Visiting Granada

On Sunday the Summer Interns headed to Granada to tour a coffee plantation! Being that it is winter season, the actual beans are not mature until December, though we did sample some delicious Nicaraguan coffee.

Alex's Homestay

 ".... one of the boys woke up at 5 am to make it to class on time"

I walked into the house of my host family for only the second time and was met with warm greetings and bed of my own. We ate an awesome dinner with friend chicken, avocado, Nicaraguan cheese, rice, plantains, a salad, and (surprisingly) mashed potatoes. We also got a bright pink corn soft drink that...took some getting used to. Meals with Nicaraguans have been some of my favorite experiences because while it is about the food, it is more about the experience; connecting with people, sharing stories and laughter, and sitting at the table long after the food has totally disappeared. Eventually everyone went their separate ways, but I'll remember that dinner for a while. The next day one of the boys woke up at 5 AM to make it to his university on time, which made me feel pretty embarrassed for complaining about my 9 AM class so much last semester. The other woke up around 7:30 and at a leisurely breakfast of cheese, eggs, plantains, and gallo pinto (rice and beans) with his parents and me. When I asked him the reason, he said "because I slept." From my home stay, I learned a little about how to eat, how to wake up early without complaint, and how to live your life at the right pace.

Twenty and Tuani,

Alex

Josh's Experience as a Summer Intern

As a summer volunteer with Manna Project International I have been able to help make a difference in community we work in. One of the community members I have had the opportunity to work closely with is Agdiel. Agdiel is a special needs student who has difficulty speaking. In my time here I have worked with Agdiel on his pronunciation and vocabulary. Although, I have only been here three weeks I feel Agdiel has improved since I first started working with him. Opportunities such as this are one of the reasons I applied to Manna Project International, and am glad I did so.


-Joshua Snow
 Nicaragua Summer Intern 2012
 Manna Project International

Relaxing in Laguna de Apoyo

It was nice to get away for the day as we headed to Laguna de Apoyo.  Water was so pure; 

Nicaragua has endless hidden treasures. 

Summer Interns at Cerro Negro

"The weekend trip to Leon was a wonderful combination of gorgeous beaches and our once in a lifetime adventure on Cerra Negro." ---The 2012 Summer Interns 

Community Art Show

          This past week was the last for the summer volunteers of session two and so as sort of a farewell to them we hosted a community get-together in El Farito.  It was focused around the recently switched kid's art program and was a time were they could display the crafts they had made.  Up until recently program director Katie Hathaway had been teaching a music class in which she taught the kids basic information about rhythm and reading music.  Well after her concert a few weeks back she decided to change the program into an art class because there were more people who seemed interested and skilled in that area, especially from the summer volunteers.  Two girls in particular stepped up to the plate to lead it, Baylee and Priyanca, and had the kids do a variety of creative and different projects.  For example they made masks, noise makers, painted their favorite places and things they loved, and then painted a mural as well.  So on Wednesday night they presented all of their hardwork on tables in El Farito so that everyone could walk around and see.  It turned out to be a super fun night filled with goodbyes but then a lot of laughter as well.  Dayana even performed a surprise dance for the summer volunteers that they all loved and in which she danced to traditional Nicaraguan folklore.  

          This weekend we also welcomed our new program directors for the year 2011-2012.  So exciting!  These first two weeks they are going to be in language school and participating in homestays with families in downtown Managua, meaning we won't really have the chance to see them.  The two weeks following are when we actually get to work and train with them.  As sad as it is to have to think about leaving, I and all of the other program directors are certainly looking forward to getting to know the new program directors and work in helping them get acquainted with this huge new life transition.

Summer Volunteers Priyanca and Baylee with their art class.

Mural made by the kids in the art class.

Dayana dressed to dance. 

La Venta de Ropa

Every year Manna Project hosts a clothing venta, or sale, for the families of the communities living nearby.  Throughout the year the Manna house fills up with donations from a variety of different sources, whether it be past program directors and volunteers or organizations and groups that bring random bags to donate.  Needless to say there ends up being an immense amount of clothing and so this annual sale gives the communities a chance to purchase these clothes at an extremely low price.  The venta is also pretty infamous and families will line up and wait to make sure they have a chance to come in and look around.  So at 6:30 Friday morning we loaded the car up with at least fifteen to twenty suitcases full of clothes and shoes and headed to El Farito to set up and open at 8.  The process is slightly different each year, but to decide who entered first we had the women draw numbers and enter in intervals of ten.  Each group then had ten minutes to look around and pick out a maximum of fifteen items, and then after that if they wanted they could get back into line and reenter at a later time.  For the most part everything ran smoothly and the women and men were extremely pleased.  Because the new summer volunteer group was here we also had lots of extra hands, which was wonderful, and all in all the event was a grand success!

