"Life in the Townships" By: Elyse Hart

I just spent the night in a slum in South Africa…well there’s a sentence I never thought I’d say! Cape Town is a gorgeous city with a mix of European charm, the New Orleans’ Bourbon Street scene, and the Miami South Beach style, not to mention to buzz and excitement surrounding the World Cup. Not too far away, however, are the townships (the politically correct term) and people who live on less than $1 a day. Most people, especially Americans, could come to Cape Town and only pass by the townships on their way to the beach from the airport. We, however, didn’t just see the townships- we LIVED it. When Courtney and Garrett first told us we’d be spending the night with a family in a townships, I first thought they had to be kidding. The townships? As in the tin-roofed shacks? No thank you! Well, as we rolled into the township, Sir Lowry’s Pass, the appearance was definitely what I expected. I was SO nervous! But immediately when we got off the bus, the children ran up to us and hugged us. Their genuine and open love really touched my heart, and I instantly was excited. During the day, we got to hang out and dance with the kids, and I really bonded with a 15-year-old girl named Anje. We talked about everything from school to boys to family and friends, and it turns out we actually had a lot of the same opinions and morals. After spending time with the children and with our “mother,” Miss Susan, it quickly became apparent that poverty doesn’t define these people the way poverty does in America. Despite living on just $1 a day, they prioritized family and friends over wealth and status, which is definitely much more than most Americans can say. In 3 words: Faith, Family, and Friends. Those 3 things, what are valued most by the people in the townships, are what really matter the most in life.

"Big Surprise!" By: Sarah Proctor

Honestly, more has occurred in the past 24-hours of my life than in any other 24- hour period to date. Going from sitting in a conference room with about fifty other students, to Sir Lowry’s Pass (a township an hour away from Cape Town) with about 1500 other people was the most incredible experience of my life. Upon arrival, all of the kids from the community started running toward our bus. As I was stepping off the bus I was immediately greeted as a tiny, warm right hand met my left hand. The owner of this hand was Kaycee, a 9-yr. old little girl and lover of many in Sir Lowry’s Pass. I instantly fell in love with her. After chatting with her for a bit, she introduced me to her cousin. We spent the afternoon jumping rope (attempting double Dutch, but I’m HORRIBLE!!!! Haha), playing soccer, rugby, and dominos (a game I will NEVER understand). After we spent a few hours playing many games, Kaycee and her cousin took me to her house, which was quite far away from where everyone else was playing. I am not going to lie, there was a moment that I got scared. The sun was setting and I was very fearful for not only myself, but also for these two little girls whose hands I was holding. There we were, walking hand-in-hand “around the corner”, which was actually about a block and a half away from our big group, when I came upon the door to Kaycee’s house. She was SO excited to show me her house. They opened the door and I was welcomed with many bright smiles on the faces of Kaycee’s mother and her mother’s friends. After showing off her many accomplishments from school, which include a model of her shanty house and many medals for being one of the brightest students in her class, I was given the opportunity to learn how much of an impact we make with Global L.E.A.D. You see, last year, a student named Carter and two other girls stayed at Kaycee’s house. As I was speaking with Kaycee’s mom she asked me if ay of the students from last year were on our trip again. I explained to her that we are a whole new set of students, but we are just as excited as those from last year and she proceeded to pull out a box. I could tell that what was in the box meant a great deal to Kaycee’s mother and that what was kept inside was very dear to her heart. After opening the box she pulled out and flipped through a few photos to find one of all the girls that stayed with her last year as a part of Global L.E.A.D. In the picture was Carter, Kelly, and Kelly’s sister (I didn’t catch the name and I don’t know them already so if Kelly and her sister are reading this then it goes to you also). Kaycee’s mom asked if I knew any of the girls in the photograph. I said I knew of Carter (from UGA H.E.R.O.’s) and she asked me if she were to write a letter if I would deliver it to Carter? I said, “Of course, I’d love to.” What I took away from this experience the most is the realization that we, even in just one night, have such an impact on the lives of all the families we met in Sir Lowry’s Pass. I know that the students from last year made the impact that changed many kid's lives forever and I hope that we can make that impact this year. I can say that in just a few short hours that I spent with the families and with Kaycee’s family in particular I learned SO much about what it means to have a joyful heart, despite all odds, be thankful for what you DO have, and to love everyone-- No matter their background, economic status, or social status. Every single family in Sir Lowry’s Pass is looked after by others and is loved (even if the love doesn’t come from their own home). I CANNOT wait to go back tomorrow and see the kids and paint with Kaycee!!! I love it here and I honestly wish that everyone reading our blog could be here to experience this with us. It is truly a once in a lifetime event that I can’t wait to come home and tell everyone about!

My Life in 3 words: "MEMORIES ALWAYS LAST"

"I Like Kids!" By: Bridget Altman

Well mom, you’ll be proud of me. Not only did I successfully live off of a dollar a day, but I loved it and now I love kids too.

I have always had a soft spot in my heart for animals. Any kind of animal would make me smile and I would always try to play with them. My parents worried that I only liked animals and I seemed to be uncomfortable around kids. In fact, that’s true. I used to really not like kids. They always cry and have runny noses and try to touch things. I would never know what to say to them or how to act around them. With animals, its easy, you just give them attention and they seem happy (for the most part).

However, after my experience spending the night in Sir Lowry’s Pass with all of the children in the township, I have a whole new appreciation and love towards children. From the very first second I stepped off of the bus, all of the kids ran up to me and gave me hugs. Their smiles were so big you couldn’t help but genuinely smile right back. I truly believe it was one of the happiest state of minds I have ever been in. There was just so much positive energy being emitted because the kids just needed love. All they needed was someone to listen to their stories, hear them sing their songs, watch them dance and even to learn their games. I had so much fun playing hand games with this girl Daniella who knit her own hat. She also sang me songs with some of her friends and went out of her way to introduce me to her friends and include me in her jump rope, circle games and everything she does. She only wanted me to give her hugs and piggy back rides. Now all I want to do is go back to Sir Lowry’s Pass and play with Daniella and her friends!!

See mommy, happy now?

