#dayinthelife of a Program Director

Though spring semester is over, our first summer session is well under way. Our summer interns are an impressive bunch this year, bringing their energy and passion to support the Manna mission. We're equally lucky to have had extremely remarkable candidates apply to be Program Directors for this coming year. We are thrilled to continue the tradition of bringing incredibly solid teams of Program Directors together on-site.

Manna Project International was recently featured on New York University's Wasserman Center for Career Development's twitter as Taylor Gaskill, a current Program Director in Ecuador, described for us a "Day in the Life". You can see a recap of her day of live-tweeting by clicking below.

It may be summer, but we would agree with your professors when they say it's never too early to begin thinking of the future. Think you have what it takes to be a Program Director? Manna's US Coordinator, Taylor Brown, tells us about her journey to Manna, and what makes Manna what it is. Check that out below.

Spring Break in Ecuador

Very recently, the library in Rumiloma, Ecuador celebrated it's 5th anniversary! Manna has been working in Rumiloma for five years already -- it's amazing to see how much it has grown. Vanderbilt sent a group of spring breakers to Ecuador this March, and they were hard at work to prep the library for it's 5th Anniversary Party. They painted a whole floor, repaired countless tables for English classes, and added an awesome creative flare to the English room! When they weren't hard at work, the group explored the Quito Basilica, and hiked into the Andes.

New art in the English Room!

In the heart of the Andes.

Saturday morning, final preparations were made for the big day. Even through the rain, it was a grand celebration, and the Vanderbilt group was such an integral part of the success of the 5th Anniversary Party! We could have never done it without them.

To read more about the 5th Anniversary Celebrations and for more information on the awesome on-site happenings in Ecuador, follow the Manna Ecuador Blog!

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.