Clothing venta in Farito.

Carly in watching the little girl's clothing table.

Summer vols Erin and Katherine with the clothes.

Summer volunteers Katherine, Stephanie, Jackie, and Lucie.

Megan and Rebecca manning the checkout table.

Reflections from the Summer Session 1

Yesterday was the last full day here in Nicaragua for the summer volunteers of the first session, and before they left I asked each of them if they could write a short reflection about their time here.  Either what they learned or a story about their favorite class or friend they made, anything to share with the readers.  These volunteers have been so wonderful and helpful, and it has been such a joy getting to know each and every one of them.  I know for sure that they are going to be missed at the Manna House!  Ok here is what they had to say...

          Coming to Nicaragua for the third time, it was nearly impossible for me to arrive without any expectations of what I envisioned my month to look like. In the past, my trips had been only 8 days, so coming for a month meant that inevitably my time here would be very different. My past days in Nicaragua had been spent more playing with and loving on the kids. Now don’t get me wrong, as wonderful as this is, my time with Manna challenged and encouraged me in a new way. The first thing that I have really thought about is how amazing it is that Manna is making big differences and investing in these people’s lives for the long run. Although it may not always be as fun to sit with someone and teach them the English alphabet or multiplication problems as it is to just kick a soccer ball, this is an incredible way of caring and wanting these kids to have a tangible ways to succeed. Watching the Program Directors interact with the kids, challenge them, and care about them in this way has really forced me to think about what it means to really love these people the best way I can.

            Not only have I been challenged to grapple with these ideas of how to make a difference in their lives, the people here have undoubtedly made a difference in my life. I have been overwhelmed by the way that the people here love their friends and family and prioritize these relationships over other things that so easily consume me in the United States. One thing about Manna that has been special is how close everyone is with entire families. Some women will go to exercise class or English classes and their kids attend music class, eat at Comedor, or study English as well. This is an incredible thing, especially because family is so important in this country. There have been numerous experiences during my time here that have been meaningful in this regard, but one especially sticks out to me. One morning while I was in Chureca, I was playing soccer with a girl there named Tatiana who I had spent several days with. We ended up getting pretty dirty from kicking the ball in all the mud, so I decided it would be a good idea to attempt to somewhat clean myself before we left. Immediately after I told Tatiana this, she grabbed my hand tightly and led me to a sink where she proceeded to wash my feet. I quickly tried to stop her, telling her that I could do it myself, a little taken aback. But Tatiana insisted on cleaning my feet, smiling the entire time. I will never forget that gesture. She actually wanted to clean my feet as a way for her to show me she cared.

            The people here are the reason that I keep wanting to come back. This month and time with Manna has given me new ideas to grapple with going home, reminders of what life is truly about, and has challenged me to love as genuinely and deeply as the people here do.

-Ashley Parsley

Ashley and Tatiana.

Having never been to Central America before, I had no idea what to expect coming into this experience. Soon after arriving in this country, I was humbled to realize that I would the one learning a great deal during this month. The Nicaraguans I met had way more to offer me than I could possibly hope to offer them. One of the foremost examples of the kindness I have encountered was the night that Ashley and I did a homestay with the Flores family. Not only did they welcome us with open arms and try their hardest to work with our shaky Spanish, but Lorena also gave up her room to sleep in and delighted in cooking us meals. She would sit with us for hours at a time and simply serve us and engage us in conversation. It is funny to think that one way of loving someone is to allow them to serve you. It is also often times hard to let your guard down and allow yourself to be both served and loved. Spending time with amazing Nicaraguan families has definitely been one of the most rewarding parts of my time here.

