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 23
Welcome to the second session of the Ghana – Children of Africa blog!
We welcomed 29 students to at Kotoka airport for arrival day on Thursday, July 23rd. The group arrived at home base with smiling faces and open arms of local staff waiting for them. We spent the day settling in, getting to know each other and starting to try the local food. We are still waiting on two students to join us for the group to be complete.
Some local kids, eager to meet the new group, came to home base to play games and get to know each other. Our GLA students very quickly bonded with the local kids and spent a good chunk of the afternoon playing outside.
Today we had orientation to go over the expectations for the program. We did icebreakers and name games to get to know one another more and the group is quickly bonding with each other. We went on a walk through the village and made it to Asitey Park to have an afternoon with the local kids playing games and forming connections.
The students are excited to spend more time with the kids and teach them during service! We are looking forward to the next two weeks and for our last two students to join us. We will have leaders of the day starting tomorrow and they will update the blog every other day.
BLOG POST FOR JULY 26
We started our day by waking up at 8:00 AM in Ghana, excited for the adventure ahead. After getting ready and packing everything we needed, we loaded the bus at 9:30 AM with all of our friends. Everyone was excited and full of energy as we started our journey. During the bus ride, we listened to a ton of music, sang along to our favorite songs, and enjoyed laughing and spending time together.
When we arrived at Boti Falls, we began our hike and were amazed by the beautiful views surrounding us. The scenery was breathtaking, and the hike was such a fun experience. After reaching the waterfall, we enjoyed the peaceful atmosphere, listened to the sound of the rushing water, and took lots of pictures with our friends to capture the memories. The waterfall was one of the most beautiful places we visited, and the views were incredible. After exploring Boti Falls, we got back on the bus and continued the fun by singing songs and enjoying the ride back. When we returned, we relaxed and chilled with our friends, sharing stories and talking about all the amazing moments from the day.
When we got back; We ate dinner where we separated from just boys and girls and had good conversations and ate a good meal. After we had mentor meeting where we talked about our main core leadership values and had a good conversation about it.
Kole, Anne, Dasha
BLOG POST FOR JULY 27
Today was our first day of service at the school!! We woke up bright and early to have breakfast and head to the service site around 9. Once we arrived, we worked in teams to scrape paint, sand, and prime the walls for tomorrow’s painting. Then we changed our (very dirty) clothes and got to our classrooms to introduce ourselves as teachers for the first time!! Despite some initial challenges, we all rose to the occasion to garner excitement from our students.
Then, we headed back to Home Base for some traditional peanut butter soup and rice balls…delicious!!
This afternoon, our group came together to choose a song and organize the groups for our dance at the end of the program. Everyone shared ideas, and it was fun to see our creativity come together as we planned for the performance. The process brought us closer as a team through collaboration, laughter, and encouragement. Afterward, we walked to the local school park and spent the afternoon playing with the children. We talked, played games, and enjoyed getting to know them even more. Even though we come from different backgrounds, it was amazing to see how kindness and play can bring people together. It was a simple but meaningful afternoon that left us with lots of memories to remember.
Last night, we had the incredible opportunity to take part in a traditional Ghanaian naming ceremony. Each of us was given a Ghanaian name and learned about the meaning and cultural significance behind this important tradition. It was a truly memorable experience that deepened our understanding of Ghanaian culture and customs. We ended the evening celebrating together with music, dancing, and plenty of smiles.
Emma H, Jaclyn, grayer
BLOG POST FOR JULY 28
In the morning we started our day with a delicious breakfast before heading out to service. At the school we started first by plastering the walls and filling in all cracks. Then once we were finished we headed over to the schools where we taught a variety of ages a bunch of different subjects including math, English, and science!!!
After our classes we went to our home base, where we had lunch, which was a typical Ghanaian soup based on beans. We ended eating and started plannig our lessons for the next day, after that, we meeted our hosts familys, where they teached more Krobo. It was very niece to know more about this incredible culture, that lives here in Ghana for so long.
We all gathered in Asitey park for another evening of playing with the kids! We got the opportunity to continue developing our connections with the little ones while meeting new friends. We played all sorts of games with both eachother and the children, and we were lucky enough to be fully welcomed and loved by them for hours of fun. We then came back for dinner, eating delicious Ghanaian food, and having conversations. Lastly, we ended the night in our mentorship groups, playing a game that allowed us to learn more about one another and bond in new ways.
Owen, Henry, Eleanor
BLOG POST FOR JULY 29
We woke up and went to breakfast at 8. We had eggs, rice water, and cereal. Then we headed to the local public school for service, where we painted the exterior walls white. After that, we met our students in their classrooms and taught them English, math, and science for about two hours. Once we finished teaching, we headed back to home base and chilled before lunch.
After a great lunch, we prepared to head to the market in order for some grandeur competition. Each team had a list of different ingredients to bargain for at the market with only 100 Cedis. At the end we competed for the best produce, graded on freshness, presentation and communication. Since it rained heavily, we didn’t have time for the park.
