A Bittersweet 'Despedida'

          The time has come to say goodbye to the program directors of 2010-2011 and transition into the new group of volunteers for the upcoming year, which always makes for a difficult yet exciting change.  Two nights ago in El Farito we held our annual despedida party, formally presenting the new volunteers to the community and giving the old ones a chance to say goodbye.  This year was unique in that we had the opportunity to introduce the new program director, Katie Messick, to the community as well.  Even though this happens every year, it still was no easy task for the program directors to bid farewell to all of the people they had become so close with this past 10-13 months.
          So the evening began with a trivia game that required the community to investigate into the lives of the new program directors, trying to discover which of the volunteers paired up with the list of trivia facts given.  Then after Amira introduced Katie and the new program directors, a handful of girls from the community performed both folklore and reggaetown dances.  Along with the help of program directors Steph and Carly, the girls were all dressed up for the occasion, wearing traditional Nicaraguan skirts and tops with makeup and hair to along with it; they all looked beautiful and danced wonderfully.  It was then time for each of the program directors of 2010-2011 to say their own special goodbye, which lead into the final and probably most anticipated event, the photo slideshow.  The slideshow was a brief five minute video of pictures that captured just a handful of the many memories and experiences that took place this past year.  The rest of the night was then spent eating cake and hanging out with the community members.  There were tears and there was laughter and of course photos being snapped in every which direction, making the entire evening absolutely awesome but definitely bittersweet as well.

A snapshot of the community members present.

Dayana dressed up in her traditional Nicaraguan folklore outfit.

Cake!

The new program directors of 2011-12.

Steph and Carly dancing with some of the community members.

Community Spotlight

Laura Zelaya 

“I wouldn’t have this store today if it wasn’t for Manna Project,” says Laura Zelaya as she begins to tell the story of her nearly eight year long relationship with MPI.  “Manna Project gave me confidence. They showed me that I could do something besides cooking and cleaning, that I could run a business.”

Laura Zelaya awakes at 5:30 every morning to prepare breakfast for her husband and daughter as they get ready for work and school, and often does not rest her head until 11 at night.  In certain ways, her days are similar to those of many Nicaraguan women – full of cooking, cleaning, washing clothes, and taking care of her family.  But unlike most of her peers, Laura’s daily life includes very welcome interruptions:  calls of “Buenas!” from a steady stream of neighbors coming to buy soda, snacks, and toilet paper from the small store (venta) that Laura runs out of her house.

Laura first became acquainted with the organization through Kathy and Halle August, independent missionaries who own the two community centers in Chiquilistagua and Cedro Galan in which MPI holds programs.  She had petitioned fiercely (and successfully) to get her only daughter, Laurita, into the Augusts’ preschool, even though Laurita was a few months shy of the minimum age.   Lori Scharffenberg, one of the founders and current executive director of MPI, was a preschool teacher at the time, and developed a strong bond with Laurita. Despite her family’s close relationship with Lori and the successful children’s programs MPI ran in the community, Laura was a bit skeptical of the help that MPI could provide to help lift families out of poverty.  At the time, her family lived in a tiny, one-room house, and survived solely on Laura’s income as a housekeeper, as her husband was unable to find work in construction.  So, a few years later, when MPI started a microfinance and business development program, Laura made the life-changing decision to attend the first class.

In the microfinance program, Laura learned the structure of a sound business plan, the basics of accounting, and the expectations of loan repayment.   She won a loan to start selling clothes within the community, and her career business took off.  As the sole breadwinner in her family, she kept her daughter well nourished and clothed, and she still beams when talking about her proudest moment: the day that she was able to buy a new door for her house.  Laura also became part of an initiative developed  by two MPI Program Directors that encouraged local women to become seamstresses.  

