Quarter 3 Retreat: The Beach!

Over the past three days, the Manna Project Ecuador team took a much-needed break as we headed to the coast for our Quarter 3 retreat. We headed out of the Andes mountains, home to our MPI site in the Los Chillos Valley, and down to the coast, to the beautiful beach paradise of Súa, Ecuador.

Ecuador is home to three distinct regions on its mainland: the coast, the mountains, and the Amazon rainforest; in all of our retreats we've been able to experience all of them! Although I'll always be partial to the mountains that we call home with Manna Project, the coast of Ecuador has some of the most beautiful beaches in all of South America, and it was so relaxing to spend some time on the beautiful white sand in front of the ocean!

One of the highlights of our trip was the incredible seafood that we ate at almost every meal. Súa is in the Esmeraldas province, and region with a mix of different influences and cultures, which gives it a unique and special cuisine. Some of the culinary highlights we enjoyed included:

Arroz con Camarón, a delicious dish shrimp, vegetables, and a special fried rice

Encebollado, one of Ecuador's most traditional dishes, a soup made from white fish and yucca, a root vegetable.

Ceviche, a dish made from fresh raw fish or shrimp, cured in lime juice and mixed with tomato, onion, and cilantro

...and every type of fish and seafood dish you can imagine!

It was wonderful relaxing at the beach with my fellow Program Directors and spending some time getting to know another area of Ecuador that's so different from the area of Quito and the Los Chillos Valley we've gotten to know so well during our time with Manna Project.

Spotlight on the Community!

Have you seen our Star of the Week and Community Member Spotlights on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter? Stars of the Week (Ecuador) and Community Spotlights (Nicaragua) are our favorite posts on Manna Project's social media. We found that our former Program Directors, donors, and partner organizations wanted to get a more personal feel for the communities we impact in Latin America. As a result, we created the weekly #CommunitySpotlight and #StarOfTheWeek series!

Since September, every week in Ecuador we've selected one child from our community center, English classes, or work with partner organizations to be our #StarOfTheWeek. Children are so pleased when they find out they've been selected, and they love seeing their picture up on our "Estrella de la Semana" board in our community center every week. They also provide us with some fun information as well, like their age and birthday, (which helps us remember when we have birthdays to celebrate!), favorite activities in the community center, favorite books, and favorite food.

Meet some of our past Stars, and be on the look out for our #StarOfTheWeek features on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter!

Mateo

Mateo, 8, is a constant fixture in our community center, and always knows how to make Program Directors smile. He loves lemon-lime Doritos, playing video games, and riding his bike with his dad.

 

 

 

 

 

Jessica

Jessica is five years old and she loves coloring and attending Manna Project's Creative Arts club. She also loves dancing and spending time with MPI Program Directors. Thank you, Jessica, for being part of our incredible #community!

 

 

 

 

 

William

William is a community center regular and a student at Chaupitena, a local partner school where we hold English clubs with William and his classmates. William was our Star of the Week from October 5th-11th. He loves reading, drawing, and the fruit salad he learned how to make in Manna Project's Healthy Living class for children and youth.

Priscila

Priscilla constantly has a smile on her face and enjoys playing with her friends in our community center and getting to know Program Directors better. She is always a good sport and is an encouragement to those around her....we're so thankful she is part of our #community!

 

 

 

Elvis

Elvis, our Star of the Week from November 30th-December 6th, is another fixture at our community center. He loves playing Hungry Hungry Hippos, playing computer games with his cousin, and reading Scooby Doo books.

Semana Santa in Vilcabamba, Ecuador

 

A beautiful Semana Santa

Semana Santa is the Easter celebration in Spanish-speaking countries. Everything shuts down for at least four days, Thursday through Sunday. Communities come together to celebrate with processions, gatherings and family meals. Many people head for the countryside or the beach - we headed to Vilcabamba for a nice break to do a whole lot of sweet, sweet nothing. It was quite the #vacationwin!

