Here is a glimpse into how the transition was for Manna Project International volunteers once they had to leave our site in Ecuador and return home…
“The night before the end of the world: Ecuador was slightly behind in the COVID-19 pandemic, so the second weekend of March, a few of us PDs set off to Baños for a weekend excursion that had been planned for a few weeks. We had an incredible time white water rafting, soaking in the hot springs, and visiting the infamous Casa del Árbol. But on Sunday, we found out that Ecuador had plans to shut down and we were to be sent back to the US. We took a 3-hour taxi back to the Manna House and within 36 hours had packed up and caught flights out of Ecuador. It felt like a race against the escalating mandates in Ecuador to close borders and restrict all forms of travel. We were lucky to get home safely and to have had such a memorable last weekend. We are all excited to be reunited and have more adventures in Ecuador when this is all over.” --Megan
“Upon hearing the news that I had leave Ecuador and return home, I made arrangements for my final hours in South America. We were white-water rafting that day and I had a flight scheduled for very early the next morning, so I found a dry shirt, attempted to straighten my unkempt hair, and hopped on a bus back to Sangolquí. By the time I got home and packed it was very late in the night, and I called an Uber to take me to the airport. The driver greeted me with a cordial, “hello,” as Ecuadorians sometimes do when they see an obvious gringo. I responded in Spanish but learned that he could speak English relatively well. His name was Mateo and I was clearly not his first American in need of transport to the airport that night. We chatted for a while and, because his English and my Spanish were roughly equitable, I liked to respond in his language as he practiced mine.
Mateo, as it turns out, was a very impressive medical student taking classes, working on rotation in a hospital, and driving with Uber to earn a little extra money at night. He discussed his desire to continue learning English to fulfill his ultimate goal of practicing medicine in the U.S. where his girlfriend now lives. I, always excited to get in some community outreach, told him about Manna Project’s English Conversation Club. He was very intrigued and asked me to put the information into his phone for him. I told him that I’d hope to see him at the club if I get a chance to return to Ecuador in a few months. Despite his busy schedule and the uncertainty surrounding this crisis, Mateo then gave me his phone number and told me to call him if I needed someone to pick me up from the airport should I ever come back.
Mateo probably didn’t think too much of this moment, but for me it was spectacular. Here was an overworked, underpaid medical student about to be called into the frontlines of a looming international pandemic and he was offering to sacrifice his precious time to do me a favor. It was the perfect culmination of the enduring generosity of the Ecuadorians I've met which has almost become expected but never taken for granted. If there’s one thing that we can learn from them during these times of uncertainty and anxiety, of fear and anguish, of isolation and distancing, it’s that we can still be there for each other even if we have to be apart.
I know I speak for the entire Manna team when I say that we’re still working to build a stronger community and we’re looking forward to the time we get to return to Ecuador. Maybe I’ll see Mateo in Conversation Club.” --Ben
“I went from working during the week and traveling throughout Ecuador on the weekends to being stuck in my house trying to keep busy. I’ve been exercising every day, working remotely, applying for jobs, and catching up on reading. My best decision was purchasing an inflatable kiddie pool – one of the perks of being quarantined in Florida during most states’ cold months. While lying in my tiny pool, I close my eyes and try to trick myself into thinking that I’m relaxing at Luna Volcan’s thermal pools overlooking the mountainside in Baños, Ecuador.” --Isabelle
“In my short time back already I have been struck with reverse culture shock from increased prices on fruits and vegetables, more of a general germaphobic culture (regardless of the pandemic), increased anxiety and pressure surrounding time, and more individualism—for example, inability to find toilet paper on the shelves at 5 different grocery stores, and unwillingness to comply with the stay at home orders. When I feel overwhelmed with the cultural differences, I close my eyes, play Ecuadorian music, and imagine myself relaxing on the roof of the Manna house in the sun, in a salsoteca, or even just having a cleaning fest together in the Manna house. Reverse culture shock has definitely been far more pronounced to me than the initial culture shock. I am excited to hopefully return to Ecuador when things settle down, and to move to Miami this fall to have about as much of a blend of the Latin American and US cultures as you can find!” --Mikayla
“Departing from Ecuador was a bittersweet moment because I had to leave behind memories that I treasured, but am grateful for the friendships that I made along the way. Since coming back, I joined a virtual book club with some friends I met during my trip. I recently finished Queen of Water by Laura Resau, a true story about the coming of age of an Ecuadorian woman who struggles to reconnect with her heritage as an adult after working as a slave for a mestizo family. I highly recommend the book to anyone interested in social justice issues from an indigenous perspective and learning some Quicha words along the way!” --Emmanuella
“The first two weeks of my quarantine in Ecuador went surprisingly well. I was setting aside time for MPI work, practicing my French, studying for the GRE, and doing some creative writing. My boyfriend and I were cooking healthy foods and doing morning workouts on our patio. Heading into my third week, things started to change. I was feeling less motivated and more discouraged by the news I was hearing about the pandemic, particularly how it would impact my friends, my family, and my future.
By Tuesday, I was feeling drained and couldn’t focus on even the simplest tasks on my to-do list. My boyfriend could see that I was discouraged and told me to take the rest of the day off to watch bad reality TV in bed. It turned out to be the perfect cure. With everything going on, I’ve learned that it’s ok to allow myself to be lazy every once in a while so that I can be productive again.” --Emily