"Living By Giving" By: Stephanie Spinella

After a full night of dancing to Michael Jackson, sharing stories with our new family, and watching the epic saga of Mosquitoman, our overnight experience in the township had come to an end and the bus full of exhausted yet chipper Global Leaders was abuzz with stories from the night before. In our “Power of Giving” session, we learned of even more stories from last night, both funny and heart warming. Andrew shared some extremely colorful Afrikaner phrases he was taught and I can only describe Logan’s questionable story in three words: prize winning pigeons.

We also discussed what this experience meant to us and how it changed our perspective on giving and living. I think that the importance of family in these people’s lives was really inspiring to all of us. While at Veronica’s home, my group members and I met so many different people we weren’t exactly sure which children belonged to whom. They cared and loved for each member in the community and it was irrelevant to which specific family tree they belonged. As Garret put it, if you were to see a young eight-year-old girl holding a baby in the middle of the street in the United States it would be shocking to see, but here in Sir Lowry’s Pass, this is life.

It’s sometimes hard to think that the same exciting city that is hosting the 2010 FIFA World Cup is also a home to so much poverty. This experience was an eye opener in so many ways. Now when I hear of little children living in these conditions, I’ll now think of chubby cheeks baby Kelly, High School Musical fan Kay-Lee, or Samantha who wants to be a teacher when she grows up.

…And I swear I’m not making up Mosiqutoman. He exists!

"Hit the Jackpot!" By: Joy Dudley

Top 10 Memories of our “Surprise Sleepover” at Sir Lowry’s Pass:

1. watching the little boys do Michael Jackson dances and African soap operas on tv with the family
2. trying to learn some words in Africaans, learning “Bafana Bafana” hand game, and a game like jump rope with dancing and pieces of yarn
3. listening to Miss Anne’s stories and looking at pictures of their family
4. listening to two little girls sing along to all the words of High School Musical Songs
5. the many hugs and playing peek-a-boo with a precious little 3 year-old boy
6. Miss Anne’s faith and optimism: “Nothing is impossible”
7. Sleeping in a twin bed with Julie, listening to the pouring rain and being afraid the house was going to fall down, and waking up at 6 in the morning to kids staring over us
8. The experience showing us you can live off a dollar a day, and can be happy with just the bare necessities needed in life
9. how appreciative and sincere all the kids and adults were
10. The experience reminding us how important family is and how blessed we are...WE HIT JACKPOT
    

"First Full Day in Cape Town" By: Matt Groves

Today was my first full day in Cape Town, and the city is amazing. Our residence is high class and my roommates are awesome. After a light, palatable breakfast we took a bus tour of Cape Town and the nearby Lion’s Rump (mountaintop). Upon the mountain top we beheld an amazing panoramic view of the entire city and the booming coastline. After our tour I almost got run over by a car... now I know that here a stop light is known as a “robot” and that one must look to the RIGHT before the LEFT when crossing the street.

Life in three words: Castle, Forrester, Black-Label

"In My Hands" by Alexandra Koehn

Mark that off your list. 22 hours 52 minutes and twenty seconds traveled via three different planes. A man lighting a fire on the side of the road. Table Mountain dressed in a white tablecloth of fog. A huge donut-shaped stadium with a rainbow gracing the sky.

In flight. After a long day of flying, anything sounded better than sitting in a cooped up plane any longer. On the eight hour plane flight from Detroit to Amsterdam, I met a man who was born in England and had lived in Detroit, Germany, and several places around the world. He told me how he heard Cape Town was one of the most beautiful places in the world, yet I cease to remember his name. As the English-man opened up and began to converse with me, he told me that his first wife and I had the same birthday. I found this sort of odd, and wondered how many wives he’d had in the past…but I didn’t ask. English-man also managed to laugh at me for being excited about my first airplane meal. I guess karma got him back when he missed his next connection in Amsterdam while the crew and I sprinted to the opposite end of the airport to catch ours. On the eleven hour and thirty minute flight to Cape Town, I managed to read a hundred pages of The Last Song and of course enjoy a few good movies including James Cameron’s Avatar. “Crack, crack, boom.” Although the plane made quite a unique landing sound, we made it.

Landed. I lugged my bag into my apartment, showered, hopped into bed, set my alarm for 8:30am local time, and woke up in time for breakfast. After a speedy orientation, one hundred and four of us hopped into tour buses and headed to the waterfront. On the way I noticed a man on the side of the highway who was burning some small papers and trying to cook maybe his first and last meal of the day. In that second, my mind wandered away as I thought about how blessed I am. It was unfathomable to me how the underprivileged people of this city dealt with their poverty stricken life.

The service week starts tomorrow and I can't wait to participate in the hands on service. As we continued to tour several different parts of Cape Town, I was especially disappointed that the rain and fog was covering the mountains. I hate rain. I wanted to see Lion’s Head and Table Mountain at their fullest. As we drove up Signal Hill to see a view of the Atlantic Ocean, the rain continued but I was too stubborn to stay in the bus. I got out (with my camera too) and began to take pictures. The second I walked to the side of the road to get a picture of the world cup stadium, the sun came out. In this moment I saw a rainbow. What a beautiful way to begin the trip.

"One Big Smile" by Allie Barlow

After the LONGEST trip of my life, approximately 25 hours or so, in case you were wondering, we finally made it to South Africa! After our orientation Monday morning, we went out on a tour of Cape Town. The best part of the day can be described in one word: Ishmael.

Ish was our tour guide, who is a local to Cape Town, the cab driver for our taxi service this month, and one absolutely hilarious dude. He showed us all the beautiful landmarks around Cape Town, taught us some history, pointed at all the “cool” places to go and eat, and cracked jokes left and right. He was completely full of life; his joyful spirit was spreading throughout the bus and as I looked around, everyone was happy.

At this sight, I realized that Ish is the epitome of how we all should be, not only on this trip, but everyday in life. I hope that the others saw what I saw in Ish, and I look forward to our adventures and learning experiences together; hoping that our joyful times and smiles rub off on each other throughout the trip.

