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.

Community Member Spotlight: Clemencia

One of the many incredible community members that MPI Ecuador Program Directors get to interact with and learn from on a daily basis is Clemencia, who over the past year has become current Program Director's "Ecuadorian grandma" and holds a special place in all our hearts.

Former Program Director Alex, with Clemencia and her family at Clemencia's home in Amaguaña, Ecuador.

Clemencia is from the community of Amaguaña in the Los Chillos Valley, and has been a valued friend of Manna Project International for several years. When she was diagnosed with diabetes, she didn’t know where to turn for help or information about her diagnosis. Since she began attending the Diabetes Club run by Manna Project in partnership with the Sangolqui Hospital she has learned how to make healthier eating choices, and how to incorporate more exercise into her daily life. As the head of the Diabetes Club she has also gained more self-confidence and leadership abilities that have helped her overcome machismo stereotypes and become a leader in her community.

One of MPI Ecuador's major points of focus this past year has been on continuing to deepen relationships with individuals like Clemencia. By taking this focus, we have seen that Clemencia and many other community members have also stepped up and helped Manna Project in immeasurable ways. The involvement of community members in helping guide the direction of Manna Project programming, special events, and more has helped us expand our impact and form prosperous new relationships. Community members such as Clemencia and her sister, Blanca, helped prepare and serve food at our recent fundraising event, the Hornado Solidario, and also search for donations to keep costs down and raise as much money as possible for Manna Project programs.

Program Directors and Summer Interns at Clemencia's home in Amaguaña, Ecuador.

Summer Intern Lindsay at Clemencia's home in Amaguaña, Ecuador.

I can't imagine Manna Project International in Ecuador without Clemencia! Her smile and positive attitude are infectious, and her disposition to always help, guide, and support Program Directors is one that makes the transition to Ecuador much easier...and leaving much harder!

5K for Books: Running with Manna Project

On Saturday, July 2nd, Manna Project International in Ecuador hosted its annual 5K race for members of the community of Rumiloma and the surrounding areas. Preparation for the race included everything from making a balloon arch for the finish line, to searching for sponsors for the event, and getting the municipal government to block the roads...but in the end, seeing the excitement of the participants make everything worth it!

Over 100 runners showed up to the race to support Manna Project and run the race, with family and friends looking on. Many participants had shown up to Manna Project 5K races for years and were looking to beat their times from previous years! New participants attended after hearing about the race through our partnerships with local organizations like ESPE University, the United Nations Peacekeepers, and more.

At the end of the event, Country Director Nancy and one of our local volunteers, Pancho, handed out prizes and medals to winners in their categories, and runners and spectators enjoyed a performance from the Municipal Band. Community members, Program Directors, and summer interns also enjoyed a 4th of July barbeque on the roof of the community center afterwards, in celebration of their hard work to make wonderful community event a success.

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Going with the Flow in Baños

“Tengo una buena noticia y una mala noticia…” I have good news and bad news.

These were the words that were communicated to me as I stood in the crowded, dark office of an adventure tour agency in Baños. I woke up that morning ready and excited to go canyoning—repelling down waterfalls and rocky cliff faces. For days, I had been trying to convince my fellow interns to go with me—that it would be an amazing time—but only managed to convince one friend to join me. She and I rose earlier than most in the hostel, tore through a breakfast of rolls, jam, butter, assorted fruits, coffee, and eggs, and waited anxiously at the hostel entrance to be picked up by the “adventure tour” agency. There were two other girls already waiting to be picked up, and upon exchanging hellos, we learned that they had come from Glasgow, Scotland.

The four of us piled into a van and drove through the crowded, misty streets, lined with vendors and cafes with colorful awnings. I made small talk with the taxi driver, who told me about all the rain the area had received overnight (and was still receiving at the time). I didn’t let this deter my excitement for the expedition to come. We would be wearing wetsuits anyway, so what was the harm?

It wasn’t until I entered the tour agency office that one of the guides explained the severity of the situation. Because it had rained all night, the waterfalls were too strong to safely maneuver—no canyoning today. As I listened, I was slightly dismayed, but the guide kindly offered to take us on the rafting tour instead. “¿Está bien?” he asked me. I glanced quickly at Katey, who waited expectantly for the English translation. We had to make an instant decision, and we didn’t have any competing alternatives, so rafting it was!

We were fitted for wetsuits, water shoes, and helmets, while introducing ourselves to the cast of characters that made up our rafting group. In addition to the two girls from Scotland, there was a guy from Holland, one from Ireland, and a group of guys from England. The group moved into a van to be taken to the river, and settled down for a scenic, forty-minute ride through the green, fog-covered mountains.

