Impressions of a Week in Nicaragua

Every January Professor Jackie Brennan from Worcester State University brings her occupational therapy students to Nicaragua as part of her Learning and Service in Nicaragua course. They volunteer with special needs children and visit our programs. This past week we hosted 7 volunteers and asked them to reflect on their experience.

We came to Nicaragua for the week to work with the children at Tesoros de Dios, a school for children with disabilities in Managua. We collaborated with the physical therapists, teachers, and other staff at the school to assist them in providing the best care for the children there. Both the staff and the families were very welcoming and appreciative of our presence. Not only was this an educational experience it was rewarding to volunteer our time with the children at Tesoros de Dios.

Our stay at the Manna house was comfortable and the staff was welcoming and accommodating. They went above and beyond, assisting us with travel and translations. Not only did they assist us with our scheduled activities, they invited us to accompany them in their community based activities. This gave us a chance to experience the local culture and speak with families in the community. It was an amazing experience to see first hand the impact the group of Program Directors has on the community. Whether it be allowing kids to explore their creative ways at Camp J.A.M., provide medical care to those in need, or supporting the children of Villa Guadalupe by providing milk, iron, or food; the people of Manna give their all and better the lives of everyone they serve.

Overall, our week in Nicaragua is one we will never forget. We have all taken away much more than we gave and learned so much from the students and staff at Tesoros de Dios, the Manna PDs, and each and every community member we had the chance of meeting. It is with great pleasure that we return to the US to share with our families, friends, and classmates what a life changing experience this week in Nicaragua has been.

Click here for more pictures from their week in Nicaragua.

Looking back. Moving forward.

by: Kate Feeney

This month promises to be an exciting one here at MPI Nicaragua.  Although we were sorry to say goodbye to three of our 5-month fellow Program Directors, we are happy to introduce three new PD’s to take their place and join our Mannamily. We are all excited to get to know them better, as well as see how their energy and dedication help our programs grow. It is also exciting to see the new direction in which some of our programs are heading. After our last retreat in December, we discussed the positive growth of Women’s Computer, Business Development, and our Jewelry Cooperative will undergo in the following months.  Women’s Computer will be designing a more concrete syllabus with a more specific goal. They will aim to standardize a curriculum and target university-age girls and women seeking to enter the work force, providing the tools these women need to advance their careers or educations. 

 

Business Development will also undergo restructuring. Instead of a classroom-based curriculum, we will be revamping our microfinance program.  Three entrepreneurial community members will be chosen who will create business plans and receive short-term loans.  Our goal is to use these loans to augment already existing businesses and to have full repayment of these loans by August. 

Despite some vehicular technicalities on our way to the beautiful Playa Gigante, our retreat was overall successful and marked a change in how we have conducted retreats in the past.  This retreat we were responsible for doing research and creating presentations that focused on broadening our understanding of International Development Goals and where Nicaragua specifically fits into the larger scheme of world development.  More importantly, we discussed what role Manna plays here on the ground, and how our goals align with the United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals (about which you can read here). 

These presentations were highly instructive, both to help us better understand Manna’s place in the greater world of non-profit organizations, as well as Nicaragua’s place in the international sphere.  Nicaragua remains the second poorest country in GDP per capita in Latin America, and while the education and infrastructure have both improved since the revolution, it is clear that Nicaragua still has a long way to go.  We also learned that water is not as efficient as coolant for the wellbeing of micro-van engines, but that is neither here nor there.

Our final night on retreat ended with a documentary on the history of Nicaragua as well.  Nicaragua was plagued with a dictatorship that fell in the late 70’s, and faced civil strife for nearly ten years after that.  Despite relative political stability since then, the country has also faced a serious earthquake and continuing poverty.  This documentary was the culmination of a retreat intended to heighten the PD’s awareness of life and culture in Nicaragua, to help us better understand the communities in which we work and the people with whom we have formed such personal relationships. Overall, the retreat ended a successful five months and we are all looking forward to see what the next seven have in store.