-Allie Barlow

My life in 3 words: ONE BIG SMILE

"You Might Be..." by Tyler Biringer

You Might Be…

• Reading this if you got 9 gigs of internet
• An African waiter if you put 20 individuals on one tab
• Ishmael if you do a great Borat impression
• A Global LEAD employee if you’re not here today
• In apartment 1 if you can mess up a cheese pizza
• Wearing a tank top in the middle of winter
• 5,000 fans short every Saturday in the fall if you go to Auburn
• Blake Porche if you say weird things in your sleep

Diplomacy Week photos

Here are some photos of the students serving at a primary school and the Amy Biehl after school program in a local township!

Diplomacy Week photos

Here are some photos of the students serving at a primary school and the Amy Biehl after school program in a local township!

Our last bit of Cape Town

Our last bit of Cape Town

Diplomacy Week

We all loaded the buses heading for either a primary school or a high school. We were all excited about getting to interact with more children and to get to play with them. My community group went to a primary school. When we arrived we were told that the students were in the middle of exams and we were shown a room to sit in and wait. It gave us some time to ask a few questions to try to find out as much about the students and how we could be most effective in our short time. We were finally shown to the classroom of students that we would be working with and we all introduced ourselves. There were about eighty students sitting in the classroom eager to meet us. Next we took them outside and divided them up into two groups. We tried the human knot game and several others but it was hard to do with such a large group. We then told them to circle up so that everyone could take turns showing us a dance. All of the children loved this idea and before we knew it they had each of us in the center of the circle joining them.
We finally headed back into the classroom with the students. Once back inside we spent time answering some of their questions. A lot of them had questions about America and about of feelings about South Africa. We also asked several of the children what they wanted to be when they grew up. It was so exciting to hear all of the big dreams that they had for their futures. We tried to encourage them to stay in school and to not give up their dreams in order to make their dreams come true. We also asked the children who their role model was. Several of the children chose American celebrities but several children said their teachers. It showed how important these teachers are to these children and how much they look up to them. We explained to them a little about the Global L.E.A.D. program and several of the children thanked us for coming. The children all sang their national anthem for us and it sounded so beautiful that when they asked us to sing I was a little nervous. It finally came time for us to leave and as I was walking away from the school I realized that I may have come to the school thinking I could teach the children something but I definitely walked away having learned a lot from them.

-Anna Carroll

Diplomacy Week

We all loaded the buses heading for either a primary school or a high school. We were all excited about getting to interact with more children and to get to play with them. My community group went to a primary school. When we arrived we were told that the students were in the middle of exams and we were shown a room to sit in and wait. It gave us some time to ask a few questions to try to find out as much about the students and how we could be most effective in our short time. We were finally shown to the classroom of students that we would be working with and we all introduced ourselves. There were about eighty students sitting in the classroom eager to meet us. Next we took them outside and divided them up into two groups. We tried the human knot game and several others but it was hard to do with such a large group. We then told them to circle up so that everyone could take turns showing us a dance. All of the children loved this idea and before we knew it they had each of us in the center of the circle joining them.
We finally headed back into the classroom with the students. Once back inside we spent time answering some of their questions. A lot of them had questions about America and about of feelings about South Africa. We also asked several of the children what they wanted to be when they grew up. It was so exciting to hear all of the big dreams that they had for their futures. We tried to encourage them to stay in school and to not give up their dreams in order to make their dreams come true. We also asked the children who their role model was. Several of the children chose American celebrities but several children said their teachers. It showed how important these teachers are to these children and how much they look up to them. We explained to them a little about the Global L.E.A.D. program and several of the children thanked us for coming. The children all sang their national anthem for us and it sounded so beautiful that when they asked us to sing I was a little nervous. It finally came time for us to leave and as I was walking away from the school I realized that I may have come to the school thinking I could teach the children something but I definitely walked away having learned a lot from them.

-Anna Carroll

Diplomacy Week

We all loaded the buses heading for either a primary school or a high school. We were all excited about getting to interact with more children and to get to play with them. My community group went to a primary school. When we arrived we were told that the students were in the middle of exams and we were shown a room to sit in and wait. It gave us some time to ask a few questions to try to find out as much about the students and how we could be most effective in our short time. We were finally shown to the classroom of students that we would be working with and we all introduced ourselves. There were about eighty students sitting in the classroom eager to meet us. Next we took them outside and divided them up into two groups. We tried the human knot game and several others but it was hard to do with such a large group. We then told them to circle up so that everyone could take turns showing us a dance. All of the children loved this idea and before we knew it they had each of us in the center of the circle joining them.
We finally headed back into the classroom with the students. Once back inside we spent time answering some of their questions. A lot of them had questions about America and about of feelings about South Africa. We also asked several of the children what they wanted to be when they grew up. It was so exciting to hear all of the big dreams that they had for their futures. We tried to encourage them to stay in school and to not give up their dreams in order to make their dreams come true. We also asked the children who their role model was. Several of the children chose American celebrities but several children said their teachers. It showed how important these teachers are to these children and how much they look up to them. We explained to them a little about the Global L.E.A.D. program and several of the children thanked us for coming. The children all sang their national anthem for us and it sounded so beautiful that when they asked us to sing I was a little nervous. It finally came time for us to leave and as I was walking away from the school I realized that I may have come to the school thinking I could teach the children something but I definitely walked away having learned a lot from them.

-Anna Carroll

Our return to St. Lowry's Pass

Today goes down as one of my favorite days in Cape Town! The weather was perfect; there was not a cloud in the sky, and we were able to wear shorts and flip-flops. Our group was going back to Sir Lowry’s Pass, the township where we spent the infamous twenty-four hours. We were going to spend the afternoon in the township and cook our families lunch. It was exciting to be a part of a service project where you got to see the people you connected with for a second time. Everyone on the bus was reminiscing about each township family, and we were all anxious to see what they had been up to since our last visit. Right as I stepped off the bus, my mom, Cheryl, met me with a big hug and smile. The moms and kids in front of the school were so excited to see us again! I asked Cheryl how her son, Duncan, did on his drawing test that he had taken the morning after our first visit, and she was interested about the details of our trip to Kruger National Park. It was just like catching up with old friends. Duncan and Candy, Cheryl’s oldest daughter, were at home waiting for us, and when they saw our bags filled with ingredients for tacos, they told us they had never eaten them before. They were such a hit; and the cookies that Meghan made after were even more of a hit!
After lunch, we walked with all of the kids to the rugby field past the train tracks. Pictures don’t do this scenery justice. The kids get to play underneath the shadow of Cape Town’s Table Mountain everyday, and seeing all of the kids running back and forth across this landscape gave me great peace at that moment.
At about four o’clock, it was time to go. Everyone took his or her time saying goodbye, not wanting to take the first step onto the bus. We knew this would be the last time, at least on this trip, that we would see our township families. Cheryl gave us her contact information, and the five of us students waved at her through the bus window until we couldn’t see her face any longer.
The service aspect of Global LEAD came alive for a lot of us today. We are making relationships here, and the people we met in Sir Lowry’s Pass are moms, husbands, sons, and daughters that we will remember for the rest of our lives.

