TIME CAPSULE LETTER
Written by Tatiana
Dear students,
Baba Baba Shibaba ohhhh, ohhh Shibaba! Who remembers this song?! š
Hopefully as you start reading this letter, beautiful memories of your two weeks in Ghana will start
popping into your head. I still remember our hike under the rain at Boti Falls, what a unique
experience huh?! Some of you have already started your new life chapter – college! Others are
probably back in school, but you are definitely still remembered here in Krobo!
You have truly left your small footprint, on the primary school, nursery AND surely the Asitey Park
kids š You almost finalised all the cementing (actually I think you would have been able to finish it
but something had to be left for the third session group š English you taught the kids, is a huge
contribution to their language skills, something they will find very beneficial for their future.
Henry and Charityās front garden area will continue to be a place of shelter and community for the
children you met during our first days here and brought so much happiness to anytime they saw
you. But more importantly, the knowledge YOU gained on this trip we hope will serve you and the
communities you go on to be in for the rest of your life!
We had so much fun here together! I will never forget all the dancing that happened here, some of
you really have the moves! That cultural dance we had in one of the villages with local people, that
was truly amazing. How about the visit to the local market, looking for 88 and practicing your
bargaining skills. You really got to immerse yourselves in the local cultural and I really hope that
you have already taken some of these learnings and applied them back home to be the change!
Speaking about learnings, do you remember your OMG – āOne Meaningful Goalā – that we created
at the end of the session? You pledged to stop the common ignorance surrounding general well
being, health care, and education to the kids and local community. We would love to hear how that
is going?! Has there been any changes in your home or even community?
Please keep in touch and share your personal growth journey with GLA, they always love to hear
about how youāre being the change out there!
Thank you for all the beautiful memories and good luck with whatever endeavours you are onto!
Much love from Ghana,
Tatiana and the team
Thanks for the checking out the blog for this Global Leadership Adventures program!
PROGRAM PHOTO ALBUM
Here are a few things you can expect:
- We typically receive 2-3 blog posts per week here at GLA Headquarters from our program staff and students, so please don’t be alarmed if you don’t see a blog post daily – that’s totally normal.
- Blog updates sent on weekends may not be posted until Monday.
- Due to many factors, including but not limited to internet accessibility, photos may not always be available to post onto the blog. Sometimes onsite program staff are only able to send text back to Headquarters, where our team updates the blog.
Thank you for your patience and understanding, and we hope you enjoy following along on these unforgettable adventures.
Cell Phone Policy: The GLA cell phone policy is currently in place this summer to help foster meaningful connections between students. This means your studentās phone will be collected every day and returned to them after activities are completed to have with them through the night. Actual tech times and regularity will vary greatly by program location and time zones. During designated ātech timeā, your student may use their phones as they wish. Please note that your student may not always choose to use this time to get a hold of their parents. If you are not hearing directly from your student each day, you can assume that no news is good news! We strongly recommend you follow the blog to follow your studentsā experience without talking to them every day. If you are a parent and would like to get in touch with your student directly, you can call us at +1-619-758-3031 and we can set up a formal time for you to connect with your student.
For frequently asked questions about the blogs, please visit our Program Blog FAQ page.
-The Global Leadership Adventures HQ Team
Click here to jump down to the most recent posts!
BLOG POST FOR JULY 9 & 10
Hello Families!
We arrived safely yesterday to what will be our new home for the next 13 days in Krobo! 17 of us got in very late last night (around midnight), we had some delicious jollof rice (one of the typical foods here in Ghana), showered and knocked out in bed.
Today we got to taste some more delicious Ghanaian food, we had a tour around the town and got to see where we will be doing our service (which starts tomorrow!). We also got to spend some time at Asitey Park with the kids!
We are very excited for the days to come, especially being able to spend more time with the kids from Krobo and learn all about the culture of Ghana.
Lots of love from Ghana!
