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Thanks for the checking out the blog for this Global Leadership Adventures program!
Here are a few things to know and expect:
- Blog posts are written by onsite program staff and/or students and sent to our Headquarters team who will post the blog on this page.
- We typically receive 2-3 blog updates per week from each program, so please don’t be alarmed if you don’t see a blog post every day – that’s totally normal.
- Blog updates received late in the evening or overnight will be posted the following day.
- Blog updates received on weekends may not be posted until Monday.
- Due to many factors such as internet accessibility, program staff aren’t always able to send photos, so some blog posts may contain text only.
Thank you for your patience and understanding, and we hope you enjoy following along on these unforgettable adventures.
For frequently asked questions about the blogs, please visit our Program Blog FAQ page.
-The Global Leadership Adventures HQ Team
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BLOG POST FOR JULY 7
Woezo, or welcome, from Ghana!
It was a smooth start to our program with Omar lucking out and arriving one night early to Home Base to rest and relax with the team!
We had an early start to pick up the majority of our students on arrival day, us leaving the airport for Accra Mall to have breakfast and do some snack shopping before driving to our Home Base in Anloga, Volta Region, along the eastern Ghanaian coast. There we got settled in and ate lunch as a group before playing some ice-breakers and having fun with a group of the local kids at the nearby beach! This evening we welcomed our late arrivals, us sitting down to eat dinner together.
The students enjoyed some free time at Home Base as they settled into life in a small town, grateful for the cool ocean breeze!
Two of our arrivals, Marienne and Mia safely arrived this evening and are spending the night in Accra with Seyram, one of our awesome Local Team members. Tomorrow morning they will pick up Amanda and then head to Home Base where we will be anxiously awaiting them for us to finally be a full group!
Hede nyuie, or goodbye!
-James (International Director)
BLOG POST FOR JULY 8
Author: Olivia D.
Today our day started off bright and early with an 8:30 AM breakfast. With three new additions to our group, everyone was buzzing with excitement.
After a delicious breakfast (consisting of omelets, sausage, and the best mango we have ever had) we headed to a lengthy, but crucial lesson teaching us about GLA’s policies (some fun and some not).
After a long 4 hours, we were greeted by Madam Felicity to teach us some of the local language, “Ewe”. Many of us were skeptical at first when she told us that by the end of the lesson we will be able to read, speak, and sing in Ewe, but she was right. At the end of our language lesson we prepared for our next activity. We were met with a local group of dancers and drummers who performed and taught us their cultural history which was documented through dancing. Throughout the performance many local kids showed up and practiced our dance and Ewe skills with us. They were just as excited to learn the dance as us.
Following a delicious dinner of cheesy pasta, apples, and salad we split up into two mentor groups. In these groups we were given the chance to make stronger connections with our fellow students. While we were resting in our rooms Elsie and Seyram gave us culture markings on our face and arms for our “Ewe” naming ceremony. The ceremony was not only informative, but very engaging where we all got bracelets with our name (the day of the week we were born on). And we ended the night while making Tik-Toks in the summer hut with Gus, one of our mentors!
“Never say Never” -Justin Bieber
BLOG POST FOR JULY 9
Author: Bailey W.
Hey guys! Day 2.5 in our Ghana Adventure!
Today was the day we finally started our community service by going to the local high school where we started off by making bricks and playing with some younger students. Then, we visited the classrooms (Kindergarten-6th) and got to meet all of the students, deciding on what grade we will be teaching in our GLA partner student pairs.
Next we had lunch with our host families at Home Base and got to hear about how they feel about living in Ghana, and also our experience so far in this beautiful part of Africa!
Not to mention, half of the group got to see an island and got to hear about the traditional religion they have used for years, the other half visiting a foster home and hearing the stories of their history and meeting some children there.
BLOG POST FOR JULY 10
Author: Tate H.
Hello GLA parents and family! Today was a long one, but rewarding as always! With a sharp 7am breakfast, and departure at 8am, the students took on their first “real” day of community service.
Yesterday, students were assigned a partner that they will be working with daily to teach local primary school students following their work in brick making. Considering the fact that GLA students were able to choose the grade they would teach, the excitement and positivity in the classrooms today was overwhelming and extremely infectious.