-Caroline Dwight

Our return to St. Lowry's Pass

Today goes down as one of my favorite days in Cape Town! The weather was perfect; there was not a cloud in the sky, and we were able to wear shorts and flip-flops. Our group was going back to Sir Lowry’s Pass, the township where we spent the infamous twenty-four hours. We were going to spend the afternoon in the township and cook our families lunch. It was exciting to be a part of a service project where you got to see the people you connected with for a second time. Everyone on the bus was reminiscing about each township family, and we were all anxious to see what they had been up to since our last visit. Right as I stepped off the bus, my mom, Cheryl, met me with a big hug and smile. The moms and kids in front of the school were so excited to see us again! I asked Cheryl how her son, Duncan, did on his drawing test that he had taken the morning after our first visit, and she was interested about the details of our trip to Kruger National Park. It was just like catching up with old friends. Duncan and Candy, Cheryl’s oldest daughter, were at home waiting for us, and when they saw our bags filled with ingredients for tacos, they told us they had never eaten them before. They were such a hit; and the cookies that Meghan made after were even more of a hit!
After lunch, we walked with all of the kids to the rugby field past the train tracks. Pictures don’t do this scenery justice. The kids get to play underneath the shadow of Cape Town’s Table Mountain everyday, and seeing all of the kids running back and forth across this landscape gave me great peace at that moment.
At about four o’clock, it was time to go. Everyone took his or her time saying goodbye, not wanting to take the first step onto the bus. We knew this would be the last time, at least on this trip, that we would see our township families. Cheryl gave us her contact information, and the five of us students waved at her through the bus window until we couldn’t see her face any longer.
The service aspect of Global LEAD came alive for a lot of us today. We are making relationships here, and the people we met in Sir Lowry’s Pass are moms, husbands, sons, and daughters that we will remember for the rest of our lives.

-Caroline Dwight

Kruger National Park! 5 Day Safari

Our Kruger experience started on a charter bus- surprise!- that we took to the airport dark and early on Monday morning. Check-in went astoundingly smooth for the sixty or seventy collegians and alum. We stopped and grabbed a quick breakfast, yummy toast and eggs and tomato, the entirety of which I proceeded to spill into my lap. We boarded our appropriately colored Mango Airlines plane and landed in Johannesburg a mere two hours later. Then we took a charter bus- surprise!- to Kruger, which was about five hours away.

The lodges at Nkambeni were pleasantly tented and rather open to the wilderness of Kruger. They were very clean and nice, but I couldn’t actually sleep all week for fear of a spider in my sheets or lizard in my pillow. A cool experience overall, though! The food was also awesome- I don’t think anyone had any complaints, as long as you didn’t make the mistake of asking for a grilled cheese. Global LEAD's first safari experience was on Tuesday. Our wake-up call was a loud knock and “hello” at the tent door. Everyone was bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, no doubt expecting to be stupendously mauled by one of the thousands of anticipated lions first thing that morning! It didn’t quite work that way, though. We crowded comfortably into a fleet of thirteen-passenger Land Rovers, making our way quietly toward the African bush.

My group immediately spotted a rhino in the distance, and a myriad of other fascinating creatures were unveiled throughout the day including: wildebeests, giraffe, crocodiles, impala, elephants, warthogs, meer cats, impala, buffalo, hippos, birds of all sorts, impala, kudu, rock jumpers, zebra, mongooses, and even the rare but beautiful impala. A few groups of lucky dungheads even spotted a Leopard! By the end of the first day, we were all well on our way to seeing the Big Five.

On Wednesday we took mini buses to Chimp Eden, a fascinating reserve sponsored by the Jane Goodall Institute. A woman named Sophie showed us around, feeding the chimpanzees and telling us some very disheartening stories about how our furry friends had been saved from the cruel hands of circus and pet-owners over the years. We learned that chimps should never be kept as pets, as they are naturally very aggressive and five times stronger than the average human male. A full-blown male chimp fight, for example, involves removed testicles, faces, and limbs. Yikes!

Our nighttime safari drive was Wednesday night! Again excited at the prospect of seeing a lion or leopard hunting prey in the cool, misty twilight, we bundled up and crept along the evening route. My group waited patiently in one spot until we finally saw a Serval, which is an extremely rare, nocturnal, cheetah-like feline. Wikipedia declares that the serval is “reputed to be the most effective hunter of all mammals in the animal kingdom.” Even our guide Jaques was quite excited that we saw it!
By Thursday, I was starting to doubt the very existence of lions, let alone the prospect of us actually seeing one in person. But as we spotted a few more animals throughout the morning and the sun appeared for the first time since 1972, our spirits lifted and lion sighting rumors spread before lunch! Joanna stood over our guide as he scarfed down a sandwich and we were off again, desperate to find the lion before the rain let loose! We finally found two gorgeous lionesses lounging in a humid, grassy opening. They were sound asleep and barely glanced up as our vehicle parked next to them; lions clearly have nothing to fear! We filmed and photographed, thrilled to have finally concluded our lion hunt and big-five sightings. We even saw a male lion in the distance less than an hour later on our way back to camp.

The safari taught us a lot about animals, extinction, and the circle of life, but our biggest lesson manifested in learning quiet patience between animal sightings. I think we learned a lot about each other during those intervals, anticipating the next animal and entertaining ourselves with games like “Jelly Tots.” I’ll always remember how exhilarating it was to look for and observe these beautiful animals, and I hope that preservation efforts of their natural habitat continue to succeed. WE SAW LIONS!!!! So cool. ☺

Carter Coyle and Joanna Harbin

Kruger National Park! 5 Day Safari

Our Kruger experience started on a charter bus- surprise!- that we took to the airport dark and early on Monday morning. Check-in went astoundingly smooth for the sixty or seventy collegians and alum. We stopped and grabbed a quick breakfast, yummy toast and eggs and tomato, the entirety of which I proceeded to spill into my lap. We boarded our appropriately colored Mango Airlines plane and landed in Johannesburg a mere two hours later. Then we took a charter bus- surprise!- to Kruger, which was about five hours away.