BLOG POST FOR JULY 11
GHANA DAY 2!! Today we got up and had a delicious breakfast of pancakes, oats, and some delicious fruit. Today was our first day of service where 11 of us went to the nursery to work with the younger children and then the rest of us went to the primary school to teach older kids. Around 12, we headed back for lunch which was ĀØred red ĀØ. It was fried plantains with beans and cassava. Then, the seamstress came and we all got sized for the Ghanaian culture clothing and we had a special opportunity to choose a design. There was a range of all sorts from skirts, to tops, and pants.
We then headed to Asitey park where the kids greeted us outside the house in anticipation. We spent 2 hours playing with them, with the boys playing an intense soccer game, competitive red light green light, and getting to each and every smiling face. We then headed back for dinner where we first went around in a circle saying our highs and lows of the day, there were mostly highs. The meal was spaghetti with green sauce and charcoaled chicken kebabs with fruit. We then learned and discussed urbanisation in Ghana and the advantages and disadvantages of urban youth vs. Rural youth. We dove deep into the subject of urbanisation, consisting of an intellectual debate ( it got heated ). To end the night we all gathered around the campfire, dancing and singing to Ghanaian music. Can’t wait for what the next days hold. YAY GLA and hi family
Sincerely your pal Elana, Alejandra, and with must appreciated help from Cameron
Special announcement from Jason (I am the change)
BLOG POST FOR JULY 13
Written by Max B.
This morning the GLA staff greeted us bright and early with a breakfast of french toast, scrambled eggs and rice water. After breakfast we had a great walk through town on the way to the nursery to start teaching. At the nursery we taught the kids about different subjects like maths, english and computing. After we said goodbye to the kids we headed back to homebase for lunch.
The afternoon continued with a GLA activity- a poster creation group activity to talk about ways to better the community. Then we had our first host family visit where we were taught how to speak Krobo which is the local language. Next we went to the park to spend some time with the local kids which involved playing some sports games. We finished up at the park and came back and finished our night off with dinner and then some relaxation – time to shower and hangout.
BLOG POST FOR JULY 14
Written by Precious & Caiden
Today we participated in two hours of service doing nursery and construction. We started the morning with our breakfast which consisted of vanilla and strawberry pancakes, rice porridge, and a bowl of fruit. Then we headed to the Cedi bead workshop and designed our own jewellery with the help of Nomada āCediā Ebenezer Djaba, the founder of Cedi beads. After this we went to his store to shop for other Cedi bead pre-made goods. Then we went to home base and got to try Fufu with palm nut soup which is one of the most famous meals in Ghana. It was delicious! The Fufu ended up putting us in a coma and led to everyone sleeping for 2 hours.
After we all woke up from our nap, we went to our daily visit at Asitey Park to hang out with the kids. The trip to the park was cut short due to us having to pick up the finished product of their Cedi bead necklaces. Once we arrived back at home base we ate spaghetti with chicken, a bowl of fruit, and a surprise dessert of ice cream. We ended the day with a cultural dance from a dance team in the local area, teaching us some of their signature dance moves.
BLOG POST FOR JULY 15
Written by Molly, Max M., and Abby F
This morning, we got to sleep in before having a breakfast of donuts, bread, cereal, and watermelon. We definitely put the Adventure in GLA today, when we went to Boti Falls, a Ghanian tourist destination. We went on what was supposed to be a 45 minute leisurely hike, that turned into a 3 hour river walk. Our start was delayed due to rain and then we got caught in more rain, but persevered. The walk had amazing views and lots of rocks to scale. We saw some cool rock formations, a tree on a rock, and a three trunked palm tree. On the walk, we walked through a cave and went to Umbrella Rock, where we saw more amazing views. Before we could turn around and walk back to the base of the mountain, we had to wait out the rain, but it never stopped. We went anyway, walking through what can only be described as a river. Moving very slowly, we climbed over rocks and made it safely back to the base. After another 300 steps, we made it to Boti Falls! A beautiful waterfall that we got to swim and play in. It was the perfect reward for our longggggggg, wet, dirty, journey through the rainforest of Ghana. We ended the day with a sleepy hour long ride back to Home Base and a dinner of potatoes, spaghetti, and (our personal favourite) mango!