After students wrapped up their service, they were transported back to home base where they shared yet another deliciously made, home cooked meal. The appreciation for the food quality here has been conveyed by so many!
After some much needed downtime, students embarked on their cultural activity of the day, visiting a market where they were encouraged to buy fabric to bring to a seamstress and turn into custom garments. While fabric was bought, so were the necessities such as ice cream and faux designer gear.
The day didn’t end there for this group, for when they returned to home base, they were greeted by the local children, eager to play. This group has been abundant with energy and enthusiasm, admirably embracing any discomfort they may feel in this drastic change of their scenery and routine!
BLOG POST FOR JULY 11
Authors: Arthel Z. and Sofia A.
Today, both Mary’s Little Lambs and The Mangos Mentor Groups made valiant efforts at the brick making site. Though Mary’s Little Lambs seemed far behind after the first bag, they caught up and ultimately finished first. Though the Mangos may have finished second they got extra cookie points for achieving the least amount of broken bricks. We accomplished a lot in our individual groups but we accomplished more as a collective team. We made a total of 69 bricks, give or take a few because of our very intentional half bricks.
After brick making we split into two groups and set off to the schools we taught at. There was a significant amount of positive feedback from all of the GLA students teaching kindergarten to 5th grade. Everyone agreed that today, the second day of teaching, was definitely easier because the kids are adapting to the GLA students being figures of authority. The only negative comments that have come to attention have been the new voice the students have had to develop. Unlike normal, the GLA students have to be serious when the kids they’re teaching aren’t listening or aren’t learning.
Promptly after a delicious lunch of Jollof rice and chicken with a side of salad and pineapple, we were given the option to go with Gustavo to the store down the road or with Mary to the beach. A lot of people went to the beach and had a great time playing in the sand, climbing on African fishing boats, and checking out the massive ocean waves. The people who chose to go to the store came back laughing with smiles from ear to ear. With no time to wash the sand out of our clothes, we split up into Mary’s Little Lambs and The Mangos once again.
The Little Lambs went to the foster home that The Mangos had gone to previously. The students played with the kids for a little over an hour and had a great time. The students all made friends and a few kids even managed to do a few unlikely tricks. From see-sawing with the kids, to sand down shirts, and even backflips, the students made the most of their time there.
The Mangos headed to Xenui Island in wooden canoes through the Keta Lagoon and were warmly welcomed when the group arrived. The students listened to a short presentation on the history of the island and learned about how they weave baskets and mats and sell them at the market. Students then were able to try basket weaving with the help of some of the women who were demonstrating it. By this point lots of the kids from the island had come over to where we were and we walked with them to a shrine. We planned to talk to a priest from the shrine, but we came while there was a religious ceremony taking place so we were unable stay and instead met back up with the kids and walked to the only school on Xenui. We had some time to play with the kids and get to know them better. Lastly, the kids walked back to the boats, said goodbye and had a nice boat ride back.
BLOG POST FOR JULY 12
Author: Paloma C.
Today we started our day with a 7am breakfast. Our delicious breakfast included pancakes, rice water, and watermelon. After breakfast we headed to community service to make bricks and then teach our classes. We divided into two teams and built bricks by mixing cement and sand together. After our two-hour brick making session both groups headed to their schools to teach. We taught grade 1-6 and finally felt that we got the hang of teaching. Once we were done teaching at 11:45 we headed back to home base to eat lunch.
For lunch we had rice and beans, egg stew, and oranges. The food was amazing and after lunch we had an option to go to the beach or to the store. After coming back from our mini excursion we were met with a guest speaker named Etorko Jerry Duphe. He taught us about how Ghana became an independent country and other aspects of daily life.
After our guest speaker we were met by the local children who we played with for an hour before dinner. Dinner as usual was delicious and consisted of chicken, mashed potatoes, and mouthwatering mango that we all fought over. We then had a half an hour to rest before ending our night by watching a movie called Amistad that educated us on the struggles of slaves that set sail from Cuba to America.
BLOG POST FOR JULY 13
Author: Toby P.
Hi everybody! Today was an eventful day! It was our first full weekend here in Ghana, and we got to sleep in until 8:00. We started the day with a beach cleanup, collecting a whopping 15 bags. Following that, we got some free time, having a chance to regroup with our friends and spend time with the local kids on the beach playing soccer, beach volleyball, or just hanging out.
