What started as a simple idea rooted in faith is now a movement changing the lives of young women across southern Dallas.
Through her faith-based nonprofit, Global Girl Voyages, Carla Langford is giving girls the opportunity to see the world — and their place in it — with fresh eyes and an ambitious perspective.
“Travel is a classroom”
Carla Langford doesn’t just believe in travel — she believes it transforms.
To her, stepping outside your ZIP code is more than a vacation. For the girls in her program, it’s a lesson in faith, courage and connection. And it’s exactly why she created Global Girl Voyages.
“What else is out there for me? It’s not just East Dallas or South Dallas. I have a whole world to see,” Langford said.
Her nonprofit invites young women from underserved communities to explore the world through faith-based mission trips. From Mexico to Kenya, they’re gaining more than stamps on a passport — they’re gaining purpose.
“Generally, the girls here in Southern Dallas don’t typically have these opportunities,” Langford said. “Travel is sort of an elitist notion for some, for some communities, and specifically with the girls that I work with, I don’t call them at risk. I say these girls are on the road to success. Through Global Girl Voyages and the support of all the people out in their community, we’re providing that opportunity for them to learn, to find their voice, and not only learn, but commune with some girls that look just like them from across the other land who have had similar experiences.”
Building bridges across continents
On Aug. 1, 10 girls from the program will travel to the Wings of House Rescue Home in Kenya. Many have already begun building connections with the girls there through virtual mentorship and prayer sessions. GGV is also raising money to support the home.
“They’ve endured abuse… but they are resilient,” Langford said. “We’ve used our GLOW UP mentorship program with them, and we’re excited to finally meet face-to-face.”
For Carlin, one of the Dallas girls heading to Kenya, it will be her first time traveling internationally.
“I’m very excited to go to Kenya, especially to talk to girls my age and really relate to them — because they’re a lot like us,” she said.
Tri’Ana Jackson vividly remembers her first mission trip to Mexico — and how it opened her eyes in more ways than one.
“I’d never seen anyone like me going on mission trips. We helped build a house for a young mother and her son. Being part of someone else’s blessing… it was amazing,” she said.
More than travel — it’s transformation
Langford said the impact of traveling can serve as a “light bulb moment” for the girls.
She hopes that impact and transformation are the souvenirs the girls cherish forever.
“[I hope they get] that ding in the middle of the night that says, ‘Oh my gosh, I really liked that, or did you see that sunset?'”
But the real power, she said, is in the ripple effect. Her research shows that when young people are in crisis or on the verge of making a life-altering decision, they don’t hear adult voices — they hear their peers.
“If I work with the mind of the youth of these young women, then the voices that they use within the community that they are surrounded — that young person who’s going to make that decision that maybe isn’t healthy for them — they’re going to hear their voice. They’re going to hear Carlin, they’re going to hear Zoe, they’re going to hear Stevie saying, I don’t think so. So with us planting the seeds in them, it will then plant seeds with all the girls in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, not only here, but also with the girls in Kenya that we get a chance to work with.”
A mission with global reach and local roots
It’s a faith-forward mission with global reach — and local roots. And as Carla Langford and her girls prepare for the next voyage, they carry with them the hope of planting seeds — in Kenya and right back home in Dallas.
As young girls like Carlin and Tri’Ana take their global voyages to help others, Carla prays to make even more dreams possible.
“I really want to explore the world… and help people,” said Treyana.
Want to support their journey?
Visit www.GlobalGirlVoyages.org and click “Partner With Us” to sponsor a trip or learn more.