Some of us were able to try on the hand-made outfits and help her weave the patterns on. One last steep hike led us to the tour guides house where we were given fresh bread and hot chocolate to thank us for growing the tourism in the area. Finally, a brisk walk down the mountain led us back to the vans. Today was the day that we have been looking forward to from the beginning. We piled out of the vans to the mall containing the most amazing store. Walmart. Although we love the local food, it was nice to have some American snacks again. From walmart, we went back home to a dinner of pasta and pesto before we crashed in bed from an exhausting day.

Blog by Allison Hagler

June 28th

Today was the second and last day at the daycare so we woke up excited to see the kids. Breakfast of eggs and ham before loading into the bus. We finished up the mural and created closer bonds with the kids. The night before we had created a lesson plan to teach the different groups of kids. While the younger groups played games including english, the older ones were given a more complex lesson. It was hard to say goodbye because we all fell in love with their hugs and laughter. From the daycare, we had lunch back home of ribs and mashed potatoes. We loaded back into the bus shortly after and went to a small restaurant where we would have a salsa dancing lesson. It was a lot of fun to try the traditional dance. Afterwards, we had french fries and soda from the restaurant. We went back to home base and was greeted by a dinner of tamales with salsa. We had a workshop tonight where we were given an anthropological viewpoint of the united states culture. It felt weird to see how other people see what we consider normal. It taught us to describe guatemala as if we were talking about the States to avoid ¨the fishbowl effect of ¨us”and ẗhem”. We headed off to bed to rest for another busy day.

June 29th 

We all woke up excited from the smell of pancakes cooking. Because rain cancelled zip lining earlier in the trip, it was rescheduled for today. We piled into the vans for another long drive up the mountain. We geared up and went into another truck that would take us to the first spot to zip from. The views were breathtaking as we flew over the mountains. We also however, encountered a new type of mosquito which is smaller and more discrete. It was sad when we reached the last zip line where we saw the truck waiting to take us back down. We went back to home base for lunch of cooked vegetables and rice. We were told that we were then going to the shelter for girls that have been sexually abused mostly by someone in their own family. It was heartbreaking yet inspiring to walk through the doors to see all of the girls. The house was large with lots of bright colors and butterflies. We were told that the government had created this safe place and oversee the progress. While it was great to see the safe place for these girls, we also learned that this was one of the only women’s shelter in the entire country. Our hearts were touched when we walked through the room for the girls with babies. The other room was for ¨princesses” whose abuse did not result in bearing a child. With somber hearts we left the shelter to have a reflection back at base. We talked through our feelings about the shelter while processing what we saw. Dinner of hamburgers were the uplift that we needed. We headed to bed thinking of what games we can play tomorrow with the girls.

June 30th

This morning’s breakfast of eggs and plantains woke us up for another trip to the shelter. From the reflection the night before, we were able to process our feelings with the group. We were pleasantly surprised when the girls welcomed us with open arms. While some of us made friendship bracelets with them, the other half of us played soccer with them outside. We were inspired by the amount of strength they portrayed. Reminiscing on our time spent at the school, daycare, and shelter, it was surprising how much we grew as leaders and individuals.  Although we are here to serve others, I know we all feel that the children changed us. A tearful goodbye as we headed back home, and then one last stop at the school to clean up our projects for the next group. Lunch back home was watermelon and seasoned beef with potato salad. After lunch, we were given a cooking lesson by the cooking staff here at base. We made our dinner of tamales. A couple of us convinced Orlando to allow us to order pizza as well. Waiting for our tamales to cook, we got to listen to an ex-guerrilla tell his story of Guatemala’s history. It was shocking to see the United States’ part in the massacre of thousands of locals. It was also a wake-up call to see that the States does not always tell the other side of the story in order to cover up the wrong we committed. We found out that the speaker is still dedicated and active for human rights in Guatemala. Dinner of pizza and homemade tamales was a fantastic ending to the day.

July 1, 2017 Written by Allison Hagler

This morning we woke up and had a breakfast of french toast. It was strange to not go to service. But we headed out for a hike up a volcano. It took about an hour to drive to a small town where three trucks waited to take us to the beginning of the hike. After piling in, we went up a bumpy path. From there, we began hiking up the volcano. For some if us it was easier because they had been acclimated to the altitude from back home in the states, while for the rest of us it was a struggle. It was all worth it in the end when we could see the lake sitting in the middle of the volcano. The views were stunning. When we reached the lake, we were able to participate in a traditional religious ceremony. I speak for all of us when I say it is something we will never forget. The hike down was less grueling and we had snacks to hold us over. The trucks then took us back down to the vans where we headed back to homebase. At home, we had our last lunch at the base of chicken with fresh fruit. It was a sad time packing because we knew we only had a small amount of time left with the people we have got so close to. After our last homemade dinner of chicken fried rice, we gathered in the living room. We watched part of a documentary about the challenge with service trips like ours and finding the balance between helping and imposing on different cultures. We all had a group discussion on how we felt about the trip and how much we grew. This trip was genuinely life changing and I know that we are all so grateful for the wonderful staff that helped us through our experience.