Later, we got to spend the afternoon with host families, all sharing a variety of different experiences.
In the evening we had a guest speaker coming all the way from Accra to talk to us about child slavery and share stories from the orphanage we had visited earlier in the week.
The speaker was a great way for some people to channel their emotions and he really shared some great and important insights. Despite the emotion that came with this difficult subject, we sat in a circle and everybody took the night to figure out where they were and make sure they were ready for the next two weeks coming up and the church service the following morning.
BLOG POST FOR JULY 14
Authors: Megan M. and Leia F.
Hey everyone! These are the GLA leaders of the day! Many people rested late on this Sunday morning and others woke up bright and early to attend a local Christian church. At 8:00am some of us ate a delicious meal of pancakes, sausage, and watermelon. When we attended the church we were very surprised with the difference between our churches at home and the Ghanaian church. The Ghanaian locals dressed in vibrant and lively colors that caught our eyes. At church we participated in dancing and singing with everyone and learned some new dance moves. We also introduced ourselves and were very welcomed.
After church we relaxed for a little bit and woke up all of the late sleepers. We had lunch at 12:30 PM and ate bambara beans and watermelon that was all very tasty. After lunch we had free time where some of us played with the local children and others rested in the house.
At 1:30pm we chose partners to play a game called “split rock paper scissors” that determined which activity we would do for the day. We will definitely be sore tomorrow! One group went to the Keta Slave Fort with our mentor Mary and others stayed at home base and were taught a cooking class with our mentor Gustavo. At the cooking class we learned how to make “Red Red” and fried plantains that were to die for. At Keta Slave Fort the other group learned about how it was used to transport slaves overseas to the Americas. They also learned about the different rooms in the fort and their purpose as well as how they treated the slaves. After the tour they went to the beach nearby to have a cold drink. The group that stayed at home base for the cooking class went to the beach nearby to play with the local kids.
At 6:30pm we had a dinner of salad, pineapple, and ragout. We also plotted our birthday surprise attack on our local staff Steve. It is a Ghanaian tradition to pour water on the birthday boy/girl. It was really funny and he didn’t expect it!
We finished the evening watching the Euro Finals soccer match between Spain and France, and just hanging around home base.
It was a great day in Ghana!
“Don’t worry about a thing, every little thing is going to be alright.” – Bob Marley
BLOG POST FOR JULY 15
Author: Omar I.
Welcome to today’s blog,
Today was quite an eventful day, with a lot of excitement happening. We first started the day as usual, making bricks for the schools in order to help rebuild them after the unfortunate events that happened with recent damaging floods. We spent almost two hours mixing cement and molding it into bricks, and we made a total of almost 70 bricks today (of course Team Mangoes were better, duh) and afterwards was teaching.
Unfortunately there was a nationwide civil servant strike so the local teachers were not observing our classes, but in the end, thanks to the local and international GLA team, there was a positive outcome in the classrooms overall, with the GLA staff supporting us all.
The bus ride back from the school was filled with good music and vibes thanks to my fellow L.O.D. (Leader of the Day), Paloma. We sat and played with the kids for a few minutes and then had lunch, which was then followed by a cultural activity.
Yesterday, we split into two groups and had either a cooking lesson or visited a slave fort and today my group did the activity we didn’t get to do the previous day which was cooking. The cooks, Free Heart and Chef Dodzi were so sweet and taught us how to make red red and fried plantains, a local Ghanaian dish. The experience was amazing and we learned a lot from their guidance.
Afterwards we played a fun game that was brought up by Mary which was similar to two truths and a lie, finally, we had dinner and enjoyed each other’s company in how we interacted and hopefully, after handing the L.O.D. position to Sabrina, we will enjoy days like this more often.
BLOG POST FOR JULY 16
Author: Sabrina V.
This morning we started our day with a healthy breakfast of eggs, oats, and apples. We headed to Anloga Secondary School for service, to continue brick making and teaching at our respective primary schools later on.
We came back to home base at 12pm for some chicken, rice, and pineapple. After lunch we had the Days for Girls organization come and speak to us about the difficulties of menstruation, and access to menstrual products in Ghana. We all tried our hand at sewing reusable pads, that we will give out to the local high school girls later in the week.
