Fresh Faces, Same Place

 Action shot, mid-learning!

The Childrens Nutrition Program started a new semester with the 6th grade classes at Chaupitena this past week.  Off to a good start with well behaved students (as far as we know for now), Polly, Jenni and myself are focusing our material on the My Plate curriculum.  With a semester already under our belts at Chaupitena, we decided with younger students this semester to focus more on identifying foods and food groups, healthy choices, as well as the culture of food in general and here in Ecuador.

We still get to spend recess with the students which is the cherry on top of this sweet program we have going on.  However we will not be recommending hot fudge sundaes to our students.

Check in with us again next week.  We have a blog from Heather, our Country Director,  coming soon about her travels to Brazil for Carnival!

Caya Cama o Hasta Manana!
Pete

PD Interviews: Peter Wagner

We are starting an interview series with our PD's so our readers can get to know them on a more personal level. We're starting it off with Peter, my fellow blogger, for whom I've come up with some pretty thought provoking questions about Manna, personal quirks, and geopolitical events. Next week I'll be interviewing Jenni so if you have questions for her, please put them in the comments section and I will be forced to ask her. Enjoy!

Peter and the teens on a Teen Center Paseo

Also he asked me to proof-read this.....I did not. 

Peter Gordon Wagner

North Thetford, VT

University of North Carolina at Asheville

Health & Wellness Promotion Major

5'11"

180 lbs

40 yd dash time: 4.9 seconds (for realz)

1. What programs do you run?

Teen Center, Agriculture Program, Children Nutrition, Men's Exercise.

2. If you had to pick one, which is your favorite and why?

Children Nutrition.  We get to work and develop relationships in another community within our community.  A fun and rewarding experience to work with a local school and expand the community's awareness about MPI, all the while providing a much needed educational experience to children who otherwise would not have access to such material.  

3. How did you hear  about Manna and what made you want to join?

My cousin was an MPI Program Director in 2007 in Nicaragua.  After graduating in December 2012 I wanted to travel so I contacted my cousin, who now works in Bogota, about visiting him.  He immediately referred me to MPI's website and shared his experience with me about Manna and how the experience was incredibly valuable to his professional and personal life.  The rest is history.

4. Is there something from your experience so far that has caught you off guard?

How fast I would pick up Spanish.  Arriving in Ecuador I was incredibly uncomfortable speaking with a very limited experience doing so.  Now I fully understand Spanish, for the most part, and am confident speaking the language.  There is always room for improvement though.

5. What's your favorite part of our house?

I like the rooftops where I can hang up a hammock, read a book and soak in some sunshine. I also like the backyard where Jefferson and I have been doing some small agriculture projects; transforming garden beds, starting seeds, compost, etc. 

6. What is your favorite meal to cook for dinner?

Stromboli or stir fry, with of course a homemade pie to top it off.

7. Who's your favorite band?

Nightmares on Wax

8. What is your go to move when crushing the dance floor?

Electric slide, the worm - you name I can break it.

9. How awesome is our cat Gandalf?

I love him!  Especially when we sip our coffees together in the morning. 

10. What do you think is the best thing you will take away from your experience with Manna?

The personal relationships I have developed with some of the community members.  Spending time with them outside of our programs has fostered such strong personal connections; attending family gatherings for holidays and celebrations, grabbing a bite to eat, playing basketball.  I am so fortunate to have met these people who I now consider to be my friends and family here in Ecuador. 

11. What impact do you hope to leave on Manna?

I hope to leave a lasting impact on the lives of the community members I have come to know in my time here so far through the exchange of social interactions and relationships.  Also being an active, approachable member of the community, demonstrating how important it is to be involved and interested in the community in which you work and live in.  

12. What are your thoughts on the nuclear crisis in Iran? Do you believe the economic sanctions are working or should a different course of action be taken?

No freakin' clue.  

Thanks Peter. Tune in next Friday to get to know Jenni. I'll start now: Her name is spelled with an i, not a y. Who knew?

Best,
Jefferson

Success in Small Business

As some of you might already know, our Small Business Development program has undergone a serious transformation since July. After several months of research, conversations with partner organizations, and logistical planning, we were very excited to launch a microfinance pilot program. Our loan group of five agricultural entrepreneurs was established in December and the loans, ranging from $100 to $400, were distributed in early January. Throughout the last month, we've kept up with our due diligence and made weekly visits to our loan recipients. While Jefferson and Pete labor away on their land, helping to plant seeds or mix organic fertilizer, Madeleine, Lucy, and myself have gone to our loan recipients' homes, observing how they have spent their money and the progress they are making. We were excited to see Rosa Maria's brand new greenhouse, erected just one week after she received her loan, and we got to meet Janneth's four healthy pigs, that she is now able to provide with necessary feed and nutrients. Most exciting, however, was our group meeting last Friday, when all five recipients met up and paid back their first installment of the loan. We're thrilled with the success we've had thus far, and look forward to completing our first loan cycle with 100% repayment! 

Polly 

The Boys at Quilotoa

Women's Exercise Party

Round table discussion on wellness

Janine thinking deep thoughts

People of all ages made it

A final exercise demonstration to round it out

This past Saturday, we had a party for our Women’s Exercise program to attract more women to our classes and to address a health topic that’s on the minds of most Ecuadorian women.  The topic of this party was how to get rid of belly fat, which sounds ridiculous as I’m typing it out, but it’s a big concern to women here.  However, we didn’t just want to focus on the exercise aspect of burning fat.  We also wanted to stress the importance of having a healthy diet and a balanced lifestyle.  So, we merged the party with our cooking and nutrition class in order to draw in people who were interested in both exercise and nutrition.

It ended up being a huge success!  We had around 15 women there, and they were so attentive, some even taking notes, as we talked about exercising and eating healthy in order to decrease belly fat.  Before the exercise talk, Madeleine and Janine led the cooking and nutrition talk, handing out a healthy smoothie recipe that we then made with the women.  Then Heather talked about foods that are good to eat when trying to cut down on belly fat, Jenni led the discussion on the health risks of having belly fat, and I talked about exercises and lifestyle habits that help to reduce belly fat.  After that, we showed them some exercises that target the belly area and did a zumba demonstration to give them a taste of what our exercise classes are like. 

Because of the great turnout and enthusiastic responses to the party, we’re hoping to see an increase in attendance in women’s exercise classes!   

Lucy