-Kat Shearer

When I found out that I got accepted to Manna summer session 1, I immediately had mixed emotions about the situation. As a senior graduating from Virginia Tech, my first reaction was not that I was going to miss my college graduation but rather that I was given the opportunity to return to the place that Virginia Tech introduced me to two years ago. A large part of my college experience had revolved around Nicaragua and I knew that Manna Project would allow me to experience a deeper connection with the people in the community. Over the past few weeks with Manna Project, I have grown invested in the programs while forming connections with the kids. I have learned that life is about the relationships we form and the people who influence us along the way. I have become inspired by all of the children and their desire to learn English and this has motivated me to want to strengthen my Spanish. I am so fortunate to have been given this opportunity and I know without a doubt that I will be back here in Nicaragua again in the future.

- Courtney Baltimore

Tonight there is a community dinner to say goodbye to all of the summer vols. I’m not really sure what we will be doing there but I’m assuming it’s a chance for us to say all of our goodbyes to community members that we have become close with over the past few weeks. While I have met many people and seen many different faces throughout my time here I believe that there are more than a few people that I will always remember and I will be very sad to leave behind. It will be incredibly sad to say goodbye to Lorena and her daughter Dayana, who both participate in a lot of different Manna activities and really make an effort to reach out and accept you into their hearts. I will always remember how Dayana and I would look at each other in English classes and pretend we were karate chopping each other from across the room, ha ha, or the feeling that if I ever needed anything I could go to Lorena and she would do her best to help me out. I know that I will always wish for good things for that family since they give love to everyone that they encountered.

I will also miss Armando a lot, while he tends to be kind of crazy and somewhat of a troublemaker, he is certainly one of the kids I will remember best! I love how he came up with nicknames for all of the summer vols and will never forget the tickling fight that we got into. Although at times he seems like an out of control, carefree kid I was touched by how worried he was about his younger brother Melvin when he had not seen him for more than 15 minutes (even though he was with other volunteers Armando was still worried). Perhaps the person that I’ve bonded the most with is Itza, I will never forget her thirst for knowledge and how shy she was at first. She would not talk to me the first couple of days that we had class together, but she wanted to hold my hand so I figured eventually we would be friends. I think that she and I bonded a lot over the next few weeks and I desperately hope that we can keep in touch.

The people listed above are merely small examples of relationships that I will cherish the rest of my life and I hope that one day I will come back and see these people again. While there were some points in my stay here that I questioned how much I was really helping local people learn English, there was never a time when I wasn’t excited to go to the classes because I got to see those people in class! If there is one thing that I take away from this trip, it’s the wonderful relationships that I’ve formed and the bonds that I’ve made with all of the amazing people here in Nicaragua.

-Maddy Lytle

The national anthem sings, "¡Salve a ti, Nicaragua! En tu suelo \\ ya no ruge la voz del cañón".  The cannon does not sound anymore in Nicaragua.  However, the reverberations of past gun-fire can still be felt in the beautiful tropical country of Nicaragua. What was a purely indigenous virgin land some 500 years ago not yet fully explored by the god-like half man half beast - horse riding Spaniards with iron swords and guns - is in someways unchanged. Today, only along the eastern half of the country does one find few, if any, indigenous populations.  As for the western half, the tribe has been replaced not by tall skyscrapers, technology, and first class civilization but by a sort of modern tribe.  No, their are no more nomads, but their are individuals and families that live without deed and title to the land they live on.  No, their are no more hunter-gatherers, but a young man sweats to survive if he is lucky to be hired as a crop hand, planting or harvesting the beans he has so little money for which to buy.  No, their are no tribal families with a chieftain and his many wives, but the family structure is crippled by the cultural "machismo" and infidelity of men and women.  Against the beautiful volcanoes, lakes, and mango trees, is Nicaragua in all of its poverty, political problems, and perseverance.

Why are the men of Nicaragua called zombies?  Why is there a distinction between "marido" and "esposo/a"? Why is the road repaired at the start of the rainy season and not at the end? Why is the president known on a first name basis? Why does everyone throw garbage on the ground? Why are buses filed with 7 people per seat-aisle-seat? Where does the almond come from? Where does the cashew come from? What does the blank stare mean? Why is there so much poverty?