We had fun with the kids for a few hours playing soccer, volleyball, and just hanging out. For dinner Chef Freehart and Chef Dodzi made us Chinese noodles, watermelon, and sugar cane. After dinner Dodzi, the Local Director spoke to us about the education system in Ghana and his personal childhood story. We ended the night with mentor groups and a birthday surprise for James, the International Director.
BLOG POST FOR JULY 17
Author: Milana S.
Ɛdidi (Long time no see)!
Our group had a bright and sunny morning today balanced with a cooling ocean breeze from our left. After a sweet or (ŋaneŋane) breakfast consisting of pancakes and many more delights, we departed at 8:00am for our service.
Our service is now nothing new to us and we are all really getting the hang of it. After so many days of brick making it’s almost second nature to us with us getting better and better everyday. Not only do we have a blast making the bricks consisting of LOTS of music, dancing, and motivating each other to do our best, we also have a friendly competition. This competition is made of the two mentor groups “Mary’s Little Lambs” and “The Mangos”, racing to see who can make the most bricks each day! (Both groups make a lot). But not only are we all able to accomplish quantity, but also quality! After our hot and sweaty workout we got ready for our next part of service, teaching.
The smiles these kids have are unforgettable. They make everybody else smile just looking at them. Our students are all so full of energy and light that no matter how tired we are from our “brick race” we are ready to put in our best efforts to give these kids the best teachers ever! But we aren’t the only ones learning in these classrooms. Our students teach us so much and open our eyes to so many different things. Our students teach us a variety of things including their favorite games, traditions, and so much you could never learn from a single book and especially not from a single “Google” search. This experience is so incredible because most of everything we see and learn are things you have to be completely present in the moment to do so. Many GLA students including myself dreaded not having our phones on this trip but now we are all dreading the times we SPENT on our phones. Some of us who were able to bring a camera are lucky to have the ability to capture these great moments but, these cameras don’t catch everything. In fact, not even a quarter of it. Everything we experience and see will only be contained in our memories. This is what makes this experience so special and this is why it is so important for us to be so present. We cant just look back at any photos or videos and relive these moments if we were distracted or daydreaming at that particular second. We all see and remember different things from the same moment that are all special and unique to all of us and how we remembered them. But this doesn’t just apply to us, a majority of Ghana’s history and story wasn’t captured or written down. Instead, it has been passed down through many dances, songs, and storytelling.
Today’s activity after lunch had us taking a trip to a local high school to be able to connect with people our age and come together to solve fun little puzzles among mixed teams of GLA students and Ghanaian high school students. We played a trivia game reaching from “Who was the first US president?” to “What do the colors on Ghana’s flag represent?” which is why it was so important to have diverse groups. This experience was able to successfully bring together individuals with different backgrounds, experiences, perspectives, and problem-solving approaches. But, among all our different types of knowledge and wisdom, who doesn’t love to eat ice cream and dance? After our activities together, we all enjoyed ice cream together accompanied by some music we all danced to the music whether we had heard it before or not. This was an unbelievably joyful and heartwarming experience. We all barely knew each other, not even each other’s names! But you don’t even need to know THAT to be able to laugh and dance together and you ESPECIALLY don’t need it to eat ice cream together!
After a tasty dinner, our evening consisted of learning about traditional Ghanaian funerals. If you are a carpenter would you want to be buried in a hammer shaped casket?? Well in Ghana, don’t be shy! You can customize your casket to whatever your heart desires! Taxi driver? What about a car?? Do you love to paint?? What about a paintbrush? Don’t be boring!! Ghanaians don’t even know that word ESPECIALLY when it comes to their funerals. Want to know what’s it’s like?? Don’t be timid to visit one! They are open to everybody! When a Ghanaian family hosts a funeral, everybody is welcome! This makes funerals very expensive as there are many more factors than just catering for food for those coming. Dancing and music is ESSENTIAL! In Ghana, many believe in reincarnation which makes funerals a celebration for your next life. Some even place an item unique to the person who died for them to then take to their next life. Ghanaians know how to go out with a BANG and so can this blog! BANG!
“I don’t know where I’m going from here, but I promise it won’t be boring” -David Bowie
BLOG POST FOR JULY 18
Author: Lena B.