The lodges at Nkambeni were pleasantly tented and rather open to the wilderness of Kruger. They were very clean and nice, but I couldn’t actually sleep all week for fear of a spider in my sheets or lizard in my pillow. A cool experience overall, though! The food was also awesome- I don’t think anyone had any complaints, as long as you didn’t make the mistake of asking for a grilled cheese. Global LEAD's first safari experience was on Tuesday. Our wake-up call was a loud knock and “hello” at the tent door. Everyone was bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, no doubt expecting to be stupendously mauled by one of the thousands of anticipated lions first thing that morning! It didn’t quite work that way, though. We crowded comfortably into a fleet of thirteen-passenger Land Rovers, making our way quietly toward the African bush.

My group immediately spotted a rhino in the distance, and a myriad of other fascinating creatures were unveiled throughout the day including: wildebeests, giraffe, crocodiles, impala, elephants, warthogs, meer cats, impala, buffalo, hippos, birds of all sorts, impala, kudu, rock jumpers, zebra, mongooses, and even the rare but beautiful impala. A few groups of lucky dungheads even spotted a Leopard! By the end of the first day, we were all well on our way to seeing the Big Five.

On Wednesday we took mini buses to Chimp Eden, a fascinating reserve sponsored by the Jane Goodall Institute. A woman named Sophie showed us around, feeding the chimpanzees and telling us some very disheartening stories about how our furry friends had been saved from the cruel hands of circus and pet-owners over the years. We learned that chimps should never be kept as pets, as they are naturally very aggressive and five times stronger than the average human male. A full-blown male chimp fight, for example, involves removed testicles, faces, and limbs. Yikes!

Our nighttime safari drive was Wednesday night! Again excited at the prospect of seeing a lion or leopard hunting prey in the cool, misty twilight, we bundled up and crept along the evening route. My group waited patiently in one spot until we finally saw a Serval, which is an extremely rare, nocturnal, cheetah-like feline. Wikipedia declares that the serval is “reputed to be the most effective hunter of all mammals in the animal kingdom.” Even our guide Jaques was quite excited that we saw it!
By Thursday, I was starting to doubt the very existence of lions, let alone the prospect of us actually seeing one in person. But as we spotted a few more animals throughout the morning and the sun appeared for the first time since 1972, our spirits lifted and lion sighting rumors spread before lunch! Joanna stood over our guide as he scarfed down a sandwich and we were off again, desperate to find the lion before the rain let loose! We finally found two gorgeous lionesses lounging in a humid, grassy opening. They were sound asleep and barely glanced up as our vehicle parked next to them; lions clearly have nothing to fear! We filmed and photographed, thrilled to have finally concluded our lion hunt and big-five sightings. We even saw a male lion in the distance less than an hour later on our way back to camp.

The safari taught us a lot about animals, extinction, and the circle of life, but our biggest lesson manifested in learning quiet patience between animal sightings. I think we learned a lot about each other during those intervals, anticipating the next animal and entertaining ourselves with games like “Jelly Tots.” I’ll always remember how exhilarating it was to look for and observe these beautiful animals, and I hope that preservation efforts of their natural habitat continue to succeed. WE SAW LIONS!!!! So cool. ☺

Carter Coyle and Joanna Harbin

Wrapping Up Education Week

Today marked the end of our eight mandatory class meetings and no person could have ended it better than one of the “Ten Outstanding People in the World” – our own Garrett Gravesen. Most of us know Garrett for his completely over-the-top, loud, go-getter personality, but today he showed us all a different side. Garrett opened with the statement, “You can be anything you want to be.” I have heard this statement thousands of times in my life, but for some reason this time it really hit me. Over the past three weeks, we have all had the opportunity to hear from speakers such as Dr. Betty Seigel, Mr. and Mrs. Dooley, and Kevin Chaplin. All of these people throughout their lives have become something great by reaching out and making themselves vulnerable, just as Garrett did six years ago when he came up with the crazy idea of creating HERO. Being great is a choice, and all of these people chose to find their passion and motivation in life to be what they wanted to be.
Garrett told us the story of his visit to Harvard University his freshmen year. While speaking with his girlfriend and some of her classmates, he asked them what it took to get into Harvard. After answering with, “I got a perfect score on the SAT” and “I am the number one flute player in the United States” they asked him “what are you good at?” At that moment, he stepped back and realized that he was not actually great at anything.
The message Garrett delivered to us today is a message that everyone can learn from. There is a difference between being great and being great at something. True greatness is to use great skills and help other people. Do not worry about expectations and boundaries. Follow a passion and be what you want to be. If you do this, you will be great no matter what.
Before ending, he posed the question, “What does it mean to be great on a day-to-day basis?” I thought for a while and realized that the answer to me was pretty simple. Being great on a day to day basis is staying true to yourself. I know that many of us get caught up in being involved with something great without actually being great. I challenge myself and the rest of the Global L.E.A.D members to go home after this trip and find out what makes you “great”.

