One of Manna Project International’s founding tenets is to foster communities of young adults and encourage them to use their passions and education in service to communities in need. In accordance with this mission, the organization has campus chapters at 11 universities which not only raise awareness for international issues and fundraise for MPI programs, but also that send groups of students to live and serve at MPI’s three permanent sites during their spring and summer vacations. This March, MPIG will host 2 groups of 10 volunteers from Vanderbilt University and University of Georgia who will stay with us for one week each. Later in June and July, we will have 8-10 summer volunteers who will live with us for 4 or 8 weeks.
This past week, MPIG and I were fortunate to have a taste of life with short-term volunteers as we were joined by five wonderful people who lived with us and helped out at camp. Hailing from Colombus, Ohio, Jason Kluk-Barany and Sean McGrew arrived at the MPI house after travelling throughout Latin America for the previous month. With no hesitations, they jumped right in helping with the Art and Sports programs at our summer camp. So helpful and energetic (they even cleaned our kitchen!), we were so sad to see them leave after a week.
Dana’s friend from Engineers Without Borders in Ecuador, Mark “Marco” Rohan, also stayed with us for a week. He is also on a month-long Central American vacation from his job as a mechanical engineer, testing weapons and completing system improvements for the Navy. Definitely a smart cookie, he assisted our Science program and even led his own class about water filtration. He left on Friday to climb the highest mountain in Central America, Tajulmulco, with Dana and continue on with the rest of his adventure.
We were also fortunate to be joined by Chris Barry. Originally from Dallas, Texas, Chris currently works for the non-profit organization Hug it Forward dedicated to both the environment and education system in Guatemala. Normally stationed in the Alta Verapaz region, Chris came and helped run a special program at camp, in which we focused on the importance of recycling and environmental responsibility. The campers watched an episode of LIFE, did fun crafts with recycled bottles, learned about bottle schools and stuffed their own bottle with trash. At the end of the program, numerous campers approached Chris and us with questions about bottle schools and recycling. We were so glad to have Chris present to help motivate the campers about environmental stewardship.
Finally, our last volunteer Kate Bennett will be staying with us for a total of three weeks. After farming her way through Argentina with WWOOF (World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms), Kate received a grant from New York University to research non-profit organizations working with indigenous populations in Guatemala. She is also writing a blog for Idealist.org, a website that allows non-profit organizations from around the globe to exchange resources and identify supporters and volunteers. Our 7th roommate for 3 weeks, Kate has brought a new spark of enthusiasm and optimism to the house. She has not only provided much needed manpower and energy for our summer camp programs, but she has also contributed valuable insight on upcoming projects and we are so thrilled to have her staying with us.
After five months of life here in Guatemala, I can’t tell you how refreshing it is to see our work through five fresh sets of eyes. The past week has really re-energized our mission, work, and general everyday life. To our five new friends, we cannot thank you enough. To all our future short-term volunteers, can’t wait to meet you. Insert cheesy friendship quote here, I can’t bear to choose just one.
Ginny
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Friday, November 5, 2010
So If You Haven't Already Gathered that I Am Somewhat of an Optimist...
Recently the city government has closed the highway connecting Sololá and Panajachel in order to reconstruct several sections of the road that collapsed or were buried during the torrential rainstorms of September. Originally a 15 minute chicken bus ride, the trip to Pana now consists of a bus ride to San Jorge, a pick-up truck adventure through the jungle to Jaibal, and a short boat ride from Jaibal to Pana. Altogether, the detour is not too taxing.
Interestingly, before the creation of this new route, Jaibal was a veritable ghost town. Located on a steep descent down the mountain from San Jorge, Jaibal previously possessed several casitas, electricity, and even a school, yet it had no residents to inhabit them. On one occasion, Hudson and Jared accidentally ventured to the area, and compared it to a ghost town depicted in old Western movies. Nevertheless, Jaibal is now a populated and nearly thriving aldea. Within days of the highway’s closing, several Guatemalans settled in the abandoned houses and labored strenuously to construct public restrooms, eateries, and three docks for the boats to Pana. Marveling at the speed in which the local people accomplished these developments, I was struck by 2 realizations: one regarding the constant effort and persistence exerted by Guatemalans in Sololá, and two, the people’s unity and resilience during times of need.