BLOG POST FOR JULY 16
Written by Sophia and Djaza
This morning we got to sleep in until breakfast at 9. We had a scrumptious breakfast consisting of egg sandwiches, donuts, and fruit. We then got ready for church and learned a song in 5 minutes before we left. We got there a little late but we got to go in and get blessed. We sang our song that we learned, and got to dance. The pastor then said testimony and included us in his prayers.
After church, we headed back to the compound and on the way it started to rain. We then had lunch, which was rice pudding balls (Omotuo) and peanut butter soup (akate huenyu), with rice and vegetables. After we were really tired and it seems like every time it rains we all become sleepy and take great naps. When we got up it was time for a curriculum activity, where we learned the pros and cons of volunteerism. We answered and discussed what our opinions were and it really helped us figure why we were here in the first place.
When we were done with the activity, we headed to our daily visit to the park and played with the kids. This time most of us engaged in playing Ā“footballĀ“, while the others played various games with the other kids. When park time was over, we said our goodbyes and headed back to Home Base for dinner. For dinner, we had my (Sophiaās) favourite dinner: french fries, grilled chicken, and mixed fruit. The only thing different was we had assigned seating, where everyone had to sit with people they donāt normally sit with.
Once dinner was over, we had a mini lesson, where we got to plan what we wanted to teach the students during our service tomorrow.
BLOG POST FOR JULY 17
Written by Katie, Conor, and Elliot
Hello from Ghana! For Day 8, we woke up at 7:30 and ate some yummy French toast and oats. We then split up for service. The construction group poured two bags of cement and got a lot of work done. Then we taught our students. The nursery group taught their lesson plans as usual. We got back for lunch – red red yay! We then took naps because it was raining. After that, we played GLA jeopardy – Room 2 + Max B won!!! We then played with the kids at the park from 4-6 and it rained again, but we still had fun. Dinner was rice, yam balls, and egg and corned beef stew – delish. Liam received a special birthday cake and song. Happy birthday Liam! We then visited the Queen Mother of Krobo (Auntie Monica) and learned about her position and her work with the nursery some of us serve at! We had some fun singing tunes on the car ride home. Now we look forward to busting moves at our cultural dance lesson tomorrow, hoping for better weather!! Katie, Conor, and Elliot out š (Elliot is enjoying his grape soda currently).
BLOG POST FOR JULY 18
Written by Abigail S and Payton H.
Mohey! (Ah) Hello from Ghana. Today for breakfast we had cornflakes, Akpeti bread tart (egg bread toast) and the fruit was watermelon. At 8 o’clock we went into our groups for service. The people who are working at the primary school have made so much progress with the construction! They have almost finished the floor and the people at the nursery continue to build their bond with the kids!
After our service we came home and ate lunch and the menu for today was Kontomire stew with baked potatoes, boiled ripe plantains, and braised rice. We must have eaten good because everyone took a nap before starting our new activity, Batik. Which is stamping patterns on fabric and making patterns that are one of a kind because no one will have the same one as you, you can also customise the fabric to the colour of your choice.
After finishing batik we went and learned some new cultural dances, which was fun. After dancing our hearts out to the rhythm of the drums for 2 hours we came back and went to the park which as it always is rewarding. To end the day we enjoyed a delicious meal that everyone has no problem finishing, fries and charcoal grilled chicken with vegetables. Mo tsu mi. (Thank you)
BLOG POST FOR JULY 19
Written by Phillip, Eva, and Maverick
Hello from Ghana! Today we started with breakfast, puffed loaves, rice water, and watermelon. Right after breakfast, the local seamstress came by to drop off our Ghanaian traditional outfits, which we had fitted and personalised last week. The fabric of each student’s clothes was unique, and was filled with beautiful patterns and colours. The fashion show was pushed to Friday unfortunately š but we will all get the chance to show off our trad. (traditional clothing) Right after trying our clothes on we headed to the marketā¦. Which was quite the experience lol.
