Time Capsule Letter
GLA Fam!!
We miss you guys here at home base! The baby kitten is nearly a teenager, Michael from school still comes around to say hello, and your staff are still just as nerdy as when you left them (hehe). But it’s missing all the relentless chatter, the late night card games of Egyptian rat screw and Golf, and the epic talent show spectacular that went down just towards the end of it all.
We hope you guys are adjusting well back at life in the states. Remember to cherish those ‘flushing toilet paper’ toilets, leggings and shorts, and obviously, that big ol’ Starbucks. Count your blessings y’all 😉 I hope you all look back on this experience with happiness, and I absolutely hope you all try and stay in touch with each other. Most importantly, share your experience, knowledge, and skills with a neighbor. Your knowledge plus action are power!
I’ve attached our One Meaningful Goal at the bottom of this capsule, and I hope it still resonates with you all. I believe in y’all. I know you can keep up with your personal and group goals, and I wish you all the best of luck! Have a happy rest of high school and a wonderful adventure in everything and all that you do <3
Some ‘never forgets’ for your Moshi 2 weeks:
- The unbelievable work you put in at the school. That building is still shining with fresh paint and those kiddos are bright and happy as ever
- Mama D’s famous chapati is waiting for you any time you’d like to come for a visit
- Those lizards that were for sure in each and every one of your rooms are also waiting patiently
- Don’t forget the Kili Wizard showdown circle where everyone dropped it low
- And absolutely, for surely, do not ever forget that YOU’RE DA BEST
Best in all you do,
Lena, Zack, Julie, Sarah, Siima, Siifa, and Agape
Click here to jump down to the most recent posts!
Saturday June 15, 2019
Arrival day began with the sounds of heavy rain, village roosters, and our hardworking staff scrubbing home base to a shine in preparation for the students’ arrival. Now, after weeks of international staff training and preparation, Moshi home base finally feels like home!! Our teenage world travelers are finally here, starting with a trickle of one student at midday, then another in the afternoon, then the rest in a tired but jovial bunch this evening.
After a quick call home to reassure their families back in the U.S. while still at the airport, the students were whisked here to Rau Village in Moshi, where our lovely kitchen staff greeted each student with a nourishing meal and warm smiles. After a brief rundown of their new home, the students were settled in with their roommates and the welcome rest of a comfy be. We’ve got an action-packed schedule in store for this lively bunch, and will dive into orientation head first tomorrow morning so we can get to the fun stiff, including visits with local host families tomorrow afternoon!!
Julie Aicheson – GLA International Director
Sunday June 16, 2019
Our first full day in Tanzania was an absolute blast!! We woke up to have a delicious meal, then had orientation for the first half of the day. After, we learned some basic Swahili, and sang songs while dancing (and laughing of course). For lunch, we split up and met with our host families who later gave us a tour of the town.
Seeing the town for the first time in daylight was so eye-opening. Everyone in the streets waved happily, and the children all had so much energy and excitement! Getting to spend time with the families was so impactful. We learned so much about their culture, and had so much fun exploring the town with these amazing people. My favourite part was walking on the bridges over the river! The mud made it a slippery walk down, but we all made it with huge smiles on our faces. We are all so excited for this trip, and I know it’s going to be incredible!
-Written by Nicole
Monday June 17, 2019
Hi everyone! Today was our first day working at the school. The children were just as excited to meet us as we were to meet them. After settling in at the school, we were given the opportunity to play with them during recess. I think I can speak for everyone when I say that that was the highlight of the day. All the kids are so much fun and full of energy. We played games and laughed before getting to work sanding the classrooms that we are working on. It’s a lot of work, but we are all enthusiastic about helping out.
After service, we took a trip to the market where we all picked out fabrics for a seamstress to make into different items. After a bit more souvenir shopping, we headed back to home base to eat dinner and hang out. We’re all super excited to start teaching tomorrow!
Tuesday June 18, 2019
Day 4 was full of wonderful experiences! We started the day by teaching our classes at the school for the first time. Grade 3 focused on learning their numbers, Grade 5 learned about the different between “while” and “when”, and Grade 6 focused on knowing when to use “who” and “whose”. After class, we had the chance to hang out with the kids as they played duck-duck-goose, danced, and taught us some of their own fun games. When their free time was over, we got to work and began painting the windowsills of the classrooms we are refurbishing.
After lunch we learned a lot about Tanzania’s culture. To begin the afternoon, a speaker came to talk to us about the education system in Tanzania. It allowed us to see a deeper look into the challenges faced by Tanzanians along with the differences between their schooling and American schooling. Then we visited a local coffee plantation where we observed the coffee making process from picking our own beans to drinking the beverage itself. On the plantation we also had the opportunity to dance and play instruments with some performers that showed us some of their cultural dances. Tonight we’re preparing for another day of excitement!
-Julia Hudson
Friday June 21, 2019
Hi everyone!
Today was another fun, packed day. It was our last day at the school for the week. 3rd grade continued to teach numbers, getting all the way up to 90. 5th grade played Simon Says after continuing to teach grammar. The 6th grade teachers taught the kids how to restructure sentences. They finished with teaching the kids Cotton-Eye-Joe.
For the service aspect of the morning, the students worked one step closer to completing the restoration of the classroom. The room is finally ready to paint. After a spicy lunch, we were bussed into the city where they bought snacks at a supermarket and spent some time at Internet cafe. At the Internet cafe, we ate ice cream and spent time on the slow WiFi. After returning to the home-base, the students heard from Uweza, the founder Experience Tanzania, about her inspiring life history.
-by Quinn and Jasper
Sunday June 23, 2019
Hello Everyone,
Today was an early morning for the GLA students. We woke up at 5:00am for our toast, crepes, and eggs breakfast at the lodge. Right after we left for our trip to the Ngorongoro Crater for our second day safari ride of the weekend. We saw various animals in their natural habitats. Experiencing lions fighting, rhinos grazing, and hippos protecting their babies in the pond. T
he trip was not only exhilarating but a once in a lifetime experience. We stopped at a rest center with a view of the pond for a delicious lunch packed by the chefs at the lodge. Then we headed out for our 5 hour drive back to the home base. On the way we stopped at a gift shop where we had the opportunity to buy some more souvenirs to bring back home.
Dear GLA parents,
WE ARE THE BEST!
Today, we woke up and ate breakfast at 7:30, before reviewing our lesson plans for our classes and heading to the school. We taught in grades three, five, and six discussing different topics such as days of the week, vocabulary, and reading comprehension. After class ended, we were able to go to recess with the kids and play games like soccer and patty cake, then we said goodbye so we could work on painting the classroom that we have been renovating.
After we returned to the base, we ate lunch and had a guest speaker join us to talk about tribal traditions on female genital mutilation. We were able to ask questions and afterwards, we had the opportunity to purchase goods to benefit girls in such tribes. Later in the evening, we also got to experience a Wizard Dance in which we first watched people dance and play drums before having them teach us a dance. We walked to the base for dinner and played Mafia before having free time and lights out.
