A deeper dive into the incredible community members that make up MPI Ecuador.

Shirley

Joined Manna 1 year ago. 

How did you find out about Manna? My children have activities in the municipality of Sangolquí and a friend from there told me about Manna.   

What do you like about Manna? I like Manna because I can share a space with my friends, I can rest while my kids study, and that there are so many activities for my kids.  

What do you like about Ecuador, or more specifically, the Chillos Valley where you live? I like how here in the Chillos Valley, the climate is refreshing and there are more traditions. Here, the education is better, the people are more polite, and one gets along well with neighbors. 

What would you like to incorporate into Manna, to help extend our reach and our community?

I would like to see workshops for the mothers at Manna, while the teachers are teaching our kids English. I also would like to have more communication and promotion of activities here in Manna. It is very important that one takes initiative; utilize the tutors and make sure that the children can sign up for classes.

Mateo

22 years old. Joined Manna 1 year ago.

Why did you come to Manna? What do you like about Manna?
I came here because my mom told me there was a foundation made by “gringos” (foreigners). I first joined to improve my English level for university. I think Manna is a great initiative because it reaches so many people. It provides a place where you can mess up but speak freely and more spontaneously. Here you can find a space where you can make mistakes. No one will judge you or think badly of you. You don’t necessarily have to know; the people here are ready to help you in any way possible. I also, for example, like to get to know more points of views, to learn a little more.

Are there any memories that you want to share about Manna?

In the first ever talent show, I had not signed up. I came here and little by little, as I watched my friends perform, I thought I could do something. So after I told myself “I think I can do something” which is an example of doing something very spontaneous, all spontaneous. I could have been very nervous but I played the guitar and sang and it was super fun. 

What do you like about Ecuador? What would you change about your country? 

What I like most about Ecuador is that people are willing to collaborate and help. Also, I love the climate. Many people think that the best country is one with a lot of money, but I believe that truthfully what makes a country is the connection that people have between each other. However, I think the government here needs to be willing to listen to other people. It has to be willing to listen to good and bad news. Something the government lacks is its ability to listen to criticism. But with criticism, people improve.

Renee and his daughter, Odalis

How did you find Manna? 

Renee: I found Manna out of curiosity. We were walking and saw that volunteers were playing with kids. This struck my attention because here I saw non-Ecuadorians, gringo, playing with kids. From then on, I began to talk to the people and learned about Manna. I really liked the service it was doing. 

What do you like about Manna? 

Odalis: I am grateful for Manna for its support, for the awareness that it has given us, and for the opportunity it gave me to participate in the Talent Show. Manna has strengthened my interest in the English language and in getting to know new people. 

If you could say something to Americans in order for them to know something about Ecuador, what would it be? 

In Ecuador there are very important, capable, and valuable people. But sometimes we are not given the same opportunities. Because of this, some people think Ecuador is lost from the world. But actually, we carry important human capital. We are growing. But we are also grateful because sometimes Ecuadorians or Latin Americans do not believe in themselves. People from all areas have to come and discover us. They must give us at least an opportunity or reach out to us. That is something we should also do ourselves. Not wait for the government but for ourselves, like parents to children.

What are your dreams when you grow up? 

Biochemistry is my passion. I want to help the world improve. I want to find cures for illnesses and do research on a ton of things. 

Renee: We have to dedicate ourselves to what we like and love. We have to always keep an open mind. Sometimes, instead of serving, people want to serve themselves. For example, some governments. They want to take a position but only to earn their paycheck. They do not think in supporting the people. As a result, we as a community can make a change from the ground-up, from the roots. Sometimes as adults, it is difficult to change. It isn’t impossible but it is difficult. But younger people, in my case my daughter, my fight is to help create a healthy, bright generation that fosters  a better world.

Valentina

9 years old.

Where were you born? What do you like about where you live? I was born on the coast, in Loja. I like how here we are rich in plants and animals and we are also rich in the relationships among people. 

If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go? 

If I could travel anywhere in the world, I would go to the United States, because they have a high level of English that I can learn from. I want to be a lawyer and be able to go to the United States to work. 

What do you like about Manna? What would you say to foreign people that don’t know about Manna? 