Today was another great day at GLA. With a fresh hop out of bed, the students enjoyed one of Dodzi and Free Heart’s amazing breakfasts rich in nutrients that gave us just the right energy for the day. After flying out of the van, we excitedly began our brick making session. Under extreme heat, it’s Mary’s Little Lambs versus The Mangos… who’s going to win today!? Although Mary was fast asleep back at home base, her Little Lambs didn’t fail to make her proud and brought yet another victory to our mentor group!
After snacking on delicious Ghanaian snacks (the potato crackers being the most successful choice) we made our way to our respective schools.The kids always greet us with the brightest smiles and warmest hugs. We learn just as much from them as they learn from us. From them, we are able to learn traditional games that embed their culture such as “ampe”. They also teach us all kinds of music and songs in both Ewe and English that just keep us on your toes. In return, our GLA students are committed to teaching them Maths, English, Science and Social Studies.
After coming back to home base and fueling ourselves with another sample of Dodzi and Free Heart’s amazing cooking, we headed straight to the market. There, we were divided into groups and given the challenge to gather ingredients from a list. However, there was a twist… the foods were all written in Ewe. What an amazing experience to bond with locals and interact with the sellers in the market. Some students even had to use their bargaining skills to attain the price we were instructed to pay.
After an exciting afternoon at the market, GLA students were up and running back to the local high school. Today was a day of no rest because we were headed straight to a sports competition with the high schoolers. The game was on and GLA brought home a victory with a score of 2-1 from James and Gustavo! It was thrilling to see people try the sport for the first time and carrying the team to our victory. The tough match ended with a fun session of penalties where everyone took a hit and scored, making GLA proud once again.
Back at home base, we were able to enjoy a sunset while playing with local children. Many of us will be coming home with treasures from the children, as our pockets are filled with drawings and letters.
Our evening concluded with an exceptional dinner and a structured yet heated debate about potential oil drilling in Ghana. Big congratulations to the High School Youth Group team (Omar, Mia, Sofia and Paloma) for winning the debate with a result against oil drilling!
BLOG POST FOR JULY 19
Author: Jasmine S.
Hi everyone! I’m Jasmine, the leader of the day!
This morning, we started the day with our usual (and healthy) 7am breakfast before heading to Anloga Secondary School to continue with brick-making. The absence of the speaker was noticeable, but we still kept our motivation and did our best, even without the boost of energy that music gives us! This morning was our 5th consecutive day of service and it’s just so incredible to see the progress we’ve made since last week. It’s delightful to be able to help out the local community and make a difference. After nearly two hours of shoveling and moulding bricks, many went to the corner store to get some well-deserved snacks before we all headed to our respective schools for another teaching session! No matter how tired we are, the children never fail to cheer us up with their warm greetings while flashing million-dollar smiles.
After completing our service hours for the day with good vibes and positivity, we were rewarded with a (once again) delicious lunch consisting of “red red”, plantain, garden salad and watermelon chunks. It was a chill afternoon at home base. After filling up our stomachs, we had a fun cultural activity where we attempted to carry loads on our heads. Head-carrying is a very common art among Ghanaian women, which is something that all of us must have noticed during the (nearly) two weeks we’ve spent so far in this breathtaking and charming country. With the opportunity to try it out for ourselves, we realized that this is an impressive and hard-to-master skill that requires great control and strength! While this activity was ongoing, we welcomed hair braiders to home base once again. Thanks to hours upon hours of effort by these talented ladies, Sabrina, Leia and Olivia will get to go on the upcoming excursion with new and gorgeous hair! Later, the seamstresses and tailor arrived with the elegant clothing items we ordered a little more than a week ago (as well as some extra goodies!). We tried on our new intricately-made outfits that all look like they could belong on runways.
We had a decently long period of free time until Chow Circle where plenty of shoutouts were made and I passed my L.O.D. position to Amanda. After dinner (tasty french fries, chicken and pineapple), Dodzi presented the logistics for our 3-day excursion to Ho which we’re all extremely excited about! We concluded the day with movie night. The earlier vote I carried out revealed “Rio” as the heart of our last group activity before the upcoming weekend that comes with the highly-anticipated excursion!
“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” — Credited as an anonymous African Proverb
BLOG POST FOR JULY 20
Author: Amanda F.
Today, our group finally made it to their weekend destination, Ho! Following a three-hour bus ride, we stopped at a location in town where a lunch buffet was served.