I came to Nicaragua to meet relatives, learn a little bit about my roots, and try to find an answer to some questions while volunteering with Manna.  Complete success was met at only one of my goals: meet some relatives.  As for an aging "abuelita" who has experienced a civil war, near death violence, and many difficulties in life I am unsure of the clarity and honesty in which I can trace my family lineage.  As for the questions, I found answers to only a few, albeit life changing and eye-opening.  For example, a little bird told me that cashews grew on the outside of a fruit of a tree.  One day, I finally decided to meander to the other side of the Manna house and check things out.  To my astonishment I found the ever mysterious tree where the slightly roasted-lightly salted-cant-stop-eating cashew comes from.  At that moment my life was complete.  Well as for the more serious and important questions, I found out where the almond comes from!

So, where does Manna step into the scene?  As a summer volunteer I had just enough time to form some meaningful relationships with some of the community members and then had to say goodbye.  On the Manna website it says, "communities serving communities".  Communities are formed from individuals that have vested interests first individually and then communally.  When communities serve other communities ties are formed that not only educate and enlighten but help each member of the different perspectives become members of a broader community, citizens of the earth.  Whatever spiritual, religious, political, environmental, or economic path that might mean is up to those walking that path.  Whatever a citizen of the earth means, well that is even more ambiguous. 

All I can say is that my time with Manna will be a memory well cherished.  I kept my mind open and held no expectations, expecting only more pinolillo.  Regardless, even if I ate the same thing all the time and many of my questions remain unanswered.  I thoroughly enjoyed my time and learned a bit from the experience, regardless.

However, step by step with knowledgeable people (shout out to all the PD's) and communities helping communities help themselves, the voice that will soar in Nicaragua and beyond will be the voice not of cannons and even less of poverty.

- Paul Hart

Spending a month down here in Managua, Nicaragua has changed my life forever.  Just coming here and meeting new people and seeing how these people live compared to the states is just amazing.  When we arrived here on the 13th of May, I was a little skeptical about being here and how it was going to go, but after going to all the programs and seeing all the good that is being done here all of my doubts quickly disappeared.  I personally have been helping teach little kids English, which is amazing.  The kids here are extremely wild and so much fun and I will miss them very much when I leave.  After meeting all of the people who live in Nicaragua who are associated with Manna or come to their classes, I have made plenty of new friends that I will never forget.  Coming down to Managua, Nicaragua has to be the best decision I have ever made and I would never trade my experience for anything.

- Thomas Fuson

Thomas and Maddy teaching Kid's English.

Thanks again to Ashley, Maddy, Asia, Courtney, Kat, Thomas, and Paul for all of their help and joy that they brought the past week fews!

GIRLS' DANCE CAMP

My first experience with MPI was as a Summer Volunteer in Quito, Ecuador in 2009. A fellow Summer Volunteer and good friend of mine, Rebekah Ann Chappell has been living in Costa Rica for the past 14 months, working and volunteering as a dance instructor. This past week we were lucky enough to have Bekah visit us in Managua and teach a dance camp for girls in Cedro Galan. The classes included basic ballet, jazz, and songs from High School Musical. Needless to say the girls absolutely loved it. Bekah's lessons focused on exercises that would help teach the girls body awareness as well as dance technique. The week passed way too fast and it was really sad to have to say good bye to Bekah this morning as we dropped her off at the bus stop to head back to Costa Rica. This past week I couldn't help but think about how great it would be for a the community to have permanent dance classes. I really hope that a future Summer Volunteer or PD will have a dance background and the skills to implement such a program.

despite varied foot-ware the girls in Cedro Galan still all were able to

participate

Maria and Laurita learning a little bit of Jazz

Every class this week started with sitting in a circle and talking about respecting each other while learning how to dance

Bekah liked to call this one the "Michael Jackson"

Apply to be a Summer Volunteer!

The MPI Summer Program gives volunteers experience working with a non-profit and serving an underprivileged population. The program integrates the volunteers into the daily functions of MPI Program Directors as they assist in daily programs, planning classes, and instructing lessons. Volunteers will get a snapshot of MPI´s longterm goals in action, seeing how their trip contributes to the greater pictures of community development.

There is ample opportunity for volunteers to interact with the local community through established programs and on their own initiative. Volunteers are encouraged to put their education and passions to use by making suggestions or recognizing new areas in which MPI could better serve the community.