We have begun our 2 week fun filled action packed experience of service with the children of Odumase-Krobo.

Stay tuned for our student written Blog updates in the very near future.

In the meantime – please know that everyone is healthy, happy and well rested!!

Good evening from Odumase-Krobo!!

Our group has been quite busy for the past two days getting settled, playing with the children of Asitey, shopping at the local market, dancing in the rain ………..

We have now gotten down to business and selected our Leadership Roles as well as our Service Responsibilities at the Elementary and Nursery schools.

Each GLA student has chosen a Leadership Responsibility which they will manage for the rest of the trip.
Below are the roles which will now lie in the hands of the following students:

Bloggers: Anna, Kaycie
Time Keepers: Natalia, Maeve
Game Leaders: Olivia, Luke
Agenda: Ada, Zoe
Site Leaders: Liz, Alexa
Head Counters: Lucy, Frances
Clean Space Reminders: Amanda, Elinor
Health Reminders: Dom, Rebecca
Thank You’s: Quillan, Khair

Please check back tomorrow for a Blog by Anna and Kaycie!!

August 6, 2017

August 8, 2017

First day of brickmaking

Teaching P1 and P2

Teaching grade 5/6

Teaching grade 3/4

7/18/2017

Just a quick note to let you know that all students (and their luggage) arrived safely and we are currently driving to Home Base.

Group photo to come tomorrow!

Greetings friends and families from Children of Africa, Krobo
Our program has been in full swing for 2 days now and we are going to be blogging by tomorrow!!

The following Leadership Positions have been chosen by the GLA CoA Krobo students to facilitate and manage throughout the entire session:

Bloggers – Erin and Soumya
Time Keepers – Shanna and Natalia
Game Leaders – Gigi and Alex
Daily Agenda – Katie and Megan
Site Leads – Ally M and Quinn
Head Counters – Willa and Amanda
Clean Space Reminders – Annie and Sarah
Health Reminders – Ali C and Ella
Thank You’s – Nicole and Bianca

Stay tuned for MORE from our student bloggers Erin and Soumya …………

Weaving our way through the local market on our way to purchase our fabric. 

Shopping for fabric 

July 23, 2017

GLA students teaching at Edmon Nursery School.

GLA students teaching the grade 4, 5 and 6 students of Asitey Elementary School

Last day of brick making!

Some Class 4 students (and Class 2 students as well) on their first day of vacation!

A few students from Class 5 on their first day of vacation.

Some of the Class 6 students showing up to school on the first day of their vacation.

Title: Arrival Day!

Greetings from Anloga, Ghana! After making their way around the world, through airports, layovers, and many long flights, all 33 of our students for Session 2 at Anloga Home Base (July 18-August 7) have arrived safely! It has been a long day of traveling, but everyone is now taking some time to settle in to the Pin Drop Hotel for our earlier arrivals (our GLA Home Base and our home away from home for the next three weeks) or the Osda Guest House in Accra, where our later evening arrivals will stay for one night before joining the rest of the group at our Home Base tomorrow morning. Some students had an opportunity to meet and play a few games with some of the kids that live around our neighborhood, while others are resting up in preparation for a busy first full day.

The GLA staff team here in Anloga has been working hard preparing for the students’ arrival and trying to fine tune our schedule for the next few weeks, and we are all very excited to have everyone here with us now. We will be going through an Orientation tomorrow morning after breakfast that will include an introduction to Ghanaian culture, safety and security protocols, highlights of our service learning activities and adventure excursions, and a few other minor details (like staying hydrated in sunny Ghana!). After our orientation, we will be diving into an initial language lesson on Ewe, the local dialect spoken in this region of Ghana, and a drum and dance session to begin to get a sense of the rhythm and music that is such a profound component of the local culture.

We’ll be getting an early start tomorrow morning so we’ll wrap up this first blog post here. Future blog posts will be authored by our student leaders and will include pictures from our busy days as well so be sure to check back often for updates on all the amazing adventures we are having together in Ghana!!!

Author: Keith Wingeard (International Director)

Date Written: July 18, 2017

Title: First Day Festivities

Early this morning, the rest of the group that had stayed a night in Accra safely arrived to the home base at Pin Drop Hotel. After arriving, we ate our first breakfast together and began the long orientation that ended around noon. For lunch, we met with our host families, who are all members of the local community and shared a little about their backgrounds and daily lives. Following lunch, we were separated into our mentor groups where the real fun began. After setting our goals for the next three weeks, we attended a class on the basics of the local language “Ewe,” which was extremely difficult but we made some progress.