This trip during Holy Week was filled with a plane ride through the Sacred Valley of Vilcabamba, lots of good food, massages, naps, and Easter Mass. It was just what the doctor ordered.

Vilcabamba, Ecuador is known for the longevity of its people's lives. Vilcabambenses, or natives of Vilcabamba, tend to live over 100 years, and they say there's definitely something in the water. So, of course we stocked up!

Vilcabamba is home to a large population of American ex-pats and also sees a large amount of foreign travelers, as opposed to other parts of the country. This made for a friendly, diverse, and easily bilingual travel destination - perfect for a short vacation.

Vilcabamba has a more tropical climate than Quito, and we thoroughly enjoyed the warm, humid weather and spectacular views for a few days.

Happy Easter from Ecuador!

Want to spend next Easter in Ecuador? Join us!

Program Director applications are due April 5th. 

Climbing Cotopaxi

On Monday, July 20, 2015, MPI Program Directors Evan Quinnell, Michael Weiner and Allegra Mangione climbed the summit of Cotopaxi in Ecuador. Just weeks later, Cotopaxi, an active stratovolcano, began to rumble. Evan reflects on the experience of a lifetime!

Climbing Cotopaxi

By Evan Quinnell

Looking back now, it’s hard to fathom that we actually summited Cotopaxi.
 
We’d built this day up in our minds for over six months. First as an idea, and then through a number of months preparing for the climb; we practiced by climbing six nearby peaks at lower altitudes.

In June, we began receiving notification from the U.S. State Department regarding the volcanic activity coming from Cotopaxi. As amateur climbers, we were a little concerned that we may have to postpone our climb, but we kept hope and continued our training, summiting nearby Ruminahui and Illiniza Norte in June and July. 
 
Less than one week before climbing Cotopaxi, Mike and I were working with English students at the local university in the Chillos valley, ESPE. The English professor, Sonia, explained to us that the Ecuadorian geophysic institute had just raised the volcanic alert level that week and that ESPE was convening university leaders and students for refuge planning in case of extreme emergency. Sonia was convinced there was no way we could climb!
 
Then, just two days before the summit, our professional guides assured us that the reports for that weekend were safe. Some of the concern for Cotopaxi at times can be exaggerated, but it is with great caution. If the volcano is to fully erupt, the nearby towns and valleys could experience volcanic ash, glacial melt, and mudslides. The most recent major eruption, in 1877 before there were warning systems in place, destroyed the nearby city of Latacunga.
 
We may have been crazy to climb Cotopaxi when we did, but I feel extremely fortunate to have made it to the top with Michael and Allegra.
 
From the beginning, Michael, Allegra, and I were determined we would do everything in our power to reach the summit. During our time in Ecuador, we had met people who had to turn back before the summit due to extreme wind and ice storm conditions. We were hopeful that would not be us. 
 
On July 18th we took the bus into Quito to meet up with our guides. At the shop we were outfitted with all the necessary snow pants and jackets, harnesses, helmets, crampons, and ice picks. From there, we rode just over two hours into Cotopaxi National Park. We arrived near the foot of the volcano where a number of tourists were reveling in the beauty of the beast of Cotopaxi. 

From the parking area, we needed to haul our gear up slope for about 45 minutes to the climbers' refuge. At this point in the day, we were optimistic as the weather seemed relatively clear and stable. 

Arriving to the refuge at about 3:00 pm, we had time to relax, acclimatize, fuel up in the small dining hall, and get a brief training on Ice pick and crampon use. Although harness, ice picks, and crampons are necessary to summit Cotopaxi, the climb is more of an endurance and altitude test rather than an extremely technical one. 

At 6:00 pm we had a dinner prepared by the refuge crew of pasta, pork chops, cole slaw and tea. At this point the climb became real. In just six hours, we would be off for the summit. Following dinner we had time for a quick five hour rest before it was time to get our gear in order.

