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 JUNE 21
Dear GLA Ghana: Children of Africa Families,
Hello – We are so glad all students have arrived!! Today we got settled into our beautiful hilltop homebase in Asitey, Odumasi Krobo, Ghana. We will be busy over the next days with orientation, getting sized for Ghanaian clothes in the local style, touring the village and schools, meeting the students and teachers, and a bonfire welcome on day three.
Next we delve into teaching and construction work at several local schools, working on leveling new floor areas that will be covered with smooth cement. Over the next weeks we will also hike around the Boti Waterfall, make local cedi beads, make our own batik fabric, organize after school activities with the local schools every afternoon, and generally participate with local activities at homebase and in town. An exciting schedule!
Student leaders of the day will be writing a blog post every one to two days to keep you updated about all the great things they have been up to. Our schedule is packed so besides the blog we won’t be on our phones very often. We truly hope the students enjoy a break from their phones and fully immerse themselves into the life and culture of our Ghanaian village.
We have 6 staff directly with the students, plus the support of our very experienced homebase staff for cooking and cleaning, plus Aba (local administrator and chef) and Nana Ama, a local teacher and long time mentor to GLA, and of course the 24/7 support of the office staff. We look forward to a great program. Keep your eyes open for the first student blog!
Best,
Clint, Henry, Avi, Jose Luis, Lartey and Mary
BLOG POST FOR JUNE 23
Day 3: Village Tour
We started off the day with a filling breakfast and then headed down the hill to the first school. It was a private school with grades 1-5, where the kids greeted us with joy. After touring the classrooms and playing in the courtyard we headed back towards Asitey where we went to the next school. This location is where we will be doing construction for the next few days. After that, we made our way to the third school, which is public with grades 1-6 on the primary side. Again, we toured the classrooms and hung out with all the students who were very welcoming and excited to see us.
Back at home base, we had a delicious lunch which consisted of a traditional Ghanaian dish called “Red-Red”. This dish a stew with black eyed peas, tomato sauce, a mix of vegetables, and can be eaten with rice or “Garri” which is a local grain. Afterwards we learned about cultural fabric designs and slippers. The seamstress took our measurements and we got the opportunity to choose the style of clothing and traditional fabrics for ourselves.
After a rainy afternoon, we headed down to Asitey Park where we enjoyed the company of the children and got to play many different games. Next, we had a scrumptious dinner. Shortly after, we gathered outside for our bonfire night with traditional songs, dances, and popcorn (of course)!
Today was an eventful day where we learned, collaborated, and celebrated. We are looking forward to our future endeavors for the next two weeks here in Ghana!
Safiya, Anastasiia, and Matthew
BLOG POST FOR JUNE 24
Today we started with a good breakfast to fuel for our first day of service. During service we helped fill in the 3rd section of a floor for the small village pre-school. We shoveled and helped pat the floor down for a stable learning space.
After our hard work we went back to home base and had lunch. We had Clint’s favorite, peanut butter soup with rice balls, and ate it with our hands! We all enjoyed it. After lunch we washed corn to bring to our host familys. We learned some Krobo words and phrases at our host families house, and some of us some songs. After learning we played in the grass area near homebase with the local kids who were very excited to see us again.
After dinner we dressed up in traditional krobo clothing for our naming ceremony where we all got our own names that we will use for the rest of the trip with the kids. We danced and sung songs with Papa Henry.
Lila, Jana, Alhasan
BLOG POST FOR JUNE 25
Today was the first full morning of teaching! We started off the morning with the group splitting in two and heading to both the Edmon School and the Primary School. The Primary School students participated in construction work and then moved on to teaching! We introduced ourselves to the classes and geared up for a fun filled next few days! Everyone came back from the morning with smiles on our faces and lots of stories to share.
After lunch, the students split up into 6 groups and headed to the local market. With a competition of who could get the freshest ingredients at the lowest prices, we all learned the art of bargaining in another language. Lartey, one of our mentors, gave us a lesson in Krobo and we used a few phrases to get our way through the market streets. At the end of the day, Team 1 was awarded the victory in the competition!