Many of us felt that the highlight of the day was dancing, singing, and playing instruments with the locals who gave us a glimpse of their vibrant Ghanaian culture.  While the majority of us could not keep up with the rhythm and dance moves of the locals, we bonded with each other and shared lots of laughs. We then enjoyed free time playing soccer and hand games with the neighborhood kids who greeted us with big smiles and hugs.

Following dinner, we celebrated Madisyn’s birthday (one of the writers of tonight’s blog) Ghana style (aka with a huge bucket of water and powder being poured on her from a balcony). The last big event of the night was the funny naming ceremony where we all received our Ghanaian names that are based on the day of the week that we were born on. We were fighting to stay awake towards the end of the ceremony which also brings this blog to a close. We are excited to finally get some sleep and start a new adventure tomorrow!

Sending lots of love,

Your GLA kids

Authors: Madisyn Morse & Maya Mutalik

Written: July 19, 2017

Title: Teamwork Thursday

Good morrow cousin, is the trip so young? It hath been but a mere four rotations of a clock, and yet it feels as if our arrival occurred this sunrise.

And now back to normal blogpost language: After breakfast this morning we traveled with our three groups to our respective schools where we observed classes to plan for our first day of teaching the next day. We then had a break to play duck duck goose, futbal, or just hang out and meet the children. We then learned the tricks of the trade of brickmaking. After one short lesson, everyone quickly got the hang of it.

After a hearty lunch to regain our energy, the three groups split once again. One group stayed at our hotel to have a cooking lesson and get cornrows before traveling to belly flop into the amazing ocean and beach. One group took a canoe trip to the island to learn basket weaving and visit a shrine. The last group visited Father’s House, an orphanage for former child slaves.

Eventually we gathered back at the hotel for a small block of time to play with the children and then had dinner. We ate chicken with french fries made from coconut oil and a side of pineapple slices, a great meal to end a great day. Finally, we played a leadership game and read a story to help us further understand cultural immersion and cultural differences.

From our new home to yours,

Your GLA students

Authors: Eli Pollak, Miles Parker, Paige Monk

Written: July 20, 2017

Title: Ready, Set, Teach!

First day in the classroom! We headed out to our different school sites right after our amazing breakfast. Some groups taught their students first while others made the bricks first. Nerves were high going into the first lessons but everyone enjoyed meeting new friends and gaining valuable teaching experience. Most classes began with an actual lesson but eventually turned into games like duck-duck goose, four corners, and learning the Macarena.

After leaving the schools we came back home for a delicious (“evivi” in Ewe) lunch of avocado salad, tuna stew, egg stew, and oranges. Everyone then got ready to head out to the Anseco High School where we got to meet the local high school students. We got to know them by playing icebreaker games, singing competitions, and just random conversations. Saying goodbye was difficult, but we exchanged social media accounts so we can keep in touch.

We finished off the day with spaghetti for dinner and some group activities. Eventually it turned into a giant dance party and all the locals gathered to watch. We sang happy birthday to Barrett and ate some “evivi” cake. Now we are all heading to bed, excited for what tomorrow will bring. Over these past few days we have worked on being mentally and physically present and have realized that we will only get out of our experience what we put into it.

From our GLA Family to yours,

Ets) miadogo

(“See you tomorrow”)

Authors: Hattie Fahnestock, Jacey Song, Hannah Poulsen

Written: July 21, 2017

Title: Ƒome (“family” in English)

This morning, we woke up resenting brick making for 3 hours. We were trying to figure out the best ways to be efficient with our mentor groups to get the best outcome. Even though everyone was sore and tired from yesterday’s work, the day turned out to be very successful; each group made an average of 100 bricks. The work was well rewarded with the big, smiling faces of the kids.

After some much-needed free time, we spent the afternoon with our host families. We split up into small groups to go to our host family’s houses. We learned their way of living as well as their hobbies; some groups even had the chance to learn Ghanaian games. We returned home for a hearty dinner of chicken, avocado salad, and mango. The night ended with an informational leadership activity. We learned the importance of open-mindedness and acceptance of others’ opinions (thanks to Ariel). Now we are off to bed for some well-deserved sleep!

From our GLA Family to yours,

Ets) miadogo

(“See you tomorrow”)

Authors: Madisyn Morse, Mindy Curry, Madison Cass

Written: July 22, 2017

Title: Sunday Fun-day

Waking up slightly later than normal, we headed down to a splendid breakfast of French toast with an assortment of spreads, and with some locally fresh watermelon. Then, we got into our Sunday best, and headed off to a local church in the Anloga area. The church was jubilant, with lots of singing and dancing. We heard a sermon on humility, which was fitting for us. Then we sang in front of the church, beautifully, if we do say so, the songs “Amazing Grace”, and “Lean on Me”.