Summer Volunteers are to be college-aged and ready to utilize their energy, enthusiasm, and intelligence to contribute to the on-going development in the local community. Weekdays are full of possible projects, and the volunteers will be as busy as they choose to be. Weekends are often open for travel around the beautiful country in search of diverse cultural and tourist locations.

If you have any questions, please send us an email at summer@mannaproject.org.

Applications are available at www.mannproject.org/short-term

Apply to Be a Summer Vol or Program Director!

Passionate about serving underprivileged international communities? Love the Spanish language and want to improve your grasp of it? Interested in children's education, teaching English, business development, nutrition, and/or sports & exercise? Want to take the lead in running, and even creating, service and development initiatives? Come serve abroad with Manna in Nicaragua, Ecuador, and possibly help start a new site in Guatemala!

College senior looking for something different before graduate school or the workforce? Apply for a 13-month Program Director position!

Still in school and looking for an enlightening and fulfilling summer opportunity? MPI Nicaragua and Ecuador take one- and two-month summer volunteers to assist with programs and to learn our communities and countries of focus.

Visit www.mannaproject.org and APPLY NOW!

almost adios

hello friends, christina here. I hope you enjoy these brief stories about friends, work, events, and life in general from the past few months. les quiero!

– if you know anything about my year in nica, you probably know that the cutest 6 year old on the planet, armando, has captured my heart. a hilarious story recently emerged about his trip to swim in our pool a few months ago. apparently when I told him we were going to my house to swim, he thought it meant my house in the USA. when he returned from the swimming adventure he told his mom that the USA was a lot closer than he thought, and that all of the houses were big like in the soap operas and have lots of stuff in them! bless his little heart, I’m gonna miss this guy! equally as cute was the day we took our students to see the movie ‘planet earth’. halfway through the movie, my coworker michael took all the little boys to the bathroom (small boys, small bladders). armando was completely lost in a modern day, gleaming white bathroom with stalls. michael placed him in a stall and went to help the others. when he returned a minute later, armando was standing in the same position. he looked up at michael quizzically and asked, “where do I do it?”

– a few of our fabulous summer volunteers put on a (much needed) sexual education talk for about 15 teenage girls from the local community, all of whom are our students and friends. despite the giggling and red cheeks, they listened attentively and thoroughly enjoyed a time talking with older women and each other about all the things you need to know to be a woman but perhaps never heard from your mom! we cleared up many antiquated myths, answered their many questions, shared funny stories, and ate yummy food. it was a rich time of fellowship with one another and, in our minds, was extremely successful to open a healthy dialogue about sexuality and their body. one of the most frustrating issues I’ve encountered in nicaragua has been the issue of women’s rights and expectations pressed upon them by their culture. women are the backbone of society and get no recognition for it. it’s very common for a girl to drop out of school because she’s pregnant at age 16 (or younger!), and most girls don’t go to school when they have their periods — what an unfair disadvantage to miss 1/4 of your schooling! women slave away raising children, cooking, cleaning, working other jobs and keeping steady homes, and all of the while (most) men run around having affairs and running out on their families. the lack of responsibility and leadership amoung the male population is sad, but can you blame them? they’re only following in their father’s footsteps.


– the girls soccer team from la chureca challenged us to a game, but this time gringas vs. nicas! tressa, the girls in our second group of summer vols and I headed to chureca one friday morning ready to play. the tiny, dirt field was sloped on one end and covered in holes and bumps; it seemed more like a game of pinball at times, the ball would jump around in every direction! at one point I ran into two girls from the other team and slightly sprained my ankle, not fun. unfortunately we ended up in a tie 0-0. most exciting was the crowd the game attracted! many of the moms and kids we know meandered over to watch and ended up taunting + cheering the players on the field.

– the dozens upon dozens of volunteers that stayed at our house this year provided the fuel for a wonderful event: a clothing sale in la chureca with the proceeds benefiting the clinic. with so many volunteers bringing donations, our house had turned into a packed thrift store. kathy august, a local missionary, holds a clothing sale every few months in the nearby community of cedro galan so we modeled our sale on her past events. a clothing sale had never been done in chureca (according to the families we know there) so it was wonderful to bless them in this way! we brought in dozens of suitcases, arranged the clothing and let the madness begin. we followed kathy’s rule of 15: 15 people inside the sale at a time, 15 minutes, 15 items of clothing each. the clothing and shoes were in good condition and we priced them dirt cheap. the line was out the door and we sold an insane amount of clothing! funny moment: a pregnant woman went to check out and tried to buy 30 items of clothing. we explained the 15 item rule and she promptly pointed to her swollen belly and explained that her unborn child counted as another person!

