First Recipient of MPI's Social Service Minority Scholarship

By: Ye Oo

As the first recipient of the Manna Project International’s Amaguaña Social Service Scholarship, I had the pleasure of volunteering in Ecuador as a program director. This leadership position gave me the opportunity to expand on my personal, professional, and cultural development. 

During my time volunteering abroad, I was truly inspired by the community and the other volunteers to make an impact, even if it is as little as showing up and remembering names. I enjoyed teaching English to the community members who attended classes at the Manna Centro site in Ecuador. Seeing the student’s determination to learn a foreign language made teaching a more memorable experience, while also experiencing what it was like to learn a foreign language myself. As someone who had never taught a formal class before volunteering in Ecuador, there were some anxieties and challenges at the start. As time went by, I learned what works best from the feedback of the students and assistance of the local volunteers.

With my time abroad, I was able to gain the global citizen outlook by exchanging language, culture, and lifestyle with the locals. This experience allowed me to become more open and extroverted, which positively benefited me in the long run. I am very grateful for all the friends I met locally and volunteered with, who made my experience abroad a brighter one. 

My biggest takeaway from this whole experience is to never give up. From the challenges of leaving the United States during a global pandemic, to adapting to the changes of living in a new environment, I was able to find resilience through it all. Without a positive attitude, a few great friends, and the determination to make an impact, it would not have been possible to have had a good experience abroad. There will be difficult times and there will be great times, but it is important to take the good with the bad because it reminds us to appreciate how fortunate we are to have the opportunity and privilege to help those in other countries. I want to thank MPI for giving me this opportunity, and I look forward to having more opportunities like these in the future.

Breakfast with Carmita

By: Chelsea Hipwell

One of my favorite parts about traveling is the opportunity meet people that I never would have met otherwise. At Manna Project International (MPI), I’ve had the chance to meet a range of students: young kids at our fun club, middle schoolers in our English classes, and adult students at our English conversation club.

I’ve also met Carmita. Carmita is the mother of one of our English students, Mathias, who’s 12 years old and in English level 3. We got to talking while she waited for Mathias’ class to finish up, and by the end of the conversation she had invited the entire group of volunteers over to her house to try Ecuadorian bolones, a cuisine from the coast. The opportunity to both try a new food and get to spend time with someone outside of the Centro (Center) where we work was a special invitation, so the next weekend we got a group together for un desayuno ecuatoriano (Ecuadorian breakfast).

Carmita had invited Gaby, a university student and friend from church, to join us for breakfast. She shared about her experiences in vet school and her favorite things to do in Quito, and we chatted in English and Spanish about our plans for the summer and her cousins in Miami. Our breakfast consisted of pork bolones, cheese bolones, fried eggs, tomate de árbol (tree tomato) juice, coffee, salsa de tomate de árbol, and then…chocolate cake! It felt as if we had known Carmita’s family for so much longer – we all jumped right in to help in the kitchen, served drinks, and helped clean up. Carmita’s husband, Renan, played a mix of Ecuadorian songs and popular American music while we chatted and waited for the food to be ready. Mathias taught us his version of Uno with Ecuadorian rules, and then attempted to teach us another card game called Cuarenta (Forty), which we tried and failed to grasp, but we still had a lot of fun anyway.

Adjusting to the holistic internship experience took longer than I expected, and Carmita’s invitation was a special way to slow down and see a side of Ecuador we hadn’t yet experienced in our rush to sightsee, hike, and take tons of photos. I appreciated Carmita’s willingness to share her passion for cooking and culture with us, and her patience in getting to know us. We already have plans to visit again soon for another round of bolones.

Most Visited Tourist Attraction in Ecuador: Ciudad Mitad Del Mundo (City of Middle of the World)

By: Ye Oo

Ecuador: The Name and What it Means

If you haven’t already guessed it, Ecuador is Spanish for Equator because of its equatorial region on the globe. As a tourist in Ecuador, one place you must visit is Mitadad Del Mundo or, Middle of the World, in English translation. The location of Mitad Del Mundo is located in San Antonio parish, Quito, Ecuador. On the site, there is a large monument that is said to be located in the middle of the world, where the North and South hemispheres meet. There is more to this place than one can imagine. Besides being a tourist destination, Mitad Del Mundo shares a lot of history and cultural heritage of Ecuador including history of indigenous tribes and the four continental regions of the country. 

A Little History 

The location of the equator was established by the French Geodesic Mission in 1736, whose main mission was to determine the true shape of the Earth. The founders consisted of astronomers and physicists Carlos Maria de La Condamine, Luis Godin, Pedro Bouguer; botanist Jose Jussieu; the physician and surgeon Juan Seniergues and several engineers, draughtsmen, assistants etc. The first monument was built in 1936, led by Ecuadorian geographer Luis Tufino and the French American Committee. The first opening of Ciudad Mitad del Mundo was in 1992 under the administration of the Perfect of Pinchincha Marco Landazuri Romo, where it was a tourist symbol of Ecuador and reflects the dreams, hopes, and the progress of a province.

