Spring Break in Guatemala

The Manna Project Guatemala site enjoyed two groups of outstanding spring break volunteers this March from Vanderbilt University and the University of Georgia.

Vanderbilt arrived on March 1^st with 10 people ready to work. The group set out to construct (and re-construct in some places) a playground for the local pre-school in Chaquijyá. They arrived to the school bearing paint, shovels, and over a dozen tires. Throughout their week-long stay, they added a teeter-totter, a tire jungle-gym, two brand new swings, and layered the entire area with grass to protect any niños who might fall while playing. The Parent Committee of the school matched our efforts by joining us every day to guide and collaborate with Manna in the construction of the playground. Vanderbilt’s spring break also coincided with Carnaval, and the group was able to experience all Guatemalan Carnaval festivities – especially the use (or overuse, some might argue) of “pica pica”, paper confetti. Jack Suiter, the student leader of the group shared his thoughts on their week-long experience with Manna Project:

My time as a leader and participant during my time in Guatemala was as rewarding as it was challenging. I was pushed to extend myself to new customs, people and places, and enjoyed each minute doing so. Our leaders did an outstanding job in showing us as much of Guatemala as they could in a single week – I connected with parents and children at a local school, and learned to shower in a lake. I would not have wanted my spring break any different, and I hope to again connect with a new group of people soon, whether that be in Guatemala or any other place in this wonderful world of ours. – Jack Suiter

Peter Kim, a Vanderbilt freshman, composed a list of something he “learned” every day while on-site in Guatemala.

Eight things I learned in Guatemala (Peter Kim)

Day 1: Transportation in Guatemala for ten people is always cramped

Day 2: Always carry tissue around. ALWAYS

Day 3: Mayan herbs can cure just about any illness 

Day 4: Kids LOVE Carnaval

Day 5: The van from day one fits 27 people

Day 6: Nothing makes you more proud than finishing a playground for preschool kids

Day 7: Coconut water is the most refreshing drink when you are dehydrated

Day 8: A last game of Catch Phrase in the airport never hurts.

The completed playground

The University of Georgia and the Parent Committee of another local school collaborated to paint an entire elementary school a beautiful shade of blue. The group also gave six sessions of English classes to the students in the school. In between painting and teaching, the group played soccer and basketball with the students of the school. For Christine Lopez, a UGA freshman, this was her second time as a community volunteer in Guatemala. She shared her thoughts on her experience with Manna Project.

After visiting Guatemala in 2011, I was very excited to revisit it this spring break. Of course, I faced some nervousness as I boarded the plane because I hadn't traveled outside of the country in several years. However, landing in Guatemala felt like reuniting with an old friend. As an Early Childhood Education major, I was very excited to work in the local school. I enjoyed teaching English to a variety of age groups and working with the kids-- it was good practice for the future! However, I have to say the highlight of my trip was when I learned more about myself. Two important realizations came out of this trip: language and nature. I was afraid that I had lost much of my spanish since coming to college, but I was reassured in the Guatemalan environment that I was still able to communicate just fine with the locals. I also realized that I enjoy hiking! I didn't think I would like it, but I ended up loving climbing at the Reserve and Volcano Pacaya. One of the highlights of the trip that I've been happy to brag about to my friends was roasting marshmallows over recently erupted lava rocks. After this trip, I look forward to the next time I can visit Latin America!  -- Christine Lopez

The Committee and the UGA group in front of the newly painted school

Manna Project and the community of Chaquiyá in Guatemala are so thankful for the hard work of both of these fantastic volunteer groups that visited us over spring break! Do you want the chance to travel to a Manna Project site during a school break? Contact springbreak@mannaproject.org for more information.  

Worcester State University: MPIN

Each January, a team of occupational therapy students accompany Professor Jackie Brennan to the Manna Project site in Nicaragua. These Worcester State University students volunteer with a school for children with special needs, Tesoros de Dios, while also attending Manna programs while they are in Managua.

