MANNA PROJECT INTERNATIONAL
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Locations Quito, Ecuador & Managua, Nicaragua*
*due to the political protesting, the Nicaragua site is currently compromised so all information below is in regard to the Ecuador site*
Mission To foster communities of talented young leaders to become the next generation of social change agents by engaging in collaborative, grassroots service with international communities in need
Projects & Programs
Adult Cooking & Nutrition
Adult English & Conversation
Children's English & Reading
Children's Nutrition, Exercise & Wellness
Community Center
Programming & Computation Courses
Professional Development Workshops
Public School & Community Partnership
Women's Empowerment Group
Work with local hospitals and health professionals
Volunteer Tasks
Practice creative meal planning and teaching how to make healthy choices on a small income
Teaching English to people of all age groups and comprehension levels
Homework and library help
Leading various activities like cooking, sports, general administrative tasks, and more
Working in partnership with any of the given projects to help where is needed most
History
Manna Project International was started by a group of four Vanderbilt University students who wanted to harness the creative energy of college students and recent graduates to work with populations in need. As interest grew, they established an on-campus service organization to bring the university campus into greater contact with the local immigrant community, and to provide international service opportunities for students.
After visiting Nicaragua several times and making connections with others on the ground, the four friends established Manna Project International as an IRS-recognized nonprofit organization, and began recruiting other college graduates to commit to working in Managua for one year. In September 2004, eleven recent graduates arrived in Managua. The experiences and friendships from that first year of service forever changed their perspectives and outlooks on life. As the year drew to a close, students from the next class of graduating seniors arrived to transition into the community and the Program Director position was born.
While the faces have changed, Manna Project’s volunteers serve more than 3,000 community members in Ecuador and Nicaragua each year. These communities of young leaders are helping breaking the cycle of poverty through participatory programs supporting education, health, leadership, and economic development for communities in need.
*all information was taken from the official Manna Project International website which is linked below*