The 2013 LtN Cup

The inaugural LtN Cup was held this past Saturday in conjunction with our partner Lacrosse the Nations. To say it was a success is an understatement. The kids left every ounce of energy they had on the field and, thanks to some incredibly generous donors, we were able to reach our goal and raise over $6,500 for LtN’s feeding programs and the forwardHEALTH clinic.

The girls kicked things off on Saturday. They were split into two teams and played four extended quarters over the course of the day. After the first two quarters the score was 5-0. Although both teams gave it their all, Las Estrellas had too much firepower and won 7-1.

Las Estrellas showing off the hardware

The boys were divided into two groups – Club Hope and Chiquilistagua (Chiqui) – with eight teams total. The teams played each other in a round robin tournament to decide the top four teams, two from each group. In the Chiqui group the two top competitors swapped goals in fierce battle. Meanwhile, in the Club Hope group, the teams were so evenly matched that the last spot in the semis was decided by goal differential.

Battling for groundballs

The semis did not disappoint. Both games were extremely competitive and were decided by one goal. The championship game was more of the same with Club Hope holding a one-goal lead for most of the game. With about a minute to go Chiqui had several close calls but could not tie the game and Club Hope clinched a victory by two goals

Club Hope kids celebrating the Championship!

Afterwards we all sat down together and shared every kid’s favorite meal – pizza. Once our bellies were sufficiently stuffed with za’s we handed out prizes to the Top Goal Scorer (boy and girl), the Best Defender (boy and girl) and trophies for the two winning teams. All of the players who participated also received a medal as a reward for their hard work and sportsmanship.

In the end the LtN Cup really wasn't about wins, losses or who scored the most goals – though the kid’s competitiveness was on full display. It was about coming together, having fun and doing something positive. After almost a month of planning, promoting and fundraising we were able to pull off an incredibly fun day for the kids while furthering our goal of providing quality health care in their community. 

To all of you who donated to make this tournament possible, THANK YOU. The day would not have been a success without your support.

For more pictures, visit the LtN Facebook page here.

forwardHEALTH

by Kate Squires 

This year marks the 10^th anniversary of Manna Project International’s presence in Managua, Nicaragua. Our Child Sponsorship Program, Girls & Boys Health classes, and Nutrition/Exercise program are all part of our holistic approach to health and wellness. This year is special to Manna as it celebrates its anniversary, but to the 12 Program Directors that live in Nicaragua, this year, this month means something a little different. Last week we opened the first MPI run and operated clinic in the community of Cedro Galan.  

Access to health care was the most urgent request when the community needs assessments were done just a year ago. Prior to the first interview with our nurse, a PD was walking up to the clinic site when she heard a girl screaming nearby.  She ran to find 7 year-old Sara having just fallen off of her bike. With an injured foot and no resources, it was a telling sign that our clinic couldn’t open soon enough. Over the next few weeks, a constant PD presence kept her foot clean, dry, and wrapped to prevent infection and severe scarring. We bartered cookies for cleaning and because of that she is now walking and will have no permanent damage. Sara is one of the many examples that we encounter daily in Cedro Galan.

One of the main reasons I chose MPI for my year of volunteering, was because of the impact that I would be able to see before starting my own journey in the health care world. Many of the patients we will see at the clinic are people that do not have the resources to travel to a hospital, or even spend the time to wait for a doctor. Everyday that the clinic doors are open, we have the opportunity to create change in a way that we were not capable of before last week.

Up until October 25^th, 2013 we were worried just how long those doors would stay open. However, on October 25^th, we successfully raised over $11,500 with the help of over 100 generous donors! The clinic has now met the needed budget for the next year because of the success of our 25 in 25 match event. We could not be more grateful for all of the donations and support we have received thus far.

Our next fundraising event will be held on November 23^rd, 2013 in conjunction with our partner organization, Lacrosse the Nations. For more info on how to get involved check out the event here, LtN Health Cup. After 10 years on the ground in Nica, we are excited about how our presence and programs are evolving. We would not be the organization we are today without the help of supporters like you. With every donation you are making measurable change.

Our first Mannamily retreat.