I like everything about Manna. With English classes here, I can guide myself. I like that your level of English is not important, no one ridicules you for you English level and in return you accelerate your learning. For people who don’t know Manna, here you can learn a lot of things about Ecuadorian culture. You also could teach a high level of English to a lot of people that want it. 

Andrés

29 years old. Joined Manna December 2017.

How and why did you come to Manna?

I was looking online for language exchange groups to practice English. I found a Facebook post on Manna’s page that talked about Wednesday’s conversation club. I came to see how it was. My primary objective was to come to Manna for practicing and improving my English. Thanks to the conversation club I have practiced a lot. Thanks to the friendships I have made with other Manna members, I practice English just as much inside as I do outside Manna. Currently, it is not only about practicing English, it’s also about spending time with my friends here.  

What do you think of the cultural interplay that occurs between the US volunteers and Manna’s Ecuadorian members?

I think it is amazing because on the one hand we learn things that are not typical of Ecuador, that belong to the United States. I love learning about how other cultures function. On the other hand, I also like how foreigners come to Ecuador and enjoy themselves while getting to know different parts of the country, something that Ecuadorians themselves do not normally do.

Why does the Ecuadorian community not travel often? For economic reasons? 

Principally, economic reasons, yes. The majority of people earn just enough money to get by and it isn’t enough to travel. After, it is time. Many are working from Monday until Saturday. Finally, fear that they might leave from society and something bad will happen. 

How has Manna helped you? What do you like about Manna? 

On the one hand, on a professional level I learned how to interact better with foreigners and to better understand cultures outside of Ecuador. Given that I am a Spanish professor, with foreigners, that experience has helped me to relate more with my students. Number one about Manna: it is a stupendous place to meet people from a different country and learn from them. Number two: it is an excellent place to learn, practice, and improve English which is a very important language at the moment.  

If you could change something about the world, or more specifically Ecuador, what would it be? 

First, I would give everyone access to technology, like the internet and computers, and teach them how to use the tools for their benefit--to study, to work--because many people could benefit here in this country and in other countries if they could correctly utilize technology. The internet has influenced me because now I can be my own boss, teaching Spanish to my students via Skype. This is an enormous change. The internet has also allowed me to constantly be learning new things on my own terms. I don’t need to go to an institution or a school to learn things. 

Dana

6 years old.

What do you want to be when you grow up? I want to be a veterinarian when I’m older. 

What do you like about Manna? Manna is a pretty place and there are a lot of people here. One time, my teacher healed my leg when I fell during Sports Hour. I like how here I can play with my friends. I would like to have a prettier library here, but this library is pretty and my favorite books are the princess books.

Andrea

29 years old. Joined Manna since it was founded in 2009.

Why did you come to Manna at the beginning?

In my case, in 2009 I was studying to be an English professor. At first, I was taking English classes because I needed them for my career. But after, I began to interact with the people here and since then, Manna is like my second home. I always come when I can. I like being here because they are very friendly, welcome the people, and there is a cultural exchange as well. If I teach, I also learn.

What do you like about Manna? I am always grateful for Manna because it makes me think and wonder if I could one day leave my country to go and help others. But that is what you do. You come and you do it. There are many people very devoted to the work they do and that is something I always have to appreciate. 

Are there any memories that you want to share about Manna?

A few years ago, some volunteers came that studied theater. They made a documentary about me. This impacted my life because they shared all of my dreams. I showed them who I was, where I was born, the volunteers met my grandmother, my family, and my mother. I introduced them to my entire family. 

Also, a few years ago the Manna director asked me to make a speech to celebrate another year of the Manna foundation. I prepared a one-page speech and expressed all that Manna had done for me, how much it had helped me, and how much we had shared (between volunteers and her) because with the group that year we were very close friends.. The friendship with the volunteers that came was unique because you don’t always find people like that. In this speech I expressed all of my feelings and when I saw the volunteers, tears almost fell. The saddest moments are when they leave. But what remains are the memories and those are the anecdotes that you mention, that one has to share. 

What do you like about Ecuador? First of all, Ecuador is a beautiful country, a mega diverse country. We have the “4 worlds,” four different climates. We have so many wonders that we have to make the most of them. The people that I talk to from other countries tell me that the people here are very loving and warm. When you go to someone’s house, you will receive a plate of food. It is a way to welcome you.