Seventy-Two Memorable Hours in Colombia

One of the many perks of being a Program Director is being able to travel around and outside of Ecuador on our off days.  I fully took advantage of this during the holiday weekend of Guayaquil’s Independence by traveling to Colombia.  As both a history and current events buff, I knew Colombia would make an interesting trip because of its recent developments in finalizing a peace deal with its long-time civil war opponent Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC).

It would not have been possible to truly see the beauty of Bogotá and the areas surrounding it without the help of hostel owner, Lili.  While I was there, she was also hosting study abroad students from Mexico and a backpacker from Finland.  Lili showed complete Colombian hospitality with the added bonus of helping me practice my conversational Spanish and pronunciation.

                                                        Vincent and Lili

Early on my first morning, I left the city and traveled north to Zipaquirá to visit Catedral de Sal. Yes, you read that right: an underground salt cathedral in a cave. After a tour of the cathedral, I walked around the historic center and enjoyed some true Colombian arepas.

On my second day, I traveled just an hour outside Bogotá to a town called Choachí, which holds the tallest waterfall in Colombia (La Chorrera).  It stands at 590 meters (1935 feet) and is such a beautiful sight to behold.  Lili brought some of the other hostel guests on a day trip of hiking and swimming.  La Chorrera was one of the most incredible landscapes I’ve seen, and I was so surprised that I didn’t see more tourists along the hike coming to visit such a natural wonder.

Of course, a trip to Colombia wouldn’t be complete without a visit to the Historic Center.  This was an area I was looking forward to seeing, not only because of its history but also because of the high attention it's been given during Colombia’s recent political developments.  We made our way through museums, some of Bogotá’s first restaurants, oldest universities and colonial-era government buildings. Perhaps most interesting was passing the peaceful campers protesting in Bolívar Square.

Despite only spending three days in Colombia, I was quickly able to realize how warm-hearted Colombians are and how deep of a history Colombia has. I will always be grateful to Lili for making my trip unforgettable, and I hope to return as soon as I can.  

See yourself spending a weekend in Colombia? Apply now! 

Climbing Guagua Pichincha

Where do I even begin to explain the day I decided to climb a 4781m mountain-volcano-crater combo? Let’s start with its name, shall we? Aside from its alliteration and rhyme scheme being on point, it’s also a chance for you to pick up some Ecuadorian slang, so pay close attention! The mountain we climbed is called Guagua Pichincha; guagua is a word for baby (although the mountain was anything but a baby).  The name stems from some riveting folklore (that I’ve already forgotten because my guide explained it to me when I was thousands of feet in the air and completely out of breath) involving alien abduction, a worried father, and some drama with the surrounding sibling mountains. Guambrita, or guambra, is another Andean term used to describe a “youthful” person. So, to translate: American Youth Takes on Baby Mountain Volcano Thing. Now that that’s cleared up, we can dive into the actual events of the day.  

To start, let me share a little bit about me.  I’m athletically challenged, I have a slight fear of heights and I hate the outdoors. Given these characteristics, it is questionable as to why I decided to put on a helmet and harness and wrap myself in ropes to risk my little life scaling rocks for hours. I actually had no idea what I was signed up for until morning of when I decided (unfortunately) to google what the mountain actually was.  That’s when I found out that good ol’ Guagua Pichincha was actually an active volcano (but that I shouldn’t worry because its last eruption was all the way back in 1999).  A Wikipedia page had never freaked me out so much. 

Despite that “minor” concern, we were certainly given the best conditions for the climb.  We left at about 7am to begin the 2-hour drive through Quito to the reserve at the base of the mountain. It was quite possibly the clearest day I have ever seen ever in Ecuador. We were able to see every mountain and volcano across the horizon, including Chimborazo (the highest volcano in Ecuador and hardest to climb). There are almost no words to explain how incredible that view was; photos can barely do it justice.  

Upon reaching the reserve we were met by a team of mountain guides training for their International Guide certification. They handed us all of our (somewhat terrifying) equipment and we began almost immediately with the rock-scaling.  It was uphill for hours.  We were attached to our guides by ropes; they would go ahead up a rock face and after being given the “all clear” we would follow.  I was lucky enough to have Diego, one of the best rock climbers, as my mountain guide.  He was extremely patient with my lack of rock climbing grace, especially when I was expected to take bigger steps than my tiny legs could reach.  Every now and then we’d stop to eat a quick snack, grab some water and take in the views.  The higher up we climbed, the colder it got and the harder it was to breathe.  Great combination, I know.