Lastly, we ended our night with a Krobo history with Papa Henry. Some highlights include learning about Krobo Mountain, the Dipo Ceremony and some fun facts about Ghana. We also learned the traditional Dipo dancing and all of us attempted to do the moves! Thanks to all of the kitchen staff and Papa Henry for a fun learning experience!
Sloan, Ghalia and Suriya
BLOG POST FOR JUNE 26
Today, some people woke up early to go see the sunrise and do yoga on the top of the house. It was very fun. Then, for breakfast, we had cereal, pancakes, eggs that were sooo good, and fruit!
Private school teachers and public school teachers split up to go teach their classes. We all had a very productive day at the schools!
In the public school, we used cement to help build a floor for the junior high school and then started our first day of teaching, which overall, for everyone, went very well.
For lunch, we had saffron rice and beef stew, which was also amazing! Then we had a rest hour and mentor groups—someone got a haircut!!!!!!!!!!
After that, we played at the park with the children before a sudden storm blew in. We lost power for a while. For dinner we had noodles and fried chicken with tangerines by “candlelight” (flashlights and glow sticks). We made the most of the power being out and played a game to get to know each other better, and the power came back while we were playing.
Overall, we had a very fun and joyful day in Krobo.
Carson, Kamren, Emy
BLOG POST FOR JUNE 27
Today we kicked off our day a bit later than usual to be rested for the hike, enjoying a relaxed breakfast at 8:30 AM. On the menu were some delicious, sweet donuts paired with fresh, oranges. Once everyone was fueled up and ready, we loaded into the bus and set off on our adventure: the breathtaking Boti Falls hike. The falls are from the Ponmpon River in the Huhunya forest reserve.
The journey to the trailhead took about 90 minutes by bus, winding through bumpy roads. Our incredible bus drivers navigated it all smoothly, keeping us on track. When we arrived, we began our ascent into the Boti Mountains. The trail led us alongside flowing rivers and through lush, green forest and cool rocks and caves and a little wooden ridge over a stream. The hike itself was tough, we trekked about four miles over steep, rocky paths that challenged us with their vertical climbs and rugged terrain. But we powered through, encouraging each other as we made our way up.
At the end of the trail, We were greeted by the stunning sight of a triple palm tree, the history of which was explained by our guide. It was a great photo opportunity, and we made sure to capture the moment before beginning our descent back down the mountain.
After our demanding hike, we were treated to an amazing view of the Koti waterfall. The sight of the water made the entire hike feel worth it. Once we had taken pictures and seen the sight we made our way back to our designated eating area, where the kitchen staff had prepared a delicious lunch of rice and chicken.
When we returned to home base, we didn’t rest for long. In the afternoon, we headed out to the local park where we got to spend time playing with the kids— a highlight of our day!
Later that evening, we made our way back to home base once again, just in time for a dinner of fried anago, which are sweet potato fries, along with Kelewele and gizzard sauce, and fresh watermelon for desert.
We ended the night on a fun note, gathering in our mentor groups for some reflection and conversation. Afterward, we all came together to enjoy a cozy movie night of Black Panther. It was a great way to wrap ip the day together.
Thank you.
Leaders of the day Celia, Grace, and Dylan
BLOG POST FOR JUNE 28
We started off the day with toast, eggs, and tuna sandwiches for breakfast then we went to a bead factory to learn about the Krobo bead traditions. We got to see local bead craftsman make beads and then we made our own. We then had the opportunity to shop for souvenirs. Next, we had lunch at the bead factory and we worked on our dance that we will be performing to the local kids in a few days.
We then proceeded to go to our host families who taught us Krobo and taught us the song which we will be singing at the local church tomorrow. After that, we headed to the park to play with the local kids. As the sun set, we headed back to home base to shower and have dinner. Lastly, we welcomed cultural dancers who performed a show consisting of local Krobo dances and we had the opportunity to join in.
-Abbie, Reagan, & Charlotte
BLOG POST FOR JUNE 29
Sunday Funday! This morning, we had an earlier start to make it to the local church service. We joined the community in celebration of gratefulness and unity. We presented our Krobo names to the community and performed the Krobo songs that our host families taught us. A small group went to visit the local catholic church, then everyone had time for a mid program organization session. Then we lesson planned for the week ahead.
