Ghana: Children of Africa Program for Teens

Ghana is not called the heart and soul of Africa for no reason. I have never felt so welcomed and so automatically loved anywhere else. While I was in Ghana, I would get at least 10 loving hugs, 20 energetic hugs, and a whole lot of big, bright smiles every day. Every time I walked down the street I would hear people yelling hello or "Abruno!," which means "White Person" in Korobo. Walking down the streets made me feel almost famous! They value our help so much and every chance they get they say thank you, but I should really be the one thanking them.

Traveling with GLA this past summer was honestly one of the most amazing things I could have done with my time. The two weeks I spent in Ghana were absolutely life changing. I made some amazing friends and experienced something that can't fully be explained by words. The food was amazing, the people were amazing, and never in a million years did I think I would fall so hard in love with Africa. I highly recommend this program to any teenager looking to make an impact and see what life is like outside of the US.

This summer, I went to Krobo in Ghana with Global Leadership Adventures and it was absolutely amazing. We spent most of our time with the children, whether we were building bricks, teaching, or playing with them. We immersed ourselves into the culture right away. We were able to try all of the traditional foods, dances, and even the local language Krobo. They took us to the market where we were able to shop for our own fabrics that we had tailored into clothes. I learned so much on the trip. In the afternoons, after teaching in the morning and before we went to play with the children, we would learn about Ghana and how we could continue our service. We participated in leadership activities about privilege and how we could better the world. At the park, where we played with the children, we always seemed to have the best of times. We would play and laugh with the kids. They would all come meet us at HomeBase and walk with us to the Park. We brought fun toys and games like bubbles, soccer balls, and other things. When we taught in the mornings, the children were eager to learn, and our mentors helped prepare for our days in the classroom. We also had a chance to eave the community and go explore Ghana. We went hiking and to a beach club which was really cool. I honestly loved volunteering in Ghana so much and would go back in a heartbeat. I recommend this program to anyone who is interested, and those who are not should reconsider it because it changed my perspective on the world.

This summer, I travelled with Global Leadership Adventures to Anloga, Ghana with the Children of Africa program. It was honestly the most amazing experience I've ever had. What made the program so great was the perfect balance between service, cultural learning, reflection, and free time. In the mornings, we would break into our two "mentor groups" and visit separate schools. There, we made bricks that would go towards building a new classroom for kindergarteners and we also taught the students. Teaching was a completely new experience for me. We taught the same class of students everyday which was helpful because we were able to begin building relationships with them. It was difficult at first to figure out how to approach it, but we were all partnered with another GLA student, so we learned how to work together. The teaching was definitely one of my favorite things that we got to do in Ghana. In the afternoons, we did different activities everyday. Sometimes we visited local chiefs, or went shopping in street markets. We bought traditional fabric and had extremely talented seamstresses sew clothing for us. Other times, we had leadership workshops lead by the mentors that helped us reflect on our activities. When we had free time, there was no shortage of fun to be had with the local children who came running from school to hang out with us. The GLA staff was incredible and they were always there when we needed them. There was no time where I felt unsafe in Ghana. It was very cool to have Ghanaian staff working on the program because it gave us more of an inside view. Overall, this experience inspired me to learn more about global issues and different cultures around the world. Everyone we met was extremely welcoming and glad we were there to experience Ghana.

I truly wish there were words to adequately describe just how incredible my 3 week trip to Ghana was. It was without a doubt the best 21 days of my life. The experience will change students more than they could ever imagine and they will without a doubt never be the same.

My expectations going into the trip were extremely high, but they were more than surpassed. Everything about it was seemingly perfect - the service (teaching & building bricks), cultural activities, housing, food, and workshops. The relationships built are lifelong relationships- the mentors were insightful and more personable than I can describe and the bonds formed with them and especially with the other students are unique in the best way possible. Our group became a family very quickly and to this day they are still some of my greatest friends.

I cannot emphasize enough how highly I would recommend a GLA trip. The growth that takes place inside of every single person is unimaginable until one actually experiences it. Every high school student NEEDS this experience (although they might not realize it beforehand).

I had the time of my life in Ghana this summer building an eco-compost toilet for one of the local villages! I came home wanting to go back and I truly miss it every day. The lively spirit and the welcoming nature brought a smile to my face every single day that I was there and I made the most incredible friends of whom I still talk to all the time! If I could have spent my entire summer in Ghana I definetely would have and I hope to return next summer, as do some of the students from my trip! Everywere you go when you leave the home base you recieve warm welcomes and I have never felt so happy to be somewhere. I found wholesome comfort in a situation where I least expected it and I truly wake up every morning wanting to be back. We learned the local language there, "Ewe" and picked it up pretty fast so that we could communicate with all of the kids and people outside the village, which I thought was so important. Coming back to America and knowing the basics of Ewe after two weeks felt incredible and I was so excted to teach some of it to my family. The part of this trip that meant the most to me though was how much I was contributing to a community. You get to meet the people and play with the kids of which will be benefitted by his toilet for decades. I think before going on this trip I knew that public health was a huge issue, but seeing it firsthand absolutely changed my life and I plan to actually study public health and work on projects similar to this in my future. This was the most incedible experience of my life and everyone around me can see the change it made in my life. I hope everyone who is considering going on this trip next year goes for it- you'll be so happy you did!

I went to Ghana this summer on the children of Africa program. I was there for three weeks. Those three weeks couldn't have been any better. The cost is completely worth it, the things you see and things you get to do are a priceless experience. I have traveled a lot but no trip has stuck to me like this one. It has opened my eyes so much to what I can do and has really helped me in deciding my future.

I was a part of the Children of Africa program in Ghana with GLA this past summer, and I can honestly say this program was exactly what I was looking for. Both the local and international staff made our well-being their top priority, and were incredibly caring to every student. We were broken up into personalized "mentor groups" to process our experience, undergoing many reflective leadership and teambuilding activities to supplement our service projects in primary schools and the local clinic. Mentors became our friends, our role models, and our educators, and their guidance through this eye opening experience is something I can't write enough praise about. This was not the typical "high school travel" program; everyone came with a purpose, and we were able to come together to work towards a beautiful goal as a family. We were able to live WITH the people in the middle of a community, rather than just being ambiguous American volunteers detached from the local people. I never once felt unsafe or worried while in Ghana; GLA made sure all of the students felt comfortable when embarking on this off the map experience in a developing country. I can't say enough about how much I fell in love with Ghana and our little community in Anloga. Going on this journey is something every teenager should do if they have the chance to. While these types of teen service experiences are offered by many programs, GLA Ghana shows excellence in responsible voluntourism for high schoolers, working with the community to make a difference in some small way by educating students in development work and Ghanaian culture. This program is incredible, and GLA helps you every step of the way. I could say so much more about the program and my unforgettable memories, but every single student will take away something different and indescribably special from this experience on their own. If anyone has any questions, check out the GLA Ghana Facebook page to get in touch with alumni like me and see all the wonderful resources GLA makes available. Thank you!