Laying in the cold and bare refuge bunks, we attempted get some sleep before we would leave to begin climbing at midnight. Through the wood-paneled walls I could hear the wind howling outside of the refuge. We were legitimately worried, that we would encounter less-than-desired conditions. Thankfully, when we got outside at midnight, our fears retreated. There was a sense of calm I have rarely, if ever, experienced. In the pitch black night, Mike, Allegra, our new friend Benji, and our two guides made our way 30 minutes to the glacier line. We paused to attach our crampons and connect by rope line to our respective guides in groups of three. Slowly but surely, guided by the headlamps attached to our helmets, we made our way up the snow and ice. 

We were fortunate to have good conditions the entirety of our climb. One of the highlights of climbing in the night/early morning was the ability to see Quito and the surrounding city lights far off in the distance. Not to mention the spectacular star show. 

There were a few moments when we struggled with the altitude, but we kept pressing on. With very few breaks for water and chocolate, the climb seemed to never end...and finally, as the sun began to rise shortly after 6:00 am, we were in the final stretch. 

We passed a few fellow climbers who were on their way back down. "Ten more minutes, you'll be to the top," they said. Ten minutes was more like thirty minutes, but at approximately 6:30 am we reached the summit having reached 19, 347 feet.

It was a surreal feeling. We had made it. After six months of dreaming and with a few significant obstacles to overcome, we were above the clouds and could see to what seemed like infinity. The mountains and volcanoes we had climbed in the previous six months were off in the distance, along with others we had yet to attempt.

Quito, the Chillos Valley, and nearby cities like Latacunga were below. What was probably the most incredible was to look down into the volcanic crater. The vast opening of nothingness made it clear: we were at the peak of Cotopaxi. 

Our guides had told us the night before that two years from now, significant eruptions would likely render it impossible to climb Cotopaxi as we know it again. Little did we now that only a month later, eruptions would begin to occur, spewing ash and putting the country on serious alert. 

It is hard to believe that for quite some time we will be some of the last people to have summited the worlds tallest active volcano. 

I have no regrets and am fortunate to carry this experience with me for the rest of my life. 

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Want to experience your own unforgettable adventures?
Join MPI as a Program Director in Ecuador or Nicaragua.

Applications due April 5th. 

Spring Break in Ecuador

It was a busy week in Ecuador: we had not one, but TWO incredible spring break groups on site participating in programs, revamping the community center and more. We love hosting short-term volunteers on site during the spring and fall. Visiting teams give us a fresh perspective on programs as well as provide the time and manpower to complete innovative and fun projects. But the best part about welcoming visiting teams is watching them grow through the opportunity to use their passions and talents to give back to underserved communities in Latin America.

Vanderbilt University

Students from Vanderbilt planned and participated in health and wellness projects. They also lent a helping hand painting the kitchen in the community center, building desks for our education programs, and making a beautiful mural at a preschool in Fajardo, a nearby school district.

While Program Directors were occupied teaching English on Saturday morning, the Vanderbilt team also surprised us with an incredible mural, the first thing community members will see when they enter the community center. We finished out the week with a beautiful and relaxing hike at Molinuco, a nearby ecological refuge with a series of stunning waterfalls.

The University of Georgia

Students from the University of Georgia worked on projects for teenagers in our community. They got to know the students by hosting a teen center movie night and carnival day, and also conducting a spelling bee with English students at Chaupitena, a local primary school where Program Directors teach English.

They also left their mark on the teen center by giving it a fresh coat of paint! After a long week of hard work, UGA students headed to Quito to visit the equator, tour the Ecuador historical center, and enjoy some wonderful Ecuadorian food!

Our incredible community members

A highlight of the trip for both groups was dinner in the home of some of our incredible community members. We were so touched by their hospitality (and cooking skills!), and they were excited to get the chance to know our amazing and dedicated spring break volunteers. Manna Project wouldn't be where it is today without the support and participation of our dedicated community members!

Thank you to our wonderful spring break teams!
 

Experience all the Ecuador has to offer - work with MPI this summer as an intern!
Applications due March 25th.

Do you want the full experience? Apply to work as a Program Director.
Applications are due April 5th.