We headed back to base for a hearty lunch of the best spicy pasta and pineapple in all of West Africa. After having some free time to play ball with some neighborhood kids, we split into two groups and headed off to two local markets. There, we all picked through fabrics that we would take to a seamstress to have made into whatever we preferred, such as stylish grocery bags, practical pants, or elegant dresses. The vibrant colors of the fabric spoke of the rich Ghanaian culture.

Back at the home base, we lesson planned for the exciting week to come at our schools. Following that, we got into Chow Circle, and shouted out our fellow peers for participating passionately throughout the day, and nominated new leaders. Rushing into the kitchen, we were treated with fried rice, chicken, papayas and oranges. After dinner, many heart to heart conversations were shared throughout the groups. After a fulfilled Sunday Funday, we happily headed off to our home away from home beds. Goodnight—don’t let the bugs bite!

From our GLA Family to yours,

Ets) miadogo

(“See you tomorrow”)

Authors: Kaylee Curry, Taylor Faiczak., Anni Liu

Written: July 23, 2017

Title: A-frican-mazing day 8

After waking up early and eating a hearty breakfast of eggs and toast, we headed to a morning of service at our respective schools. We spent the first part of our day making bricks, and improved upon our cooperation within our groups to set the pace for the week. After that, we broke off into our teaching partners and spent the rest of the morning in class with the kids. We then returned for a lunch of traditional Ghanaian stew, ‘red-red’.

In the afternoon, each of our groups headed to a different location. Julia’s group started their island tour with a boat ride and a visit to a shrine. They also learned how to weave baskets and mats. Solomon’s group visited Father’s House and played volleyball and soccer with the boys. Their interactions with the children there were eye-opening. Barrett’s group learned to make red-red and fried plantains from the kitchen staff. Some of them engaged in local style and had their hair braided by hairdressers.

Later in the evening, after a delicious dinner, we had a thoughtful mentor session to reflect on our day and the program so far. We then watched the first 45 minutes of the film Amistad for background on the Atlantic slave trade in preparation for our visit to the Keta Slave Fort tomorrow and Wednesday. With the movie we enjoyed some fantastic popcorn. After the movie, we headed off to bed after an eventful and exciting day.

Authors: Barrett Long, Julia Olson, and Solomon Doherty

Written: July 24, 2017

Title: Our Transformative Tuesday

After breakfast, we left the home base, headed to our schools, and prepared for an exciting day of work! We are all excited to say that most groups are now perfecting their brick making techniques and working together to come up with the most effective methods of building. Teaching is also now becoming second nature to all of us as we are getting to know the students in our classes and creating strong bonds with our teaching partners!

After a hard morning at work, we came back to a delicious lunch of yams, vegetable stew, and mangos (everyone’s favorite). Recharged and ready to go, we then headed out on our various afternoon adventures. Half the group had an emotional, inspirational, and informative experience at the Keta Slave Fort learning about the history of slavery in Ghana. The other half of the group had a relaxing and fun afternoon at the home base of GLA’s Building Healthy Villages program, Meet Me There. We learned about the sanitation and health issues facing the surrounding communities and the work that the non-profit organization, “Dream Big Ghana” is doing to help bring sustainable toilets to marginalized families and communities. We also got to enjoy a nice swim in the lagoon, play volleyball, go canoeing, and eat some delicious fries on the resort’s beautiful location!

The night ended with an extremely transformative leadership activity led by James and Fafa. We watched inspiring TED Talks on the dangers of generalizing an entire country or community, and learned about the importance of recognizing the problems that result from making assumptions based on our limited, individual perspectives. We all felt like we left the activity with new ideas on how we can use our voices to share Ghana’s complete story.

Authors: Maya Mutalik, Sarah Shaller, Jesse Fields

Written: July 25, 2017

Title: Whimsical Wednesday

Our group woke up bright and early today to enjoy a delicious breakfast followed by a great morning of service. Each mentor group worked extremely hard to build as many bricks as possible for their respective schools. After brick making, each pair of teaching partners began their new lessons for the day, full of excitement and energy. After a very successful morning, each mentor group headed back to home base for a tasty lunch of chicken and potatoes.