After lunch, the group immersed themselves in learning about batik fabric in Ghana and even participated in a hands-on experience with the process. We began by using a foam block carved with a design, dipping it in wax and then applying it to fabric. This technique leaves parts covered in wax white while the rest of the fabric absorbs color.
Afterwards, we checked into the hotel where we’ll be spending the next two nights. The GLA students were pleased with the hotel amenities, which included a pool and playground. Before dinner, some students decided to take advantage of the hotel’s pool.
Finally, during their free time before bed, many enjoyed playing games outdoors or treating themselves to delicious ice cream available at the hotel.
BLOG POST FOR JULY 21
Author: Sophie S.
Hello all: parents, loved ones, and students of the program. We started off the day bright and early with breakfast at 7am. When we woke up, the sky was covered in that rainforest mist we all know and love.
We headed out of our lovely hotel in the Ho region and drove to the Ote Canopy Walk. The walk was beautiful in the very humid rainforest. We started off with a descent down 200ish steep steps and began our walk over three extremely high and bouncy canopy bridges. It was absolutely beautiful other than the fact that someone kept bouncing the bridge. After taking pictures we then drove to our lovely lunch spot.
After a filling buffet lunch, we headed to the entrance to Wli Waterfall, which marked the beginning of our 40-minute walk to the actual waterfall. The walk consisted of going over nine bridges and was extremely beautiful. The waterfall however, was definitely the best part. The Wli Waterfall is the tallest in all of West Africa and it definitely didn’t disappoint. Right away we all slowly tiptoed into the water as it was very cold. We then had to walk backwards as the wind and mist from the waterfall basically smacked you repeatedly in the face making it very hard to walk straight into it. Imagine you are being power washed. Some made it through the waterfall to touch the wall on the back side of the falls while others stopped and turned around as the spray was powerful. We took a group picture at the falls and then walked back and shopped at the craft market until it was time to leave and start our journey back to the hotel. Overall one of my favorite days of the program!
BLOG POST FOR JULY 22
Authors: Esmeralda R. and Caden S.
Today we got up bright and early to get to a delicious buffet style breakfast served by the hotel in Ho. After breakfast we split into our mentor groups and took on the day with two different activities.
The first group to leave the hotel (Mary’s Little Lambs) went to experience a Kente weaving class where they wove their own small section of fabric. They also learned about the historical importance of Keta cloth and its many applications in the culture. While this was taking place the other mentor group (The Mangos) began packing and had some time to relax at the pool or in their rooms before the groups eventually switched.
After both classes experienced Kente weaving and were back at the hotel, we all packed our bags and took a group picture before we all hit the road for lunch. After lunch we began our ride back home including a stop at the supermarket where several students stocked up on snacks and other treats for the kids.
Following our arrival at home base we were met with another visit from the seamstresses where students purchased clothing and other cloth goods, played with kids, or walked to the beach.
We concluded our day with a short “pulse check”, dinner, and great mentor groups. All in all it was another amazing day here in Ghana filled with new experiences and lifelong memories.
BLOG POST FOR JULY 23
Author: Angel M.
Today we started our morning at the usual time of 7am. The breakfast was made up of french toast, mangos, and rice water. We then headed to service, and we all began to feel a bit down because we began to realize how little time we have left on the program. There was a slight inconvenience of the materials needed to make bricks not being available, but in the end we ended up making a good amount of bricks with less time than usual, combining both teams to work on the last bag of cement all together.
After we finished making bricks we split up into two groups and headed towards our respective schools where we teach. When we arrived at the school the students rushed us as we got out of the van. We had a little time before class, so we spent it preparing to teach and playing with the kids. Teaching went smoothly, with the kids all being pretty cooperative and respectful to us.
After some free time we did a community-wide scavenger hunt. During the scavenger hunt we had to find people and things to take a picture of and to submit in order to win. The staff have not decided which group won yet, and said it would be told to the students tomorrow, but it will be a close call.
After the scavenger hunt we had free time before dinner. Almost immediately after that we went to a group meeting for our goals that we made on our fourth day. It helped a lot to allow us to reflect on how the trip has gone so far and how we could help our communities and the world after this.
BLOG POST FOR JULY 24
Author: Leya A.