Other Attractions 

Aside from the main attraction, the Equatorial Monument, there are also museums that highlight the cultural heritage of Ecuador. The ancestral housing site consists of ancestral houses that contained objects which were used as a part of life, customs, and traditions of the indigenous communities. The houses were different from one another depending on the region of Ecuador: the house of the Shuar/ Amazon, house of Sierra, and house of the Coast. Houses in the Coastal region were built from bamboo cane and palm. Because these houses were located near the river, they needed to be on four wooden piles. The houses of the Sierra region were made from interwoven sticks or reeds and black mud. These houses were circular in shape due to the superstition that evil spirits cannot lurk in the corners of the houses. Houses in the Amazon region were made from wood of chonta and pillars of cane guadua. The roof was made with palm leaves. 

Because Ecuador is known for its cacao plants, there is a museum called Cacao Square that displays the process of harvesting cacao to exporting the cocoa. The plaza shows the types of cacao that can be found in different parts of the country and where they are exported. There is also a balancing egg on a nail which shows how gravity affects the balance of an object such as the egg, which is only possible in certain parts of the world, it seems. If you are like me and have never seen an alpaca up close, well now you can because there are a few alpacas that get close enough for you to pet. In the central square, there are events that take place with live music and dancing. You can’t miss it.

Beautiful Molinuco Casada in Ecuador

By: Ye Oo

The first thing we noticed about Ecuador were the amazing views of mountains and potential hiking spots. If you love to hike and enjoy the scenery of nature, Ecuador is full of places to enjoy just that. The breathtaking sight from above is something that can not be missed. Personally, I love the serenity and tranquility of being one with nature. It can be very rewarding after a stressful week. 

The first weekend in Ecuador, the program directors and staff visited their first waterfall in Rumibosque. The second hike was in Molinuco, which was my first waterfall hike in Ecuador, and possibly my favorite. With the help of a local volunteer, we were able to obtain wristbands that allowed us to go on the hiking trail. The overall hike lasted about three hours, an hour and a half going up and down. This included rest time we took in between to take everything in.

On the way up, we stopped by a small waterfall which had a lake that was suitable for swimming. The water was too cold for swimming on that day, but it was still worth taking a rest for a few minutes before continuing hiking to the main waterfall. When we got to the main waterfall, I was amazed by how close we were able to get to it. At the bottom of the waterfall was a little bridge to walk past the waterfall. On the bridge, you can feel the mist from the waterfall which was very refreshing. We went on a weekend and to my surprise, there were not that many hikers so we were able to take in the quietness of nature. 

Hiking up was challenging, but after reaching the waterfall, the view makes it all worth it. Some advice I would give to new hikers: keep in mind the change in altitude in Ecuador, make sure you have enough water to keep you hydrated, bring snacks and fruits along, make time to rest and enjoy the view, dress appropriately, and lastly, take plenty of pictures for memories. For first time hikers, I would suggest Molinuco because the path is pretty straightforward and easy to follow. 

Gabriel's experience in English classes

By Maddie Tudder

Since January, Program Director Maddie has had the best time teaching Kids English Level 4 and has the most special, and kind students. One particular student, Gabriel, has expressed how much Manna Project International has changed his life, and encouraged his dreams for the future. Here is his experience, in his own words.

“Hello my name is Gabriel Alejandro Oña Catagña, and I am from Ecuador.

I live in Quito in the Sangolqui and Rumiloma neighborhood. I have been a student of MANNA PROJECT INTERNACIONAL from level one, together with my father Carlos Oña. Currently I am studying the fourth level, which has been a very beautiful experience for me. I have made the most of it, because I have had teachers with a lot of enthusiasm, and care. Since English classes in my country are expensive, I am glad I have been able to take English classes with Manna Project International.

English is a language that I personally love, and wholeheartedly thank all my teachers who had have a lot of patience in teaching us.

Each level has been a unique experience, and all of my teachers have been very loving teachers. Such as Mikaela, Katie, Maddie. I love them very much.

Manna Project English helped me a lot in my performance at school since I am the only student who is advanced in the subject of English. Teacher Maddie congratulated me on my English ability and that has made me feel very good.

Speaking English has also helped me to make many friends from different countries such as Canada, the United States, and New Zealand. I have enjoyed each class to the fullest and that is why I am very sad that this level is ending, even though the classes were online they have been very interesting, productive and fun. My biggest dream is that one day I can go study in the United States and specialize in medicine. I want to become a Doctor. I am grateful to Manna Project for always encouraging me in my dream of learning English.”

Our volunteers love building special bonds and relationships with our community members through our English program. We hope to continue doing great work and helping students in their journey to learn English.