In the afternoon, we went back to our groups from the Keta Slave Fort and the Meet me There resort. This time, we switched locations to visit the one we hadn’t the day before. Yunah’s group went to the Meet Me There resort and enjoyed a relaxing time swimming in the lagoon, playing volleyball, and munching on the drinks and fries. We also learned about another GLA program that is working to build compostable toilets for the local communities. While this was going on, Elena and Mackenzie’s group went to visit the Keta slave fort. Although much more serious than the resort from the day before, it was incredibly interesting and we all enjoyed being in such an insightful place. The group was quiet and remorseful as we learned about the deep history of the slave fort and how they were treated there. However, after we left the fort, we continued on to a small resort that sat on the water. We sat around and enjoyed the view and the weather before returning back to home base for our evening mentor sessions and a lovely dinner.

After dinner we split into our groups one more time to listen to two guest speakers. Elena’s group had the opportunity to listen to Jeremiah from Father’s House talk about the child slavery and trafficking that goes on in Ghana. It was so sad to hear about such an awful thing, but we were all eager to know how we could help, and a long discussion followed after his speech. To end his time with us, he asked each of us what an issue in our community was, and how we could work to fix it. I think it opened up all of our perspectives to hear him talking about helping his local issues, and having so much success. The other group got to listen to Mr. Silas Aidem, a radio host, who educated us about the political and economic issues in Ghana. We learned about the different political parties, leaders, and the views of the Ghanaian people. We also discussed how we as leaders can help change the future by leaving a positive impact. We then headed for bed to get a restful night of sleep for the day ahead.

Authors: Mackenzie Conley, Yunah Jang, Elena Lloyd

Written: July 26, 2017

Title: Service, Seamstresses, and Speakers

Today we woke up and had breakfast at seven. We ate delicious chicken sausage, toast, pineapple and mangoes to give us energy for another eventful day of brick building and teaching. During brick making, the local directors were switched to observe the different brick building techniques. Today was a special day at school for the children. We played lots of games and sang songs to celebrate the last day before summer vacation. The kids were very rowdy and eager today due to the anticipation of break.

We had a big lunch of Chinese noodles which seems to be a favorite dish in the dining hall. After lunch, we had some free time in which we received our clothes from the seamstresses. We were even able to browse through the pre-made clothes they were selling that had bright fabrics that livened up the summer hut.

At two, the different mentor groups went to do various activities. James’s group had a cooking lesson and had their hair braided. Ariel’s group went to the island and learned how to basket weave. Ashley’s group went to Father’s House where they learned about child trafficking and slavery. Jeremiah, the head of Father’s House, went into detail about the history and current issues in the area regarding child slavery.

When all the groups returned, we were greeted with curry rice, chicken and apples for dinner. We then split into two groups to listen to the opposite speaker from the night before. Jeremiah was one of the speakers and he talked about the issues in Ghana regarding child slavery. He then went onto make us think about how we can address the problems in our own community at home that we see every day. Silas is a radio broadcaster and entrepreneur who spoke about the past and present politics in Ghana. He made us think about American politics and the impact of leaders in a society. We are all tired but excited for our departure to Ho tomorrow.

Authors: Payton Toomey, Isabella Johnson, Alissa Fairbanks

Written: July 27, 2017

Title: Heading to Ho

Today we woke up and had breakfast at six thirty. For breakfast we had toast, apples, and eggs. After eating, we loaded up the bus and headed towards Ho. We drove for three hours entertained by Keith and mentor James’ riddles. Then, we stopped at Kekeli Foundation to learn about how they help families with children who have disabilities. Their purpose is to help disabled children’s parents be aware of the accommodations available in the classroom. Also, once a student completes high school, this foundation helps the disabled individual to learn a trade for their future career. After telling us about their foundation, some of the parents told us stories about their children and their disabilities. After an hour, we said our goodbyes and thanked the Kekeli Foundation with a donation from Global Leadership Adventures.

Next, around noon, we headed to the Sky Plus Hotel for lunch. We had a variety of food including chicken, various types of rice, noodles, and French fries. After lunch, we got back on the bus and continued to drive to a place that specialized in batik-ing, which is the art of dipping stamps in hot wax and then stamping and dying fabric. After this, we headed back to the hotel and had free time until dinner. For dinner, we had the same options as lunch, but also pizza and ice cream. After dinner, we had our mentor sessions and they prepared us for the next day’s activities, which are going to a monkey sanctuary and a hike to the largest waterfall in West Africa. Today we didn’t do as many activities as usual; however, it was equally exhausting from traveling.