Today we woke up to a delicious breakfast of fried eggs, toast, and orange slices. Then at 8am sharp we left for service (we finally were on time!). During the brick making portion of service we all came together (Mary’s Little Lambs and The Mangos) to make three sturdy bags of bricks and put our friendly feud to the side, but obviously the Little Lambs were still the stronger ones and more dedicated to the job.
After cleaning up our mess from making the bricks we packed up and split into groups to go teach. Half of the group teaches at the Anglo Basic School so they only have to walk two minutes from the field to the class to teach their students, although the other group only has to drive five minutes down the road to Avete Basic School. Today at Anglo Secondary School where we do our brick making, they started their sports tournament with 10 different high schools coming for a week-long competition. They’ll do everything from track to handball. Today my 6th grade students went to a different school to take a particular exam so my teaching partner and I went with staff to watch some of the events; others came as well but just a little later.
When teaching was over we went home to eat a lunch of “red red”, plantains, pineapple, and a garden salad. We had a couple of hours of free time after lunch so some of us napped or played with the neighborhood kids.
At 2:45pm we all went to the summer hut to get ready to go and visit a local chief from the nearby town of Keta. When we first walked onto his property you could hear the sounds of drums and feel his energy. Before we could even start talking to him we had to be welcomed with a prayer. His two pupils brought out all the materials that were needed: cornstarch for the earth, water for the hydrosphere, air for the atmosphere, locally made palm spirits for the spirit, and a calabash bowl. While mixing everything together they were saying a prayer to God to protect us and to once again welcome us to his home. He talked to us about the roles of a chief and his life story and afterwards we were able to ask him questions. He also is an author and some students were able to purchase autographed copies.
When we left we didn’t go straight home, we stopped at a resort for some soft drinks before picking up some supplies we wanted to give to our students, some of us buying notebooks, pens, while others purchased sports balls and candy.
In the evening we ate Chinese noodles and watermelon for dinner and at 8pm we started the talent show. We had many amazing performances from singing, tongue gymnastics, moshing, and stand up comedy to end an amazing day!
Now for the quote to end this amazing blog:
Get your MONEY up!
NOT your funny up!
BLOG POST FOR JULY 25
Author: Marianne W.
Hi! Today was our last day of service. This morning we had breakfast at 8:30am, different from our usual 7am breakfast. We headed to brick making, where the Mangos and Mary’s Little Lambs made one bag of cement each. We each signed our own bricks to commemorate our time here!
Next we went to our respective schools for the last time. The kids in our classes shared sodas with us, and we played with our students for the last time. It was a tearful goodbye.
After that, we came back for lunch and played with some of the kids from the neighborhood. We then drove 45 minutes to a boat, and traveled to an island through a lagoon. The boat there took a little over an hour. On the island we browsed some craft shops, had soft drinks, and swam in the warm water. We headed home, a shorter ride back as we went a different route and came to home base for dinner.
After dinner, we went to the beach for our goodbye bonfire. We played an anonymous special activity to appreciate each other. We finally headed home for a short dance party to end the night.
BLOG POST FOR JULY 26
Author: I.D. James M.
Our final full day of the program had us sleeping in until 9am when we went for yet another delicious breakfast prepared by Chefs Dodzi and Free Heart. Afterwards all of the students gathered for our last leadership group, The GLA Way, where students journaled and reflected on how they embodied GLA’s five Leadership Pillars during the program.
Afterwards students did some final shopping at a local bead store in town, most of the beads handmade in Ghana from recycled glass.
This afternoon Mary’s Little Lambs and The Mangos had their final mentor groups to discuss lessons learned throughout these past three weeks, full of reflection and appreciation, the reality of our upcoming goodbyes really beginning to sink in.
We had time this afternoon to pack up and play with the local kids before everyone changed into their locally made Ghanaian clothing from the tailors and seamstresses to enjoy a final drum and dance performance in the summer hut!
The staff prepared a special final dinner banquet with a wonderful spread of food which we all enjoyed! After some words of thanks from the staff and students, we enjoyed watching such a fun video that Mentor Mary worked tirelessly with one of our drivers, Saquib, titled “This is Ghana”, hoping to make Saquib go viral! We finished up with an hour-long slideshow of over 800 photos that staff had taken throughout the three weeks, reliving so many wonderful moments shared together!
We ended the night by finishing packing and writing notes in each other’s journals, having a late last night in Ghana!