One of the excellent things about
being a part of Manna Project is the chance to fully get to know Ecuador, in
all the diverse aspects of its society.
This past Tuesday, at the request of adult English student Guillermo
Cuaspud, all seven PDs as well as country director Darcy Phillips helped
administer a test for Ecuadorian soldiers in a United Nations Peacekeepers
training program. The experience
afforded an opportunity to meet soldiers in the Army and see the inside of a
military base.
The event last Tuesday was an
English test for soldiers in a UN Peacekeepers training course. The Peacekeepers training demands that
they have a basic understanding of English, and Guillermo, who is program
director Emily Samson’s advanced English student, asked that MPI participate in
an assessment of the soldiers English ability, in order for the soldiers to
hear and respond to commands dictated by native speakers.
The assessment was divided into
six sections, where each PD manned a table and asked the soldier a series of
questions, ranging from “How do you spell your name?” and “What is your job?”
to directing soldiers to pick up a walkie-talkie and request medical
support.
After the assessment was over,
each of us were presented with a light blue hat with the UN Peacekeepers logo
and Ecuadorian flag on the side.
It was a very interesting experience for each of us, and we hope that we
played our part in preparing future UN Peacekeeper soldiers for their
jobs.
Guillermo Cuaspud (left) explains the exercise to PD Nicole Hamilton
Emily Samson giving orders to toy soldiers while future UN peacekeeping soldiers practice their English
Team Manna and the Peacekeeper trainees posing after the exercise