This year's group got a full picture of what Manna Project International does on site in Nicaragua. They helped kids get creative at Camp JAM, assisted the Program Directors on milk distribution day in Villa Guadalupe, and helped out at the new clinic in Cedro Galán.

 Cedro Galán Clinic

Projects from Camp JAM

Tesoros de Dios

It was fantastic to have the WSU group onsite. Each of our three Manna Project sites is getting extremely pumped to have other amazing university groups join us for a week over spring break! We're looking forward to a fabulous March, and we cannot wait to welcome the WSU occupational therapy group back again next year.

Sochi 2014: Setting the Stage for International Peace

It's that time of the decade again -- the winter Olympic games debuted last Friday in Sochi, Russia. Although Ecuador, Nicaragua, and Guatemala will not be represented by winter athletes these 2014 games, citizens from all countries can reflect on the values for which the Olympics stand. The Olympic Truce was derived from the ancient Greek tradition of the ekecheiria in the eighth century BC "to encourage a peaceful environment and ensure safe passage, access and participation for athletes and relevant persons at the Games, thereby mobilizing the youth of the world to the cause of peace", explained the United Nations Organization of Sport for Development and Peace (UNOSDP). The UN Assembly has called on all member states to observe the Olympic Truce throughout the Sochi Winter Games.

Even if a country is not represented in the Winter Olympic Games this year, peace is an idea all countries can stand behind. In an effort to really promote international cooperation, as conflict has become a recurring theme in recent years in the international system, the International Olympic Committee aimed to make this a very memorable games, with input and support from many different countries.

The traditional torch relay, always an impressive feat, was the longest in history this year, both in distance and in time it took to complete. Carriers from 160 nations participated in the passing of the torch between October 7th and the Opening Ceremony. The torch even made its inaugural visit to the International Space Station! The tour took 123 days to complete, covering over 165,000 km. "I think the key phrase is international cooperation", responded astronaut Rick Mastracchio when asked about the significance of the torch making its way to the ISS. "Both the Olympics and the International Space Station are great examples of what folks can do when the countries get together and try to accomplish something", Mastracchio added.

The Winter Games are off to an impressive start, and although Nicaragua, Guatemala, and Ecuador will not be making an appearance these winter games, MPI is looking forward to cheering on Ecuador in the World Cup this coming summer.

Mannafit: a Vanderbilt Tradition

January may mean cold and snow for some, but for the MPI Vanderbilt chapter, it means the annual Mannafit event. There were over 300 attendees at this year's Mannafit to support all the MPI Vanderbilt chapter spring break groups that plan to spend their week off in March, supporting Manna Project and various other nonprofit organizations in Latin America. Vanderbilt has had a Manna chapter since the inception of the organization, and consistently sends a full group of spring break volunteers to each of Manna's three sites in Nicaragua, Ecuador, and Guatemala each March. On top of this, the Vanderbilt Chapter typically sends about 10 other groups of students to volunteer with like-minded organizations all over Latin America.

This year, 20 awesome items were auctioned off at Mannafit, such as Nashville Predators tickets and gift certificates to fabulous restaurants in Nashville, raising over $800 on the silent auction alone. We are super proud of our Vanderbilt Manna chapter and are so excited to see the excellent projects they complete during spring break!

To a smashing success! What an incredible tradition.

Read of the Week: Youth Data Sheet 2013

This "Read of the Week" delivers staggering statistics to show development across the globe. Fertility and childbearing are a common indicator of development, as the risk of maternal death and disability is much higher for adolescents than for mothers in their 20's. In addition, early childbearing can also limit women's opportunities.

Unsurprisingly, Adolescent Fertility Rates (AFR) are much higher in developing countries than they are in developed countries. This indicator measures the number of births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 all over the world, and the difference between developed and developing countries is astonishing. Most developing countries were given a rate of nearly 100, whereas, most developed countries possessed an AFR of less than 20. We decided to see where Nicaragua and Ecuador faired on this scale, and both countries come in high, with Nicaragua at 104, and Ecuador coming in at 80.