--Jenny Harvey

Wrapping Up Education Week

Today marked the end of our eight mandatory class meetings and no person could have ended it better than one of the “Ten Outstanding People in the World” – our own Garrett Gravesen. Most of us know Garrett for his completely over-the-top, loud, go-getter personality, but today he showed us all a different side. Garrett opened with the statement, “You can be anything you want to be.” I have heard this statement thousands of times in my life, but for some reason this time it really hit me. Over the past three weeks, we have all had the opportunity to hear from speakers such as Dr. Betty Seigel, Mr. and Mrs. Dooley, and Kevin Chaplin. All of these people throughout their lives have become something great by reaching out and making themselves vulnerable, just as Garrett did six years ago when he came up with the crazy idea of creating HERO. Being great is a choice, and all of these people chose to find their passion and motivation in life to be what they wanted to be.
Garrett told us the story of his visit to Harvard University his freshmen year. While speaking with his girlfriend and some of her classmates, he asked them what it took to get into Harvard. After answering with, “I got a perfect score on the SAT” and “I am the number one flute player in the United States” they asked him “what are you good at?” At that moment, he stepped back and realized that he was not actually great at anything.
The message Garrett delivered to us today is a message that everyone can learn from. There is a difference between being great and being great at something. True greatness is to use great skills and help other people. Do not worry about expectations and boundaries. Follow a passion and be what you want to be. If you do this, you will be great no matter what.
Before ending, he posed the question, “What does it mean to be great on a day-to-day basis?” I thought for a while and realized that the answer to me was pretty simple. Being great on a day to day basis is staying true to yourself. I know that many of us get caught up in being involved with something great without actually being great. I challenge myself and the rest of the Global L.E.A.D members to go home after this trip and find out what makes you “great”.
--Jenny Harvey

Wrapping Up Education Week

Today marked the end of our eight mandatory class meetings and no person could have ended it better than one of the “Ten Outstanding People in the World” – our own Garrett Gravesen. Most of us know Garrett for his completely over-the-top, loud, go-getter personality, but today he showed us all a different side. Garrett opened with the statement, “You can be anything you want to be.” I have heard this statement thousands of times in my life, but for some reason this time it really hit me. Over the past three weeks, we have all had the opportunity to hear from speakers such as Dr. Betty Seigel, Mr. and Mrs. Dooley, and Kevin Chaplin. All of these people throughout their lives have become something great by reaching out and making themselves vulnerable, just as Garrett did six years ago when he came up with the crazy idea of creating HERO. Being great is a choice, and all of these people chose to find their passion and motivation in life to be what they wanted to be.
Garrett told us the story of his visit to Harvard University his freshmen year. While speaking with his girlfriend and some of her classmates, he asked them what it took to get into Harvard. After answering with, “I got a perfect score on the SAT” and “I am the number one flute player in the United States” they asked him “what are you good at?” At that moment, he stepped back and realized that he was not actually great at anything.
The message Garrett delivered to us today is a message that everyone can learn from. There is a difference between being great and being great at something. True greatness is to use great skills and help other people. Do not worry about expectations and boundaries. Follow a passion and be what you want to be. If you do this, you will be great no matter what.
Before ending, he posed the question, “What does it mean to be great on a day-to-day basis?” I thought for a while and realized that the answer to me was pretty simple. Being great on a day to day basis is staying true to yourself. I know that many of us get caught up in being involved with something great without actually being great. I challenge myself and the rest of the Global L.E.A.D members to go home after this trip and find out what makes you “great”.
--Jenny Harvey

Reflection on a dollar a day -- life in the townships

On Monday after our speaker, they told us we had an hour to prepare and pack before we departed to the townships. We were to go and live with a family and truly experience what it would be like to live off a dollar a day. I’m glad that this was not a planned event. It caught many of us off guard and brought people slightly outside their comfort zone which I think is healthy.
It didn’t really sink in what was happening until we got off the bus in the township. We were immediately greeted by many people and children with smiling faces. We split up into groups and met the mother of the family we would be staying with. Our mother was incredibly welcoming as she showed us around and took us to her home. I was immediately surprised how nice her home was equipped with a basic kitchen, three small bedrooms, bathroom, living room and even a television. Nonetheless, the square footage of the home was probably equivalent to some of our parents’ living rooms back home.
I spent the day outside interacting with the children in our area. After a couple playful games of rugby, I learned some other games they played involving string and marbles. I though it was amazing that although these kids have close to nothing, they are still so joyful and full of life. Our mother walked us around to other houses of her relatives and friends. We would walk in and see anther group of LEAD students singing or dancing with the people. It was very apparent to me how much these people valued friends and family and are content with what they have. One may say ignorance is bliss, but I think these people really know what life is all about. This experience will likely be one that many of us take the most away from.

--Jordan Drake

Reflection on a dollar a day -- life in the townships

On Monday after our speaker, they told us we had an hour to prepare and pack before we departed to the townships. We were to go and live with a family and truly experience what it would be like to live off a dollar a day. I’m glad that this was not a planned event. It caught many of us off guard and brought people slightly outside their comfort zone which I think is healthy.
It didn’t really sink in what was happening until we got off the bus in the township. We were immediately greeted by many people and children with smiling faces. We split up into groups and met the mother of the family we would be staying with. Our mother was incredibly welcoming as she showed us around and took us to her home. I was immediately surprised how nice her home was equipped with a basic kitchen, three small bedrooms, bathroom, living room and even a television. Nonetheless, the square footage of the home was probably equivalent to some of our parents’ living rooms back home.
I spent the day outside interacting with the children in our area. After a couple playful games of rugby, I learned some other games they played involving string and marbles. I though it was amazing that although these kids have close to nothing, they are still so joyful and full of life. Our mother walked us around to other houses of her relatives and friends. We would walk in and see anther group of LEAD students singing or dancing with the people. It was very apparent to me how much these people valued friends and family and are content with what they have. One may say ignorance is bliss, but I think these people really know what life is all about. This experience will likely be one that many of us take the most away from.

--Jordan Drake

Education week continued...

Today was the third day of education week for the Global L.E.A.D. program. The speakers for the day were Louis and Leone Van Der Linde and one of the many students they have impacted with their pay-to-read program. Though there are similar programs in the states, none I have heard about have been able to make such an impact, on so large a level. To be able to motivate a mass of students to read these books and actually incorporate what they have read into their everyday lives is truly amazing. Being able to hear first hand how the program was able to make such a strong impression on one of the students helped our group understand what the program was about. The program works to take some of the school’s most troubled students and transform them into the schools best.
Apart from speaking about the book program, Leone spoke about the power of giving and not only how it makes a difference in the lives of those you give to, but on yours as well. She spoke of the power of dreaming and always doing your own thing. The moment in her speech that stuck out the most personally was when she said that you should give like a tree. “The tree does not discriminate between the rich or the poor, it gives unconditionally.” What a way to live, you don’t think about giving, you just give to those who need it most. Leone then moved on to speak about our overnight trip to the township, which we learned she coordinated. Before we arrived in the township and even after we left, none of us knew where the food that the soup mothers provided the children came from. Today we learned that all the food came straight from the Van Der Linde’s. I cannot begin to express the inspiration I felt coming out of the speech this morning… I can only hope that one day I can make an impact somewhat similar to theirs.