Our trip to the market was supposed to happen last weekend, but was postponed because of the rain-so we were very excited to jump right in. Each group was split up according to our assigned service groups( primary vs nursery) and had a list of things to buy at the market. The market welcomed us with vibrant food and smells. The hunt was definitely a hard one, most of the groups got lost and separated BUT, we all still managed to find the items on our lists! HOORAY!! We came back to home base to check out the craft market. Such wonderful art, jewellery, sculptures, fans, bags, etc. So expect some gifts from us once we get back home š We had lunch and as per usual we headed to the park to spend some time with the kids since we didnāt get to see them earlier because of the market. We wrapped our day up with a delicious meal of macaroni, chicken kebab, fried sweet potato, toasted veg, and watermelon (no mango š). Then we proceeded to meet with our mentor groups for the last time before we part our ways. It was a great experience and we are just as excited to repeat the fun all over again with our trip tomorrow.
More pics coming soon!
Ā”Ciao!
BLOG POST FOR JULY 20
Written by Pampam
Greetings from Krobo! Fortunately today, we were able to sleep in until 8:30 which was very nice! For breakfast this morning we had cereal (corn flakes and cocoa puffs), quiche, bread, mango, and pineapple juice. After breakfast, we all got ready to head to the Sajuna Beach Resort. The resort was super nice, it had two pools, beach volleyball, ping pong and bikes to ride on. For Lunch we had rice and grilled chicken. We all also got to enjoy some cool beverages and ice cream! Some of us got to kayak on the river, the views were beautiful, like a screensaver picture. Then we went on a boat ride and saw amazing sights and some of us were able to drive the boat on our own on the way back.
After leaving the resort, we headed to a small bead shop, where we were able to buy some bracelets and necklaces, etc. During this, we noticed shops selling cold sodas, which got us very excited. We only have access to unlimited water, and we missed the taste of sweetness. After leaving the store we headed back to Homebase, where we dropped our things and headed to our daily visit to the park. We played with the children and got to spend time with them. We will miss them when we have to leave, it’s so sad.
After the park, we all headed back to Homebase for dinner: yam fries, fried plantains, grilled chicken and fish, salad, bananas, and watermelon. Once we finished eating dinner, it was time for a dance show. In the dance show, many local children from the village came and performed their dances for us, which was very fun to watch. Then we broke up into groups and had a friendly dancing competition, where all the kids were able to vote for the best dance team. (Group 3 won, thanks to Djaza!) Later on, the lights were turned off and we had a dance with flashlights, which was extremely fun.
BLOG POST FOR JULY 21
Hey yāall sadly this is our final blog but itās definitely one for the books!! We started off the morning bright and early with breakfast at 7:30 where we were met with a delicious meal of oats, egg toast, and mango. We then moved on to service where construction finished all of their bags of concrete and the nursery taught their kids one final time before everyone had to say goodbye. After service we came back to find a crowd favorite of peanut butter soup and banku okro stew. After a tasty lunch we were ready for the OMG activity where we discussed individual and group goals we wish to take back home with us!! Next up was host families where we were able to learn some Krobo and eventually lead us into the park. At the park we were able to play one final time with the kids before we had to say a heartbreaking goodbye. Luckily our spirits were lifted when we were able to dig into some charcoal grilled chicken, French fries, coconut rice, and fruit kebabs. After dinner we were ready to hit the runway where we walked out handmade outfits for everyone!! We then rounded out the night and weāre ready to sign off.
Bye yāall love Maddy and Evan!!