Upon arriving at the launch site, I seriously questioned my decision to raft. I looked at the roaring, wild river in front of me and wondered if I was going to come back to my hostel at all that day. It seemed a definite possibility to be swallowed up by the brown torrent in front of me. I told myself that it was too late to back out, so I tugged on my wetsuit, laced up my gritty, damp shoes, and prepared for the all-important safety briefing.

The new rafters stood around the guides, being pelted in the face by torrential downpour, listening attentively. After an animated, heavily-accented crash course on what to do when things go wrong, my boat of five passengers plus a guide prepared to shove off into the Pastaza River. My excitement and nervousness were hardly containable at this point, but I had far-committed myself to being a team member. I scrambled into the raft with Katey by my side, and before I could totally settle myself, our raft was picked up by the vicious current. Definitely no turning back now!

Our guide yelled instructions to us, assured us that if we followed them, everything would be ok. Forward, forward, full forward! We were flying down the river, paddling like a trained team, when our guide told us to take a break. At that moment, I picked up my head, turned my face to the sky, and took it all in. The forest rose up on either side of the vast river, the sound of the current filled my ears, and my skin was alive with the falling rain. This is amazing. This is absolutely incredible, I thought. My heart raced and the adrenaline drove me to be hyper-alert, ready for whatever the river could throw at us.

The journey included several series of rapids, one of which ejected three out of six raft members into the water, but after a fast-acting rescue effort, all was well. Though the majority of the raft team was comprised of strangers, by the end, we had definitely bonded in some sort of unspoken way. We pulled along to the bank after an especially rough patch of current, with both surprise and relief. Everyone clambered out of the raft with aching arms, racing hearts, and wide smiles of accomplishment. The rafting adventure was exhausting, enthralling, and absolutely unforgettable...a welcome change of plans and an incredible experience in Ecuador!

Hornado Solidario & Time with Community Members

On Saturday, May 21st, in the main town plaza just down the street from our community center, we held our 2nd Annual Hornado Solidario, a traditional way in Ecuador to raise money for a good cause. I remember in my high school in the States we used to have chicken barbeque events to raise money for sports teams...but in Ecuador, we barbeque an entire pig, whole! By the end of the day we had raised nearly $1800 to benefit Manna Project's education, health, and livelihoods programs in Ecuador, a tremendous success that will allow us to continue and expand our impact in the community.

More than anything, it was a great day spending time with our wonderful community members, students, and friends who make our time in Ecuador so special. We were all so touched by the generosity of our community members, local businesses, and local volunteers who helped make this day a success. They were the true stars of the day and the reason Manna Project in Ecuador is where it is today! We took hundreds of pictures at the event, but here are some of just a few of our community members we've grown to know and love during our time with Manna Project:

The Granda Family

The Granda family has been involved with Manna Project since it was just getting started in the Chillos Valley, and generations of Program Directors will remember their warmth, kindness, and their enthusiasm for all things Manna Project! Over the years they have invited us over to eat, donated their time to help us with projects such as our Daddy and Me events at the community center, and much more. We even we able to see José (center) play with his band at the Casa de la Cultura in Quito! The whole family is enrolled in English classes with Manna Project, and it brightens our day everytime we see them in our community center.

Yeimmy Clemencia

Yeimmy recently immigrated to Ecuador from Colombia, and has enjoyed getting involved in our community center in any way she can. She takes English classes with us on Saturdays, and was also involved in our Women's Group meetings where we discussed women's issues in Latin America. Most recently, Yeimmy has been a faithful participant in our entrepreneurship classes taught in conjunction with the U.S.-based non-profit Education Global Access Program. She has been learning a lot about marketing, pricing strategies, and much more, and is getting ready to start her own business. We're so excited to have Yeimmy as part of our community here in Ecuador, and can't wait to see her business plans take off to help her and her daughter "seguir adelante," pressing on towards a better future.

Clemencia and Blanca

Clemencia and Blanca are two very special sisters who have been involved with Manna Project for years now, and have a special way of making Program Directors feel like they've found their long lost grandmothers in Ecuador. They first got involved with Manna Project through our partnership with Dr. Escobar at the Sangolqui Hospital where we host a Diabetes Club to help diabetes patients learn about healthy lifestyles. They have also hosted Program Directors in homestays, and were so giving of their time to help prepare and serve food at the Hornado Solidario; don't they look so professional in their blue aprons? We always know we can stop by for lunch with these amazing sisters any time, and are so thankful that we've been able to get to know them during our time living in Ecuador.