--Josh Green

Education week continued...

Today was the third day of education week for the Global L.E.A.D. program. The speakers for the day were Louis and Leone Van Der Linde and one of the many students they have impacted with their pay-to-read program. Though there are similar programs in the states, none I have heard about have been able to make such an impact, on so large a level. To be able to motivate a mass of students to read these books and actually incorporate what they have read into their everyday lives is truly amazing. Being able to hear first hand how the program was able to make such a strong impression on one of the students helped our group understand what the program was about. The program works to take some of the school’s most troubled students and transform them into the schools best.
Apart from speaking about the book program, Leone spoke about the power of giving and not only how it makes a difference in the lives of those you give to, but on yours as well. She spoke of the power of dreaming and always doing your own thing. The moment in her speech that stuck out the most personally was when she said that you should give like a tree. “The tree does not discriminate between the rich or the poor, it gives unconditionally.” What a way to live, you don’t think about giving, you just give to those who need it most. Leone then moved on to speak about our overnight trip to the township, which we learned she coordinated. Before we arrived in the township and even after we left, none of us knew where the food that the soup mothers provided the children came from. Today we learned that all the food came straight from the Van Der Linde’s. I cannot begin to express the inspiration I felt coming out of the speech this morning… I can only hope that one day I can make an impact somewhat similar to theirs.

--Josh Green

Seven day Victoria Falls off week trip

During our off week, twelve of us had the opportunity to spend seven days visiting four countries: South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Zambia. Along the trip, we had tons of opportunity for adventure and exploration within the communities and interaction with the locals. Personally, my favorite part of the trip was the couple of days spent in Zimbabwe.

Our first fully day in Zimbabwe, the boys and girls split up for some adventure activities in the morning. The girls made their way toward the falls to go gorge swinging while the boys made their way to the Zambezi river for some fishing. Gorge swinging was incredible! I partnered with Jenny and we volunteered to go first, luckily, as we soon figured out its a lot scarier to watch then to actually gorge swing!

 In the afternoon, we all met back up to see the Falls, one of the seven natural wonders of the world. They were truly amazing and beautiful to see! Unfortunately, a camera can't come close to capturing the scenery or majesty of this natural wonder, although part of me is glad that I experienced it for myself and not through a camera lens.

After walking out of the falls completely soaked by the mist, we returned to the backpacker to change for our Mighty Zambezi Booze Cruise. The Zambezi river splits four countries, two of which we had the opportunity to visit, Zimbabwe and Botswana, and one of which we made a short stop to on our cruise, Zambia. During our cruise, we saw elephants bathing in the river, hippos peering just over the water and alligators watching from the banks. We also had the chance to watch a purple/orange sunset unseen in the States.

On second day in Zimbabwe, we woke up early for a walking elephant safari. We all paired up and hopped on our elephants with a personal guide. At the end of the excursion, we were able to feed the elephants through their trunk as well as their mouths. It was so much more than I ever expected! Also, at the end of the safari, we were able to purchased a footprint of our elephant in order to fund efforts to reduce poaching, which many of us did.

After the safari, we finally had the chance to shop at the market, which was truly an eye-opening experience. Vendors wanted to negotiate prices and trade things with you. The items at the market were extremely impressive, all hand-carved figurines of the big five, bowls, bracelets, etc.

Visiting Zimbabwe was an amazing experience that I personally will never forget! The people, the scenery, and the adventures offered in the town surrounding the falls is unmatched by anywhere I have visited previously. I hope to some day return to Zimbabwe and give back a fraction of what I have taken away from my two or three days in the country!

-Brooke Ray

Seven day Victoria Falls off week trip

During our off week, twelve of us had the opportunity to spend seven days visiting four countries: South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Zambia. Along the trip, we had tons of opportunity for adventure and exploration within the communities and interaction with the locals. Personally, my favorite part of the trip was the couple of days spent in Zimbabwe.

Our first fully day in Zimbabwe, the boys and girls split up for some adventure activities in the morning. The girls made their way toward the falls to go gorge swinging while the boys made their way to the Zambezi river for some fishing. Gorge swinging was incredible! I partnered with Jenny and we volunteered to go first, luckily, as we soon figured out its a lot scarier to watch then to actually gorge swing!

 In the afternoon, we all met back up to see the Falls, one of the seven natural wonders of the world. They were truly amazing and beautiful to see! Unfortunately, a camera can't come close to capturing the scenery or majesty of this natural wonder, although part of me is glad that I experienced it for myself and not through a camera lens.

After walking out of the falls completely soaked by the mist, we returned to the backpacker to change for our Mighty Zambezi Booze Cruise. The Zambezi river splits four countries, two of which we had the opportunity to visit, Zimbabwe and Botswana, and one of which we made a short stop to on our cruise, Zambia. During our cruise, we saw elephants bathing in the river, hippos peering just over the water and alligators watching from the banks. We also had the chance to watch a purple/orange sunset unseen in the States.

On second day in Zimbabwe, we woke up early for a walking elephant safari. We all paired up and hopped on our elephants with a personal guide. At the end of the excursion, we were able to feed the elephants through their trunk as well as their mouths. It was so much more than I ever expected! Also, at the end of the safari, we were able to purchased a footprint of our elephant in order to fund efforts to reduce poaching, which many of us did.

After the safari, we finally had the chance to shop at the market, which was truly an eye-opening experience. Vendors wanted to negotiate prices and trade things with you. The items at the market were extremely impressive, all hand-carved figurines of the big five, bowls, bracelets, etc.

Visiting Zimbabwe was an amazing experience that I personally will never forget! The people, the scenery, and the adventures offered in the town surrounding the falls is unmatched by anywhere I have visited previously. I hope to some day return to Zimbabwe and give back a fraction of what I have taken away from my two or three days in the country!