For more interesting comparisons of youth from all reaches of the world, check out this very interesting article published by the Population Reference Bureau.

"Thrift Shop" by MannaUGA

Big Manna on Campus is BACK.

That’s right – Manna is incredibly excited to showcase our chapters and the fabulous work they are doing, both here in the states and abroad on site! We will be updating this blog with examples of chapter awesomeness. If you host an event or your chapter volunteers for an amazing local cause, send us the deets! We would love to turn the spotlight on you and all you’re doing to make Manna all that it is!

Without further ado…here is what's happening in Athens, Georgia!

MannaUGA is off to a fantastic start this year. They are sending FOUR trips to Manna sites abroad this March. UGA chapter members will be spending their spring break at MPI sites in Nicaragua, Guatemala, and Ecuador. They had so much interest, they are even sending an off site trip!

In addition to the wonderful international spring they’ve got planned, MannaUGA has been busy right here in Georgia. The chapter recently hosted an event on campus called the “Thrifting Extravaganza”. A local vintage store donated clothing and accessories to the UGA chapter to aid it in raising funds for their trips abroad. The event was a staggering success, raising funds for the on-site projects the chapter has committed its spring break to achieving. Its prime location on campus also spread the word about the work MannaUGA is doing in Athens!

 Macklemore would be so proud.

We are so excited for UGA to get to site this spring. We also know that other chapters are busy spreading the word about Manna on their university’s campus. We want to hear about it! Please email our US Coordinator, Taylor Brown, at taylor.brown@mannaproject.org.

MPI UGA Wraps Up for the Summer

As the school year comes to a close, our chapter activities are winding down for the year.  In this post, MPI UGA President Ian Jones gives his closing remarks for the year:

 

Greetings from Athens!

As the MannaUGA chapter wraps up our year here, I wanted to take a minute to let everyone know what we’ve been up to. This year has been a fantastic success for MannaUGA; we’ve worked really hard on the local and global fronts to expand our impact and really get the Manna name out there on campus. Internationally, we doubled our spring break involvement from one SB trip of 10 last year to two SB trips this spring—10 students to Ecuador and 10 to Guatemala. We now have established relationships in the communities surrounding all three Manna sites, which we hope to continue developing over the coming years. We also doubled our number of summer volunteers from last year. Here in Athens, we have been working on building a foundation from which to expand our local work, strengthening our partnerships with our flagship programs with the Athens Area Homeless Shelter and the Oasis Católico Santa Rafaela community center. With these two relationships strong, were hopeful that next year will see further growth on the local front.

Personally, I’m sad to be ending my term as a leader with MannaUGA. I was brought on board in the spring of 2009 when the chapter was being chartered, and served as the Communications Director for the 2009-2010 year. This past year, I was selected as the Executive Director. I’ve been on SB trips to the Nicaragua and Guatemala sites, and was also a summer vol in Nica in the summer of 2010. Manna has been become a huge part of my college career and will always hold a special place in my heart. I’ve made great friends, been through lots of stress, and had some crazy fun adventures, but most importantly I can leave my post at MannaUGA confident that I’ve made a difference. Along with two years of wonderful MannaUGA Exec members, I’ve been able to build something from nothing—we’ve filled a vacuum in the volunteer culture here at UGA and created a vehicle in which students can think global and act local, where we can strengthen our own community while working to strengthen others. I think that’s a pretty amazing thing.

Of course, this isn’t goodbye for good. I have another year at UGA before graduation, during which I’ll be creeping all over Exec meetings and happily watching the next crop of MannaUGA leaders continuing to build Manna up past what any of us could have imagined when we got started. I’ll probable weasel my way onto yet another SB trip, and, who knows, maybe I’ll find myself working with Manna after graduation.

But until then—

Much, much Manna love,

Ian
MannaUGA Executive Director, 2010-2011
www.mannauga.org

Sounds like MPI UGA had quite an amazing year!  We thank Ian and all of the other MPI UGA leaders and volunteers for all their hard work and dedication and wish them a great summer!