– the tears have begun to flow. tuesday night we had a goodbye / welcome party for the community in our little schoolhouse: goodbye for the old group and a welcome to the new group of volunteers who will spend the next year living la vida nica. the room was absolutely packed by the time we started (about 120 people!). we played a slide show of pictures from the year, said our goodbyes, welcomed the new group, and allowed nica friends to come up front and say a few words. tears were shed, some friends recited poems and played us songs, it was a beautiful affair. looking around the room I was overwhelmed by all of the nicaraguan friends we were surrounded by: students, neighbors, our new families. they will be greatly missed but never forgotten!

hasta luego, christina

fourth of july

Many of us have realized that this month (or in Laura’s case, two months) has been one of the greatest of our lives. For sure one of the best summer months ever. With working hard during the day and relaxing and bonding at night, loving the kids and volunteers nonstop, Manna breeds an environment that is like summer camp mixed with the peace corps. You serve and get served and love and get love, several times over every day. We are not wholly selfless- we have a pool, a house mom, and electricity despite our third world conditions. We are not selfish, either- we don’t have a TV set (to the disgust of many Nicas who watch telenovelas nightly) or air conditioning or a dishwasher. But what we’ve learned down here, among many other things, is that life is so much more than what you have (or what you don’t). And on the Fourth of July, a day where we wonder why Americans are so blessed (even the poor and hungry) and so fortunate, we can take a step back and just be thankful for it all. Our elections, while political and emotionally involved, are free from bloodshed or assassination. Our job market, while unsteady and chaotic, is at least able to provide for the majority of Americans and continues to provide a life above the world poverty line — unlike the workers in Chureca who live on less than $1 a day (called extreme poverty, and half of the world lives in that label). Our faith, while seemingly divided more and more each year with the onset of religions from Scientology to Kaballah to the church of people like Fred Phelps, at least allows peaceful coexistence...

Chase
Summer Volunteer

snapshots: community time

As the Manna house said goodbye to one group of summer volunteers and welcomed another, we spent a lot of time in the community... introducing new friends and sending old ones on their way, playing with kids and visiting the families we love.

to be young

Last Saturday morning, PDs and summer volunteers packed up and headed to Lake Xiloá for the day. We were prepared to be babysitters and lifeguards, waitresses and flotation devices. It wasn’t a trip for us; we’d planned an outing to the lake for the mothers and children in Manna’s Child Sponsorship program in La Chureca.

Over 70 moms and children boarded the two huge school buses, excited (and a little apprehensive) to arrive to the lake for a day of swimming, sun, and relaxation. As summer volunteers handed out bag lunches and sunscreen dollops, these young mothers prepped their children for swimming (by stripping them down to their underwear!). And the three hours that followed were like a pool party I’ve never seen. These small, brown kids ran along the banks and splashed around in the gentle waves, many completely submerged in water for the first time in their lives. Monica and Blanca crawled all over Sarah Lynn. Josué dolphin dived for hours, making his mom way too nervous when he’d do flips and handstands in the surf. Milton tossed the football around with Brian and Drew. These little Churequeros got to be children for the morning, carefree and able to play and frolic in a cool, safe place. And at the end of the day, their bodies were probably cleaner than they’d been in a long time!

More striking than the joy of these children, though, were the light hearts of the young mothers. Many are parents to multiple children and are still teenagers themselves. To see 18- and 19-year-old girls slaving through daily life in La Chureca to provide for their babies and to maintain their home is both heartbreaking and inspiring. But to witness these young women playing in the lake, tackling one another, tossing their children, playing tag… was remarkable. Many would set their squirming toddlers on the sand and ask gringos to watch them, only then to bounce out into the cold water and spin around in freedom. Their lined faces and hard eyes were lost in an innocent opportunity to be young and untroubled for just a few hours.


As a general rule, Nicaraguans cannot swim… so maybe it sounds crazy that we took almost a hundred friends to the water. But it was a day of immense joy (and sunburn) for all. And no one drowned!

Emily