Authors: Corie Alvarez, Molly Cabatingan, Amanda Pignataro

Written: July 28, 2017

Title:  Monkeys Galore

Saturday, we rose up early with the sun to visit the monkey sanctuary in Ho. The early start allowed us to hang out with the monkeys while they were active and hungry. They swung from tree to tree and climbed on our shoulders to feast on the bananas we brought for them. After chilling there for a while we got back on the bus and headed to a pizzeria for lunch. It was a fun and filling treat. Soon after, we were on our way to the biggest waterfall in West Africa. We started the trek to the base of the waterfall which took around thirty minutes. Along the way, we saw centipedes and all different types of plants and trees. We got to try raw cacao (which turns into cocoa) and our guide showed us coffee and cassava trees. Our hike was more of a walk and consisted of us crossing 9 bridges and small streams of water. When we finally reached the waterfall we were all sweaty from the walk and excited to get in the water. It felt like it was raining from the waterfall crashing down and spraying everything. We took our pictures of the gigantic waterfall and then jumped in. As we got closer and closer it began to feel like we were being pelted with sand but enjoyed it anyway because it was so refreshing. When we were all ready to leave we dried off quickly and walked back. At the end of the trail, we approached a market that sold anything from bracelets to paintings and more. Happy to have a chance to buy things for our families and friends, we sprang into action ready to shop. After we finished we loaded back onto the bus and rode back to the hotel in Ho. Some of us took a quick dip in the pool while others opted to shower. Later we ate dinner and after mentor session, we spent the rest of the evening relaxing pool side by playing cards and talking with friends. Overall it was quite a unique experience and definitely a memorable day!

Authors: Jules Kloner, Bri Arluk , and Katie Lambert

Written: July 29, 2017

Title: Return from Ho

Thankfully today we got to sleep in because breakfast wasn’t until 8 am. After breakfast, we headed out for our last adventure in Ho: visiting Kente weavers. We met Paul, a veteran weaver, who explained the history of Kente weaving and walked us through every step of the process. At the end of the presentation, we each got the chance to try weaving ourselves. Once everyone was done practicing weaving, we were able to shop and purchase ties, bookmarks, bags, and other woven goods.

Almost all of the afternoon was taken up by the drive back to Home Base in Anloga. During the ride, we got to listen to Keith’s playlists, learn riddles, or catch up on sleep. Unfortunately, the van got a flat tire about halfway there. But no fear, Stephen, Wiz, and the driver quickly changed the tire and saved the day. Back at Home Base, we were given lots of free time to hangout, unpack, or lesson plan for the coming week of service. It was nice to have a relaxing weekend getaway, but everyone was ready to get back in the classroom!

Authors: Sarah Shaller, Miranda Feinberg, and Kelsey Brown

Written: July 30, 2017

Title: Easing Back into Things

We started the morning off with breakfast at 7am. At 8:00, the groups headed off for a day of brick making and teaching. Our trip to Ho made it difficult to return to our usual routine, but soon enough we got back into the groove of things. After some hard labor, we changed and prepared for teaching. Due to the start of summer school, there were half as many students as usual so teaching was much easier. At 12:00, we left the schools and returned to home base for lunch.

After lunch, we had some free time to lesson plan and play with the kids. Then we split into two groups for the day’s activities. One group received dance lessons from two of the local staff, Wiz and Jerry. The other group was taught how to carry buckets on their heads and babies on their backs; this was taught by Seyram and Ewoenam. Both groups then switched activities. After some laughs and attempts at dancing, we gathered into our mentor groups and created a family tree.

To conclude the night, we watched several videos and a documentary surrounding leadership. One video was a TED Talk discussing the importance of acknowledging the small acts that make you a leader. We also watched a documentary called Girl Rising which follows nine different females across the world and their stories and struggles to receive an education.

Authors: Paige Monk, Addie Brewer, and Madison Cass

Written: July 31, 2017

Title: Spectacular Soccer Tuesday

We started off with a productive morning filled with brick-making and teaching. Then we came back and had a delicious lunch. Some of us took part in a tournament for Kan Jam, which is a Frisbee game, which was started by Miles and James and they also became the champions of the first-ever Kan Jam tournament in Ghana. We then departed, in our matching GLA shirts, for a game of soccer against the local high school. After a tough battle, GLA lost 6-2 to the high school students. After we said our goodbyes and ate some ice cream we came back to home base. We had a scrumptious dinner and then Dodzi came to talk to us about the value of education and his story of how he worked to get the education that he deserved. We then headed to bed so we could get a full night’s sleep.

Authors: Yunah Jang, Miles Parker, Taylor Faiczak

Written: August 1, 2017

Title: Chiefs and Keith

Started the day off at 7 am with a great breakfast and then headed off to service. The usual hard work came from each group so everyone was more than ready for lunch in the afternoon. For lunch, we ate the local favorite; red red stew, rice, and plantains. During the break, there was an optional mosque visit to participate in a prayer ceremony. The students who attended really enjoyed the opportunity to experience another religion in the Volta Region.

At 3 o’clock we left to go visit with the Keta Chiefs. Having the chance to learn more about their roles and responsibilities within the community as leaders were very interesting. Everyone participated in asking questions and the Chief’s humor was really appreciated.