After the market, we came back and competed for who did the best. In the end group six won. Then after we ate dinner which Was french fries and charcoal grilled chicken. After dinner the power went out and we had a little party with music and dancing to end the Day.
Griffin, Lucinda, Samuel
BLOG POST FOR JULY 30
On day 8 of the program, the team had extra energy and brought their very best this morning for service. Groups gave their all to finish the painting portion of this week’s service. With a strong start to our morning, we continued into our classes, giving not only the gift of knowledge to our students but also joy.
In the afternoon, we had lunch, then we prepared for the classrooms, then we practiced the waka waka dance, then we spent time with the host families, then we headed to the park, and finally, we went back home.
This evening, we ate dinner and had a cultural dance. We had professional dancers and watched them do their cultural dances. They also taught us their dances and danced together in a large group. It was a very fun and enjoyable cultural learning experience. Overall, it was a not only an eventful, exciting night; it was also a very informative and interesting night that taught us about Ghanaian traditional culture and dances.
David, Michael, Ryan
As the leader of the day, during my time volunteering as a teacher in Ghana, I helped teach children both English and math. In English lessons, we focused on basic grammar, like identifying and using nouns and adjectives through sentences. In math, I taught students addition, subtraction, multiplication for negative numbers. Teaching the kids in Africa was truly a pleasure because it reminded me that, even though many of them have so little, they are so grateful for everything. Seeing them so happy with the little things in life brought me so much happiness
BLOG POST FOR JULY 31
As one of the leaders of the day, I traveled along with the group as we taught the children as their teachers/mentors and then we drove to the bead factory. As it was the highlight of my day, we learned about how the beads were made: through fermentation, cooling, heating, and breaking of glass bottles that have been preserved. As a leader, I paid close attention to the processes and after the drive, some of us went to the park to play volleyball & have fun with the other kids! As a leader I made sure to make the most of my time, day and night.
For dinner, we had stir-fried macaroni with beef and sausage, followed by mango for fruit. At night, we watched a movie together using a projector. While the movie played, some people sat off to the side playing cards. Others spent the time braiding each other’s hair. It ended up being a pretty relaxed night with a mix of different things going on at once.
Bruno, Mogos, Semiloore
BLOG POST FOR AUGUST 1
In the morning, we woke up for breakfast. The food was smelled really delicious. There were eggs, pancakes, oatmeal, and many other breakfast options. After breakfast, everybody came together and we did dance prep, we practiced for almost 2 hours. Emotions ran high, and people were collaborating to fix the dance before we had the performance later on that night. After dance prep, we went to the movie room, and John gave us a little speech on our goals in life. The speech really inspired and motivated us to do better and actually start planning for our lives now.
In the afternoon, we all walked to the park near the house to spend time with the children in the community. Once we arrived, everyone split into groups and participated in a variety of fun outdoor games. Some groups played an exciting game of World Cup, while others enjoyed classics like Duck Duck Goose. The activities gave everyone a chance to stay active, laugh together, and build friendships with the kids. It was a fun and memorable afternoon filled with teamwork, energy, and smiles.
Dinner came first as we got ready for the big dance night, dressing in blue or white for our teams before Nana Ama hyped up the kids with a big introduction.
The green team opened with their dance: they’d spent two weeks cooking and working behind the scenes for us. Next came the Krobo dance team, and I spotted some of the kids I’d been teaching among them, which was a fun surprise. We joined in, moving room to room with the dance leaders.
Then it was our turn. Waka Waka came on and the kids went wild — our two groups performed before everything merged into the local music, bringing kids, staff, and the Krobo dance team together.
That night capped off everything we’d prepared for over the past week and a half. We showered and headed to bed after a long day.
Killian Julian and Michelle
BLOG POST FOR AUGUST 2
In the morning, we ate sausages and oatmeal. Then, later on, we went to church for cultural immersion. It was very ecstatic. We then performed a song that we have been practicing with our host families and sang happy birthday to the pastor. We danced around in a circle and presented our Krobo names to the community. Then, we had beans and rice for lunch.
Today was another great day filled with new experiences and opportunities to learn about Ghanaian culture. For lunch, we enjoyed a delicious traditional dish of beans and rice before taking part in a batik workshop, where we learnt about the process of fabric making and had the chance to create our own designs. We were fortunate enough to choose our own colours and patterns, making each piece unique while gaining a greater appreciation for this important craft. Later, we spent time with the children as usual, getting involved in activities such as American football, soccer and games that they taught us. These moments have been a highlight of our time here, allowing us to continue building strong connections and friendships with the children while sharing experiences and having fun together.
After we played with the kids everyone ran downstairs to have a delicious dinner of fries, charcoal grilled chicken, and oranges we got from the market. After dinner henry gave us a talk about how we can donate to the community. He told us that we can leave or send clothes, shoes, towels, and more. after we all showered and got ready for bed. In the movie room people watched interstellar while others hung out downstairs talking and playing poker. Then, everyone went to bed after a day packed of fun.
Emi, Sofia, Angelina