After lunch, we prepared for a special GLA activity to take place in the evening. Then we practiced our group dance, which we are preparing for the children! We have made much progress since yesterday! After that, we learned how to make Batik fabrics by an expert family. This involved dipping a stamp in hot wax, stamping it on the plain fabric, then placing it in a colored dye to make a beautiful, intricate design unique to Ghana. We headed to the park where any passerby could see soccer games, handshakes, dances, hair-braiding, and laughter taking place.
We returned to homebase for dinner, then held a debate, in which teams representing an international company, local representatives, the youth, social/environmental advocates, and the national government, debated whether a a big foreign shopping center- we decided it could be a Walmart- should be built in Krobo, and the pros and cons of every side. The students were passionate about their assigned roles, and their enthusiasm was demonstrated in every remark. In the end, the government voiced their stipulations, and Walmart concluded that they would not be building in Krobo. We finished with Lartey giving us his local view and advice on how to improve our negotiation skills. We all learned a valuable lesson about compromise and teamwork!!
Carola, Etta, and Jackson
BLOG POST FOR JUNE 30
We woke up at 7 AM, ready to start the day. For breakfast, we had spring rolls and fresh fruit—honestly, it was so good. After eating, we split into two groups. Half of us went to the private school, and the other half went to the public school. At the public school, we worked on creating concrete and flooring for their facilities. It was some hands-on, practical work, and it felt really rewarding to be contributing something meaningful to the local community. After that, we all headed to our respective classes for the day to teach our lessons.
Afternoon:
By the time we got back to the home base, it was lunch. We had a delicious palm nut stew with rice and a few other sides. It was such a unique and cultural experience! After lunch, since our usual host family kids had a special class, we headed to the park and had fun with the rest of the kids. We played some organized games, took a bunch of photos, and just had a blast. It was a nice break and a chance to relax. When we got back home, we all took showers to freshen up before dinner.
Evening:
Dinner was another treat—an egg and yam quiche and stew. It was so delicious after a busy day. After eating, we gathered into our mentor groups, and things got pretty competitive. We split into 6 groups making 3 teams and competed in an “Olympics” to see which team was the best. We played a variety of games, like tug-of-war, song lyrics/singing, trivia, and two-legged races. After a series of really close events, Jose Luis’s group totally dominated in trivia. They were on fire and ended up winning, although Avi’s group came in a close second. Mary’s group, even though they didn’t win, definitely brought the spirit. We all had a blast! After a long day, we finally settled in for the night, but it was totally worth it—so much fun!
Tom, Chatham, and Barnaby
BLOG POST FOR JULY 1
Today, we all woke up bright and early to a yummy breakfast of fried eggs and toast. After that, we walked to the school service sites for our second to last day of service. The public school teachers started with an hour of construction and then an hour of teaching, and the private school teachers went right into teaching.
After we got back, we tried a delicious traditional African dish of Waakye, which consisted of boiled eggs, tomato sauce, spaghetti, and purple rice with hibiscus. Then, we tried on the clothes we purchased with traditional fabrics and made modifications to them with the tailor and seamstress (she brought her sewing machine!). Soon after, we practiced our dance for the kids and we all split into mentor groups and had heart to heart conversations- and got to know each other even better.
After that, we went to the park, and had so much fun with the kids as we usually do! Then, we had a filling dinner and got excited for the dance off with the kids. We all gathered in the front lawn to watch the local kid’s dance performance! They performed three songs for us and then room by room we went up to dance with them. Then, we presented our dance, to the song Starships, and we had a blast. The local kids joined us to learn and we all danced the night away.
-Ireland, Leah, and Maya
BLOG POST FOR JULY 2 & 3
The last two days have been busy with last construction and classes, and many happy and tearful farewells. We also visited a swimming area on the Volta river and finally had some time to get several volleyball games going in the town park and at the river, which was a lot of fun. And a little river cruise on the Volta river as well!
BLOG POST FOR JULY 4
After a final evening of packing and reflection on our time in Asitey, everyone headed to Accra, some for morning flights, some for a market visit first. Some last memories to share!