Everything was a first for me that day. Everything. From the incredibly unstylish orange helmet to the act of wearing a harness to the rock climbing itself to the REPELLING DOWN THE SIDE OF A CLIFF. Yup, you read that right.  My life was completely in Diego’s hands every time I had to repel. 

Aside from a few scrapes and bruises and an unbelievably sore body, I made it out on top – literally. We climbed three different summits that day, and each one was more incredible than the previous one.  None of my friends or family could believe that I actually climbed a mountain when I told them.  I do know one thing though – I’d DEFINITELY do it all over again. All of it: the repelling, the tripping down the mountain during the descent (even with walking poles) and the seeing my life flash before my eyes every 30 seconds.  I’ve never been more proud of myself than I was that day. I highly recommend climbing something, anything, while in Ecuador, especially if it’s out of your comfort zone.  I promise it will change your life.  

See yourself climbing mountains in Ecuador? Apply now! 

Lost In Translation

Mishaps in Communication

No trip to a foreign country is complete without its fair share of language blunders and miscommunications.  If you’re an MPI Program Director living in Ecuador for an extended period of time, there is even more time to adequately embarrass yourself.  Although we have all taken Spanish classes in school, the Spanish language has still managed to confuse, tongue-twist and humiliate us in ways we just had to share.

We have swallowed our pride to form this list of false cognates (Spanish words that sound/look like English words but have different meanings) that we have either used ourselves or felt the need to warn other English speakers about. The list is organized in categories of increasing embarrassment, so if you’re going to pay attention to any particular section, it should probably be the last one!

Food Faux Pas:

·      Atún: This means tuna. Don’t forget it.

·      Aceituna: This means olives. No clue who made that decision!

·      Sano:  This means healthy. So don’t get worried when it sounds like people are talking about the mental health of vegetables (sane).

·      Limón: Lime. Lemons don’t really exist in Ecuador, which I guess makes this a bit easier.  However, I have heard a lemon referred to as a lima before, which makes my head spin.

·      Sopa: This means soup.  Soap is jabón. This will prevent you from asking your hotel for Campbell’s to clean yourself off in the shower.

You’ve Just Gotta Laugh at These:

·      Bombero: Fireman. The good guys. Don’t panic when you hear this word. Okay, maybe you should panic a little…and probably evacuate your house… but for fire reasons, not for explosives.

·      Codo:  Elbow. You’ll never get the Wi-Fi code if you use this word to ask for it.

·      Bizarro: Brave or valiant.

·      Bizarre: Strange or weird.  Get these straight when trying to explain to your friends about a cute guy you recently met.

·      Constipado: Congested. Relax - the people around you aren’t trying to open up to you about their personal digestive issues; they just have colds.

·      Carpeta: Folder. Usually only a problem if you are a teacher, an employee in a paper store or a person trying to redecorate your home.

·      Vaso: Glass. You’ll be disappointed at the size of the vase they give you for your flowers if this is what you ask for.

·      Librería: Bookstore. (Library is biblioteca). Usually only problematic if you had been expecting to check out a book for free and get to the counter and are asked to pay.

·      Soportar: To tolerate. If someone says this about their opinions of your ideas, just know that it doesn’t mean they’re passionately jumping on the bandwagon.

Now That’s Just Cruel:

·      Billón: A trillion.

·      Mil: A thousand. Don’t even get me started about these.

·      Colegio: High School.

·      Bachillerato: High School Diploma. Yup, I’m sure there are many people in this country who think I am less educated than I actually am.

·      Estrechar: To reduce; narrow.

·      Estirar: To stretch. Told ya these were cruel.

These May Cause Some Problems:

·      Condescender: To consent to; to comply.  You should probably start taking notes now.

·      Delito: Crime. Not as delightful as we’d expected.

·      Fabrica: Factory.  If you go into a store asking for some of this, you may get way more than you had asked for…

·      Éxito: Success. In case of an emergency, although yes, you’d probably want success, I think what you’re really looking for is the salida.

·      Caliente: Hot… as in attractive. If it’s a hot day, say tengo calor. You’ll sound way more humble.

·      Discusión: Argument. I may suggest making flash cards at this point.

·      Grosería: Vulgarity; bad word. Don’t ask for this. It won’t make you many friends.  Ask instead for la tienda or el mercado.

You REALLY Don’t Want to Mess These Up:

·      Introducir: To insert. If you want to introduce your male friend to a girl, use presentar. This will keep you from getting slapped.

