Written by Isaac Blumenthal, Fall ‘22 PD
My experience working with Manna Project International was truly life changing. When arriving in Ecuador, I was very concerned with how I’d adapt to the culture. After a few weeks, I realized that it wouldn’t be such a big issue after all. With the help of local volunteers and locals who are part of the Manna team, the transition to Ecuador is not so bad. They will show you around town, invite you out with their friends, and some adult students are also very hospitable in hosting PDs for dinner occasionally.
For me, the hardest adjustment was the language as I entered Ecuador speaking no Spanish at all. The humility and warmth in the town of Sangolqui is unbelievable. People all around town are so friendly and will often give a warm smile when passing by others despite having never spoken before. Seeing that side of the world is surreal especially given that people in the US generally are not as warm.
I saw a lot of personal growth throughout this experience in my interactions. Whether it was benefitting my public speaking or simply interacting with populations of people I am unfamiliar with, I saw growth within myself. Personally, I have always been more of a homebody and this experience gave me a different perspective to living away from home and out of the US. I also feel I now have a greater understanding of how people live outside of the western society that I am a part of. I see the struggles that some have to overcome just to make a few bucks.
My favorite part of the entire experience was the opportunity to explore the great outdoors. I was unaware of my love for nature and hiking until I had arrived. The idea of being able to hike volcanoes whenever I wanted and being able to see volcanoes from the Manna house and from the streets simply never got old. The Amazon Rainforest also being 5-6 hours away from Sangolqui was marvelous. There are countless outdoor activities throughout the country and it is most definitely the most gorgeous country I’ve ever been to.