She and her sister-in-law sewed aprons and bags, which they sold to visiting volunteer groups for a profit of $5 apiece.   Laura went to work in a local store when this program ended, but eventually felt she was not receiving enough pay for her work.   She began selling helados (homemade ice cream) and enchiladas out of her house in order to supplement her income.  Very slowly, she started saving money and developing a business plan for her own store.  Over the past year, Laura’s store has flourished.  Combined with her husband’s income from construction, the family has been able to expand their house.  Although the organization did not provide a loan for her current business, Laura credits MPI with giving her the knowledge, inspiration and drive to start her own store.  She also thanks MPI for instilling a love of learning in her now 10 year-old daughter, who has taken literacy and math classes with MPI and is one of the most dedicated students in its English program.

Laura, an outgoing and patient woman, constantly shows her gratitude to MPI by helping new Program Directors learn Spanish and welcoming them into her home.  As her store grows, she hopes to give back to the community by serving as an example of success for others who are starting businesses.

Final Retreat

The three week mark has come for us program directors of the year 2010-2011and so as one of our last little hoorahs before we leave we went on our final retreat this past week with Amira.  Throughout the year we go on about three of four retreats that give us an opportunity to catch up with each other and discuss how things are going.  So Wednesday morning everyone packed into the micro and headed out towards Granada.  After a yummy and pleasantly filling breakfast at Kathy’s waffle house, we then piled into a boat and headed out towards the isletas, which was where we were to stay.  The isla that was ours for the night was a quaint little house with a giant pool, lots a hammocks and sitting areas to read and rest, and lots of beautiful trees and flowers.  In between the rain we went canoeing, swam, read in the many hammocks spread around the property, played cards, and then just spent time resting and relaxing.

Then for dinner we shared a deliciously big Mexican potluck and talked about our past year here; what was good, what was most memorable and what we have learned.  Despite most of our resistance to talk initially, I think that we all appreciated the chance to reflect with each other.  I think it is safe to say that none of us are the exact same person we were when we arrived, and so to be able to share that with the people we are closest with here was great.  And it wasn't all sad talk either.  Some of our most memorable moments where actually pretty comical, such as stories about getting the car stuck or trying to deal with the crazy weather or traffic.  Overall it was a great trip, and now we are back in Managua to finish out our time.  We now also have the next few weeks to look forward to getting to know the new program directors, who arrive back from language school this Friday.  

In the boat heading out towards the isletas.

The guys enjoying their down time.

The house on the isleta where we stayed.

Will and Dane throwing the frisbee.

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. 

Women's Exercise Gets Creative

        Having the summer volunteers here had been a huge blessing and help in more ways than one, and the energy and creativity that they bring to all of the Manna programs has been truly beneficial.  One of the programs that has specifically been helped for the better is women's health and exercise.  I, Megan, am the teacher/leader of this program, and I often time have trouble finding new music or thinking of new routines or activities to keep the women engaged and on their toes.  Well all of the girls have been more than willing and excited to help, and the program has in my opinion progressed for the better.  
         During the first summer session one of the volunteers, Maddy, taught a Zumba class which the women absolutely loved because they all naturally love to dance.  For those who do not know Zumba is a dance class that mixes Latin American music and modern pop; so much fun.  Then this past week one of the current summer volunteers taught a Bollywood dance routine, which is something that the women and many of us have ever seen before, and was also super fun.  Along with dancing, the girls have helped me lead yoga and strength classes as well as a water aerobics class here at the Manna house pool. Even though most of the women did not know how to swim, it didn't prevent them from getting in and getting involved.  Another thing that I  wanted to incorporate into the program was a bit more focus on health and how to have a healthy lifestyle, and one of the summer volunteers was a nutrition major at school.  So she helped me gather some really informative and helpful resources to give the women about eating right and having a healthy diet and living a healthy life.  With all of the wonderful help at my fingertips now I am definitely going to miss all of this summer help. They are, however, leaving me with some great ideas that I hope to be able to use in the future.   

Summer volunteer Priyanca leading Bollywood.  

More bollywood.

Water aerobics at the Manna house.  

Summer volunteer Maddy leading Zumba class.

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!