With our days coming to a close we squeezed in a few minutes to play with the kids before starting Chow Circle. For dinner, we ate the delicious spaghetti, Bolognese. Then we went into the leadership activity to discover our “true colors.” The personality test helped us find who else in the group reflected themselves similarly.

Keith finished off the night with a phenomenal Peace Corps presentation. Hearing his experience inspired many of us to consider and respect the PCVs who are or already have served. Overall fantastic day!

Authors: Hattie Fahnestock, Anni Liu, & Kaylee Curry

Written: August 2, 2017

Title: Our River Adventure!

We started the day off with a delicious breakfast. Each group headed out to their schools, excited to teach and make bricks! After a hard morning of work, groups headed back to home base to eat lunch. Once we finished lunch, we were off to the river tour.

We drove to the river and then all boarded two motorized wooden boats. The ride was about 30 minutes to the island. It was a very relaxing ride until Steven threw the volleyball in the water which made us turn around a few times until we could get it back. To get to the island, we passed through an area where the river met the ocean. The currents and waves were very strong. When we got to the island, we put our stuff down and got to explore the island. We got to play volleyball, swim, relax on the hammock, shop and slackline. It felt like a tropical vacation spot.

When we got back to home base, we ate a delicious dinner. We had mentor group where we came up with ideas for the talent extravaganza and practiced our acts. Afterwards Keith led an activity which had us answer three questions about ourselves and share them. Then, we had the opportunity to ask all the mentors questions about themselves. We then all went to bed because the next morning, some of us would go to watch the sunrise.

Authors: Isabella Johnson, Mindy Curry, Jesse Fields

Written: August 3, 2017

Title: See Y’all Soon!

Many students got up bright and early for an optional 5:00 am sunrise viewing at the beach. Those who went enjoyed their unforgettable view and those who decided not to go enjoyed sleeping in. Today marked our final, formal day of service! After our usual breakfast routine, we headed off to our sites to start our last bags for brick making and teach our final lessons. Many pushed themselves extra hard in a pursuit to finish off strong. Two out of the three groups even beat their team brick making records, making the day one to remember!

After lunch, we went to Anloga market and did a fun scavenger hunt to help us engage with the locals! There, we also got a glimpse of the costs of common Ghanaian foods and goods and practiced bargaining for the best prices. We spent the rest of the afternoon playing games and having long discussions with our host families for our last visit together.

The night ended with a special surprise of coke floats and a presentation from two Peace Corps volunteers in Ghana! They shared their experiences and helped us gain a better understanding of life as a Peace Corp volunteer.

As our time in Ghana comes to a close, we are super busy saying our goodbyes to the amazing children we taught, coming together for our community talent show and bonfire, and getting ready for our farewell banquet with staff and friends. There is no doubt that there will be lots of tears as we get ready to leave, but we are excited to share with you the unforgettable memories we have all made.

Lots of love and see you soon!

Your GLA kidz

Authors: Maya Mutalik, Corie Alvarez, Amanda Pignataro

Written: August 4, 2017

Greetings from Odumase-Krobo Children of Africa program!!
Just a quick note to let you know that all GLA students arrived safely from Canada, Brazil, Spain and the USA.
One of our students missed a connecting flight and arrived today at 4am – to be greeted by Henry, our Local Director.  Yea!!
We are a full compliment of 17 youth ready and excited to meet the challenges of our 2 week program!!

Students have chosen Leadership Roles to participate in over the next 2 weeks – so, this will be the only blog I write!
The following students will be our ‘bloggers’:  Gabby and Ava.

Other leadership duties are the following –
Time Keepers:  Paige and Kyra
Game Leaders:  Claire and Sabrina
Agenda Writers:  Caroline and Marcella
Site Leads:  Jed and Leah
Head Counters:  Alex and Jen
Clean Space Reminders:  Isabelle and Izzy
Health Reminders:  Christian and Setah
Thank You’s:  Amy

Stay tuned for an update from our student bloggers in the next few days.

Photo’s of our Village Tour on Monday

Learning how to make beads from world renowned master bead maker Cedi – at Cedi Beads.

 GLA students designing their own beads

July 5, 2017

Saturday July 8 – Monday July 10

This past weekend we covered a lot of Ghana’s territory. Starting Saturday, we thought what was going to be a relaxing sight-seeing excursion turned into a very sweaty long hike. That being said, the views were absolutely incredible. We climbed close to 300 stairs to what was called the Boti Falls. We also hiked up to Umbrella Rock which was worth it, as we got panoramic views of Ghana’s beautiful greenery. Afterwards we were all so tired, we came back to home base and napped. Then we went to Asitey park to do our service. After dinner we watched a Tedtalk which explained the concept of a “Single Story” and engaged in a rich discussion afterward. It was interesting to realize how we can form an opinion or perspective about things such as race, culture etc but be naïve towards the actual facts. As an example, in this Tedtalk the women spoke about how her American roommate thought that just since she was from Nigeria, she grew up in poverty.

