It's official! After many months of planning, publicizing, exploring, and re-planning, Manna Project is officially launching a third site in Guatemala! We are thrilled and we hope you will be a part of this endeavor. Below is an update from our Board of Directors:
The Manna Project International (MPI) Board of Directors is excited to officially announce the founding of MPI’s third international site, to be located in Chaquijyá, Guatemala. This expansion will begin this summer, in July of 2010, when Co-Site Directors Dana Zichlin and Kat Mueller, and an inaugural team of Program Directors, land in Guatemala to formally launch the site and begin programming.
The decision to approve the Guatemala site comes on the heels of an eight-week feasibility trip conducted by Dana, Maddie Jalandoni (Nica Program Director alum 08-09), and Chris Taylor (MPI Expansion Coordinator). During this exploratory phase, the team identified the site location, established promising partnerships with local leaders and laid the groundwork for MPI programming. Based on this preparatory work, we believe that we have found the right community, partners and team to start a successful new MPI site.
MPI's Guatemala site will focus on the 6,000 person community of Chaquijyá
Not far from Chaquijyá are the volcanoes Santa Maria (left) and Santiagito (erupting, right)