·      Embarazada: Pregnant. You’ll be way more embarrassed if you mess this up than you were at whatever caused you to use the false cognate in the first place.

·      Molestar: To annoy; to bother. Don’t call the police if you hear two young kids using this word. He probably just pulled her hair or took her toy.

·      Nudo: Knot.  Imagine the possibilities of messing this one up…

·      Excitado: Sexually aroused.  If you’re just excited to see your friends or family or to start your new job, use emocionado. This will save you a lot of strange looks.

We hope you have enjoyed reading some of our most embarrassing misuses of language here in Ecuador...you may want to study up if you plan to visit!

Top Takeaways for a Manna Project Program Director

Being a Manna Project Program Director and working with underserved communities in Ecuador has been such a challenging, yet rewarding and incredible experience. After finishing my time with Manna Project in Ecuador, there are infinite things that I have learned about myself, international development, Ecuador, and more. Here are some of my top takeaways from my experience with Manna Project:

8. Patience

Part of moving abroad to any country or region is adjusting to all the cultural differences that you might not be used to from home. One of those major cultural differences between the United States and countries in Latin America is the difference in punctuality and scheduling. Here a meeting that was scheduled for 9:30 might not start until 10:00, or a bus might be an hour late and no one would think twice about it. Living in Ecuador and adjusting to this change has made me much more patience, and I've even come to see the beauty in taking my time doing things that matter, and enjoying the day.

Beyond just patience with cultural differences like punctuality, I have also learned how to be more patience with myself and others. Adjusting to a new culture, a new language, and a new environment can be emotionally draining, and I've learned throughout that process to give myself the time and space I need to respond well to difficult situations.

7. Becoming a Leader

There are endless leadership opportunities that Program Directors have during their time with Manna Project. From leading programs solo or with a group of fellow Program Directors or short-term volunteers, to leading and developing new events and projects, there is no doubt that Program Directors will take away new leadership skills no matter what! One of the most meaningful leadership experiences for me has been leading short-term volunteer Spring Break groups. Before leading my first group I had never worked on budgets or managed short-term volunteers before, but my diving in headfirst I learned new skills and gained confidence in my own leadership abilities.

The Spring Break 2015 volunteers from Vanderbilt University that I led worked on various project during their time in Ecuador, including working on a mural at a local preschool.

6. Meeting Like-Minded People

When incoming Program Directors gather in Miami in July for their orientation, they meet a group of strangers that are about to become their best friends and companions in their unique experience of living and volunteering abroad with Manna Project. It is an incredible feeling to be surrounded by like-minded people experiencing the same things as you: you will find in your fellow PDs support, encouragement, travel buddies, and life-long friends.

5. Travel, Travel, Travel!

Before coming to Ecuador I had already traveled a lot in Latin America, but spending a year living in Ecuador gave the chance to truly see everything the country has to offer. While I focused on traveling throughout Ecuador, other PDs use the opportunity to travel to places like Machu Picchu, Colombia, Patagonia, and other locations in Latin America that are unmissable. Ecuador and the rest of South America are so rich in beautiful beaches, soaring mountains, ancient ruins, and more, and using Ecuador as a home base for your travels is an incredible way to see it all.

One of South America's most beautiful sights, the Quilotoa Crater Lake in Ecuador! 

4. Learning (or Mastering!) a New Language

Being immersed in Spanish during your time with Manna Project will help you grow leaps in bounds, whether you arrive on-site as a beginner or already knowing a lot of Spanish! That's not to say that it won't be challenging to become fluent- it requires a lot of hard work and dedication whether you are studying it in college or living abroad and using it every day. However, being able to speak Spanish daily and learn new words and phrases from your new friends will help you immensely! Your Spanish skills will help you develop relationships with community members, and is a skill you can take with you wherever you go after your time with Manna Project comes to an end.

3. Professional Development Opportunities

My time with Manna Project has helped me grow from being a recent college graduate into a confident young professional. Manna Project offers Program Directors the opportunity to get involved in organizational roles like grant research and writing, social media, volunteer recruitment, and much more. I am leaving Manna Project feeling confident that I have the skills to help me find an impactful job in the non-profit sector. Check out this video where I talk more about the professional development opportunity for Manna Project Program Directors.