-Brooke Ray

Education Week -- a life application

Monday June 1^st kicked off Global LEAD’s education week.  Our group was fortunate enough to have Kevin Chaplin, the executive director of the Amy Biehl foundation, come speak to us on the importance of “The Power of Living.  The Power of Giving.”  He was an inspiring and relatable speaker – he mentioned many practical aspects of the business world and how one can be ethical and socially responsible while also running a successful business.  When he took over the Amy Biehl foundation in order to try to save it from going under – he had to personally fund the program for a while but he knew that in time, things would turn around, and they did.   

            After Mr. Chaplin’s talk Garrett “the Rule Breaker” Gravesen (better known as GG) stood up to close out our day.  Instead of breaking into our community groups to discuss our speaker’s lecture, as we have done before, Garrett announced that we would all be leaving in one hour for the slums.  He announced that we were going to spend 24 hours in the slums in order to see what it’s like to live off a dollar a day.  There were mixed emotions from the group at the news – some were very excited, some were apprehensive – no one knew what to expect.  We were told that we would be safe and that we’d be splitting into small group to sleep in the soup mom’s houses.  Soup moms are ladies who go to the school and cook for hundreds of children. 

            Stepping off the bus to children holding up notebooks to get my autograph isn’t the way I expected to be welcomed.  The purpose of this visit was for us to get a glimpse of what their lives are like on a daily basis.…. to put on their shoes for a while. I wanted to help with chores and they wanted to treat us like celebrities or royalty of some kind – that part felt pretty wrong.  Although a huge group of us just rolled up on a bus to invade their space for a bit I think that the intention of our visit was obvious – we came because we care and we would like to continue to bridge the racial, socioeconomic gap that plagues their country and ours too.  We want to learn as much as we can while we’re here.  Seeing the children (and adults) without teeth, proper health care, shoes, clothes, and other everyday essentials will hopefully weigh on the hearts of the group so that when our time here is through we’ll be able to give back… whether it’s in South Africa or Clarke County.             

            The experience was very interesting and also extremely overwhelming.  I’ve seen poverty and worked with poor people my entire life but I haven’t been able to put myself in their shoes like I tried to over the last 24 hours.   My group’s soup mom is Charmaine Steyn.  She was wonderful and treated us like her own children.  Her daughter Janine and her friend Jeremy walked us around the township and made sure we felt at home.  Janine wanted to show us all the pictures from her 21^st birthday and Jeremy is a talented guitarist and played for us.  My group of four went to church with Janine and Jeremy which was different than anything we’d ever experienced.  There is a major emphasis on family in the townships – everyone takes care of everyone else.  It’s not uncommon to have grown children living with their parents, usually it’s for financial reasons but they operate as a strong unit in what most would consider dire circumstances.           

            My only regret about the entire trip is that because we had no notice about the overnight stay – we didn’t have substantial food to bring with us.  We were only given two loaves of bread and some milk to give to our family.  Next time, and hopefully we’ll get to visit over the next weeks that we are here, I’d like to bring more food and prepare a nice meal for them instead of using their food and having them prepare food for us.   These 24 hours were important and I will never forget them.  This time grounded the group and brought us back to why we are spending this time in Cape Town.  

 --Liz Gaughf

Education Week -- a life application

Monday June 1^st kicked off Global LEAD’s education week.  Our group was fortunate enough to have Kevin Chaplin, the executive director of the Amy Biehl foundation, come speak to us on the importance of “The Power of Living.  The Power of Giving.”  He was an inspiring and relatable speaker – he mentioned many practical aspects of the business world and how one can be ethical and socially responsible while also running a successful business.  When he took over the Amy Biehl foundation in order to try to save it from going under – he had to personally fund the program for a while but he knew that in time, things would turn around, and they did.   

            After Mr. Chaplin’s talk Garrett “the Rule Breaker” Gravesen (better known as GG) stood up to close out our day.  Instead of breaking into our community groups to discuss our speaker’s lecture, as we have done before, Garrett announced that we would all be leaving in one hour for the slums.  He announced that we were going to spend 24 hours in the slums in order to see what it’s like to live off a dollar a day.  There were mixed emotions from the group at the news – some were very excited, some were apprehensive – no one knew what to expect.  We were told that we would be safe and that we’d be splitting into small group to sleep in the soup mom’s houses.  Soup moms are ladies who go to the school and cook for hundreds of children. 

            Stepping off the bus to children holding up notebooks to get my autograph isn’t the way I expected to be welcomed.  The purpose of this visit was for us to get a glimpse of what their lives are like on a daily basis.…. to put on their shoes for a while. I wanted to help with chores and they wanted to treat us like celebrities or royalty of some kind – that part felt pretty wrong.  Although a huge group of us just rolled up on a bus to invade their space for a bit I think that the intention of our visit was obvious – we came because we care and we would like to continue to bridge the racial, socioeconomic gap that plagues their country and ours too.  We want to learn as much as we can while we’re here.  Seeing the children (and adults) without teeth, proper health care, shoes, clothes, and other everyday essentials will hopefully weigh on the hearts of the group so that when our time here is through we’ll be able to give back… whether it’s in South Africa or Clarke County.             

            The experience was very interesting and also extremely overwhelming.  I’ve seen poverty and worked with poor people my entire life but I haven’t been able to put myself in their shoes like I tried to over the last 24 hours.   My group’s soup mom is Charmaine Steyn.  She was wonderful and treated us like her own children.  Her daughter Janine and her friend Jeremy walked us around the township and made sure we felt at home.  Janine wanted to show us all the pictures from her 21^st birthday and Jeremy is a talented guitarist and played for us.  My group of four went to church with Janine and Jeremy which was different than anything we’d ever experienced.  There is a major emphasis on family in the townships – everyone takes care of everyone else.  It’s not uncommon to have grown children living with their parents, usually it’s for financial reasons but they operate as a strong unit in what most would consider dire circumstances.           

            My only regret about the entire trip is that because we had no notice about the overnight stay – we didn’t have substantial food to bring with us.  We were only given two loaves of bread and some milk to give to our family.  Next time, and hopefully we’ll get to visit over the next weeks that we are here, I’d like to bring more food and prepare a nice meal for them instead of using their food and having them prepare food for us.   These 24 hours were important and I will never forget them.  This time grounded the group and brought us back to why we are spending this time in Cape Town.  

 --Liz Gaughf