This Sunday is our 3-month mark, three months of progress, three months of challenges, and three months of working together. A few weeks ago we had the opportunity to talk about the accomplishments and challenges of the last couple of months at our very first PD retreat. With the amount of programs we lead we are generally all going 100 miles a minute and not usually in the same direction. So our first retreat gave us the chance to meet in a way that we hadn’t been able to since our July orientation in Miami. 

One Thursday, we all piled into the micro and departed to one of the most beautiful places in Nicaragua, Laguna de Apoyo. Laguna de Apoyo is a crater lake in between the cities of Masaya and Granada. When we arrived we were all shocked to see the georgous lake and home we would be sharing for the next two days. We quickly unpacked and sat down for our first meeting. Over the course of two days we were able to plan, evaluate, share ideas, and even have a little fun!

With all 13 of us together and the experiences we have had so far, we were able to set long-term and short-term goals for the remainder of our time here in Nicaragua. We had the opportunity to split into our program groups and evaluate what is and isn’t working and plan ahead based on the new knowledge we’d gained. We were able to do team building activities to get to know each other even better than before.

Since returning from our retreat we have implemented strategies to help us reach our goals. We are now having Spanish Thursdays, during which we are allowed to speak in Spanish and Spanish only. We have had the chance to implement new program ideas and new roles within each program. We have seen programs grow, shift, and evolve from the ideas we came up with in just two short days.

With our next retreat just two months away we are excited to see the programs continue to grow. We are hoping to see our Spanish vastly improve and are working hard to reach that goal. There will be different obstacles we face along the way, but again we will have to opportunity to evolve as time goes on. We know that with each new day there is an opportunity for us all to do great things together. Challenge accepted.

JAMmin' for Camp!

By: Kate Squires

Before the new Program Directors flew into Managua, there was a desire to create a fun and challenging learning experience for kids. A place where kids could use pastels, dance to music, or enter into a magical world created by Dr. Seuss. This was the purpose behind creating Camp JAM. The first month and a half of Camp J.A.M. has proved to be both a success as well as a growing experience for the kids of Cedro Galan. The J.A.M. in our name is not only letters but represents our weekly rotation J: juegos or games, A: arte, and M: musica.

Growing up in the United States it is so easy to think that kids all over the world shared similar experiences to mine whether it be coloring, eating dirt cups with gummy worms, or simply making musical instruments. This was a preconceived notion that quickly changed the day we told the kids we were going to eat dirt and mud. After learning the English words for worm, dirt, and mud the activity turned into an amazing time that enabled the kids to think outside the box and complete a lesson that challenged their creativity.  

Being in Nicaragua for almost two months has changed my perspective on what matters in life. I often think that we take for granted the accessibility of paper, books, or simply a friendly face. For the kids of the Cedro Galan community, Camp JAM is an escape where they be told a story, make tambourines, or simply laugh with their peers. It is a learning environment that allows these children to channel their energy and challenge them to think in ways they have never had to before.

Last week we learned about complimentary colors, shapes, pattern and animals. We did an art project that tied all three parts of the lesson together. That day we had a surprising but familiar face at camp. This new camper had previously given our English classes a hard time by throwing rocks into the classroom.  We explained to him that if he wanted to participate, he would have to listen to the lesson and not be a distraction to the other kids. He agreed and what followed surprised all of us. After placing pastels in his hand we soon saw that he was a fantastic artist and began creating amazing drawings. We all realized that Camp JAM was more than just a once a week time for the kids to play, but a way to change the lives of the Cedro Galan community members. It took a sometimes-problematic kid and gave him something to work on and be challenged by. To give them something to look forward to the next week and tell their families about: how they ate mud and worms today, or learned how to create musical instruments. Not all the kids at camp are like him, however, it shows the impact that we have on these kids. To give them resources they never would've been exposed to and a safe place to be themselves.

All of the PDs involved are excited to grow Camp JAM even further to include more kids and the possibility of having camp twice a week.  We are so pleased with the progress we have had over the last two months and cannot wait to see what the next year has in store!