On Sunday we put on our best clothes (whatever outfit wasn’t dirty) and walked to a local church. When we got there we danced and sang to live Ghanaian music which was followed by a sermon. Two hours later before we left, the whole church called our group to the front and they all said a prayer for us which was very special. After lunch, we attempted (strong emphasis on the attempted) Batik. We used hot wax to print Ghanaian symbols on white fabric. We each had the chance to make our own and then dye them. We had another wonderful afternoon at the park, followed by dinner and then we prepped for an early morning of teaching. For those volunteering at the nursery, parents in the community were eager to meet them therefore we started an hour earlier on Monday. And the students working at the elementary school had a two hour lesson to prep for. We had our hands full with building bricks and then teaching the rambunctious grade 4, 5, 6’s.

This afternoon we had the pleasure of souvenir shopping at our home base. A man by the name Rasheed who has a booth at a local market, brought his items to us. So you can all get excited for some gifts! We also just finished a group discussion with a women named Monica who is the owner of the nursery but who is also extremely ambitious and successful as an entrepreneur, mother and wife in the Krobo community. We had the chance to ask her questions about her life and how she has managed to be where she is today given the circumstances of Ghanaian society.

Now we are taking bucket showers, playing spoons and prepping for our lessons tomorrow morning. Goodnight!!!

-Gabby and Ava

Hike to Umbrella Rock

Hanging on for dear life!!
Don’t worry family and friends – the students are actually standing on the earth!!

The entire student group at Umbrella Rock

Boti Falls

Church

Heading home after church

GLA students teaching the awesome kids at Asitey Elementary School.

Hanging and playing games with the elementary kids after class!

Chillin’ at Asitey Park after many active games with the kids of the village.

Hello family and friends!

Sadly, this will be our last blog post but that means we are close to talking about our adventures in person rather than over the web. On Wednesday we taught at the nursery and elementary school. We had a cultured afternoon as we helped prepare with our lovely kitchen staff, a traditional meal for dinner called ‘Red Red’. Then we learned the skills behind hawking (carrying heavy objects on our heads). This proved to be just as hard as it looks. Big shout out to Sabrina and Seta for being champs and Jen for being the biggest sport about it despite her clumsiness. Afterwards as usual we went to the park for a couple of hours and enjoyed a beautiful sunset. In the evening we took a short drive over to another neighborhood where we were greeted by live music using traditional bamboo instruments. Many locals were there, singing and dancing along with us while we learnt new Ghanaian music and dance moves. We will have to show you when we’re back!

Today was a treat as we got to go to a special place called Sajuna beach. GLA had rented out the entire area just for us which was awesome. We spent the day swimming, kayaking, playing beach volleyball, eating and most importantly having a nice chance to relax after the hard work we have been putting in. It was a lot of fun, except for those who tried to get their tan on but are now a little (a lot) red. On our way back to going to the park we stopped at a market bead shop. There was lots of variety and all for a great bargain! The park today was a little bitter sweet as we know that tomorrow will be our last day with the kids. It truly will be heartbreaking to say goodbye to all the locals and the friends we’ve made this trip. As cheesy as this sounds, we’ve all made friends that will last a lifetime. This group has bonded more than we ever anticipated and the locals have been so so friendly. There will be many tears tomorrow, we are looking forward to our last day and a special goodbye dinner to follow.

Saturday morning is going to be an early one for those on the JFK flight, which has ended up being 1/2 of those here. They will be setting their alarms for 4:00 A.M L . Those flying through Europe will spend the day doing more souvenier shopping at some markets. Easy to say it will be a long and emotional day for all but we are all very excited to see our families and share with you our experiences face to face. Love you!!!

P.S Thanks to all who have read these posts and commented. It’s been great to read what you guys have said. Extra special shout out to our second parents on this trip; Wendy, Kaye and Henry. You have all been very good at your jobs and have made us feel at home since the minute we walked out of the airport. Another shout out to our fabulous kitchen crew for the delicious meals. Also to Nanama and Francis for being the best.

See you soon!
Gabby and Ava
Preparing the ingredients for ‘Red-Red’, a traditional Ghanian dish

Learning the fine art of ‘Hawking’. Beginning with a piece of wood balanced on the head, and working our way up to plastic containers used for carting water and then bundles of firewood.

7/14/17

Photo’s of GLA students at service at Edmon Nursery Odomase Krobo.