2. Cross-Cultural Relationships

One of the most precious aspects of the Program Director experience is certainly the ability to work closely with community members and form meaningful relationships with them. The community members we work with are always so inviting to Program Directors and strive to make them feel welcomed in the community. Incoming Program Directors spend time in homestays when they first arrive on-site, and often become close with their homestay families for the rest of their time there. I will miss the MPI community members I have gotten to know while I have been in Ecuador, along with other friends I have made along the way. Having built so many relationships here has made my experience so much more meaningful, but it also makes leaving very bittersweet!

In Ecuador, locals celebrate the Carnival holiday by taking to the streets and "playing," spraying each other with water, throwing eggs, flour, and colored dies, and playing with small fire extinguisher-like canisters that spray foam everywhere!

1. You'll Never Be the Same!

As corny as it may sound, your year in Ecuador or Nicaragua with Manna Project will stay with you forever. The experience of living abroad, the experience of working in community development, the experience of traveling and speaking a different language...they are all unique experiences that will change you forever. You will learn so much about yourself, others, and the world around you that you will never forget, and you will always have a different outlook on life because of it. To our incoming Program Directors and all those to come in the future...savor every minute of your experience! It will be one of the best, most impactful years of your life!

Apply today to be a Program Director in Ecuador or Nicaragua!

What is a Senior Program Director?

Manna Project International's long-term volunteers are called Program Directors, reflecting their role  in developing, leading, and managing all aspects of education, health, and livelihoods programs. While most Program Directors commit to staying in Ecuador or Nicaragua for between 5- and 13-months, others from both sites choose to stay for even longer. A Senior Program Director is a Program Director that has been chosen to stay for an additional year with MPI, focusing their second year on a specific on-site project, as well working with MPI staff in the States on a specific organizational role, such as volunteer recruitment, communications, or fundraising.

As Senior Program Director in Ecuador, I've had the opportunity in my second year of service with Manna Project to specialize my work, focusing in on the specific aspects of non-profit management that I'm interested in learning more about and skills I want to develop further. While part of the beauty of being a Program Director is the opportunity to experience managing a vast array of different types of programs and work on different types of organizational rules in a non-profit, I've enjoyed being able to dig deeper in certain organizational roles that I've been interested in.

Here I am leading one of our first entrepreneurship classes. Our graduates have a 100% success rate, going on to find jobs in their field or start their own small businesses.

My on-site program this year has been growing our livelihoods programming by focusing on developing entrepreneurship classes in developed in conjunction with our partner Education Global Access Program (E-Gap). Developing this new partnership and seeing our livelihoods programming evolve over my two years with MPI has been an extremely rewarding experience. Additionally, I have also devoted efforts on-site to working closely with our Country Director in all aspects of volunteer management and training, for Program Directors, summer interns, and short-term groups.

The organizational role that I was most interested in exploring further with MPI was our grant-writing and fundraising, and I have learned so much about it this year. I have been involved in writing 5 different grants, as well as organizing site visits for grant-giving organizations, working on writing grant reports, and participating in our different fundraising efforts. Additionally, I was able to gain more experience with all aspects of Manna Project's communications and social media by developing Ecuador-specific content across all our social media channels.

Beyond the incredible experiences I've gained through my time as a Senior Program Director with Manna Project, staying a second year in Ecuador has been an incredible opportunity to get to know Ecuadorian culture even more, and continue to enjoy living in Latin America. After a year I felt I was just finally starting to feel at home in Sangolqui, and I couldn't imagine uprooting myself and moving back to the States, or moving on to a different community within Ecuador. I now know our communities here inside and out, and consider Ecuador to be my home. The aspects of Ecuadorian culture that at first seemed strange to me and even caused me culture shock are now things I am entirely accustomed to and even enjoy. I continue to surprise myself every single day with how well I have adjusted to Ecuador and how much I have learned as a young professional and as a person over these past two years.

This photo was taken at our Bienvenida / Despedida party at the MPI community center. This is Yeimmy, one of my E-Gap entrepreneurship class students, with her daughter Violeta. Yeimmy's business is growing quickly, and she expressed that she uses information she learned in our classes almost every single day.

My former English student, Alexandra, at our Bienvenida / Despedida party. To learn more about her story, check out this video I made about her family's involvement in our programs.

While the Senior Program Director position isn't for everyone, it's something I would recommend to all Program Directors to keep in mind and carefully consider as they think about their time after Manna Project. Just as being a first-year Program Director is challenging yet extremely rewarding, so is the Senior Program Director position. It will help you reach your personal and professional goals, and experience the country you've grown to know and love even more deeply than you could after just 13-months.

Check out this video to learn more about professional development opportunities with Manna Project International, and learn a little more about my experience as a Senior Program Director.