Many Americans tend to equate poverty with laziness. In the American culture of “the self-made man,” we believe that anyone can overcome his socioeconomic origins with enough hard work, dedication, and self-motivation. A person living in poverty must therefore not be trying hard enough or using all of their available resources. However, living in Sololá and working in Chaquijyá, I constantly witness real poverty: poverty in which malnutrition plagues child health, poverty in which 12 year old children do not attend school because they must undertake unskilled jobs to earn money for their families, poverty in which my students will tell me casually of their siblings who died from diarrhea. I constantly see poverty and impoverished people, yet I will testify that these same people work harder than any other population I have yet encountered. Every day, man and children literally climb mountains with over 50 pounds of lumber on their backs so that they might warm their families’ homes. Every day, women face the elements at the market from 7am until 5pm so that they might sell the crops harvested by their families. In only a few days, men cleared the disheveled road to Jaibal and constructed three sturdy docks so that other people might travel to Pana.
Yes, I do believe that the United States is the land of opportunities, and I love the idea of self-empowerment, but I do not agree with the negative connotations of poverty that arise from this mentality. Though corruption and lack of resources may thwart their efforts, I have so much admiration and respect for the productivity and dedication of the local Guatemalans.
My second realization concerned the ability of Guatemalans to unify and cooperate in times of crisis. Having witnessed the rapid construction at Jaibal and the dozens of locals who halted their daily lives to clear landslides and aid the victims of the flooding, I was amazed at how the Guatemalan people can so willingly and readily volunteer their limited resources and time to help the larger community.
I then realized that this unity is not only particular to Sololá, Guatemala. After Katrina, residents of New Orleans reached out to each other to provide tangible and emotional support. Likewise, during the power outage that afflicted New York City several years ago, the stereotypically unfriendly New Yorkers went out of their way to assist lost and scared individuals. Following the earthquake in Haiti, thousands of doctors, NGO’s, and volunteers rearranged their schedules to aid the victims and reconstruction.
This ability to unify in times of need is indeed a universal trait of the human race and gives me hope in the world’s future. Newspapers and television may portray the world as violent and corrupt, yet I don’t see that. For every instance of suffering in the world, there are 10 instances of compassion and unity. I feel so fortunate to live in a place where these positive qualities are so evident.
Interestingly, before the creation of this new route, Jaibal was a veritable ghost town. Located on a steep descent down the mountain from San Jorge, Jaibal previously possessed several casitas, electricity, and even a school, yet it had no residents to inhabit them. On one occasion, Hudson and Jared accidentally ventured to the area, and compared it to a ghost town depicted in old Western movies. Nevertheless, Jaibal is now a populated and nearly thriving aldea. Within days of the highway’s closing, several Guatemalans settled in the abandoned houses and labored strenuously to construct public restrooms, eateries, and three docks for the boats to Pana. Marveling at the speed in which the local people accomplished these developments, I was struck by 2 realizations: one regarding the constant effort and persistence exerted by Guatemalans in Sololá, and two, the people’s unity and resilience during times of need.
Many Americans tend to equate poverty with laziness. In the American culture of “the self-made man,” we believe that anyone can overcome his socioeconomic origins with enough hard work, dedication, and self-motivation. A person living in poverty must therefore not be trying hard enough or using all of their available resources. However, living in Sololá and working in Chaquijyá, I constantly witness real poverty: poverty in which malnutrition plagues child health, poverty in which 12 year old children do not attend school because they must undertake unskilled jobs to earn money for their families, poverty in which my students will tell me casually of their siblings who died from diarrhea. I constantly see poverty and impoverished people, yet I will testify that these same people work harder than any other population I have yet encountered. Every day, man and children literally climb mountains with over 50 pounds of lumber on their backs so that they might warm their families’ homes. Every day, women face the elements at the market from 7am until 5pm so that they might sell the crops harvested by their families. In only a few days, men cleared the disheveled road to Jaibal and constructed three sturdy docks so that other people might travel to Pana.
Yes, I do believe that the United States is the land of opportunities, and I love the idea of self-empowerment, but I do not agree with the negative connotations of poverty that arise from this mentality. Though corruption and lack of resources may thwart their efforts, I have so much admiration and respect for the productivity and dedication of the local Guatemalans.
My second realization concerned the ability of Guatemalans to unify and cooperate in times of crisis. Having witnessed the rapid construction at Jaibal and the dozens of locals who halted their daily lives to clear landslides and aid the victims of the flooding, I was amazed at how the Guatemalan people can so willingly and readily volunteer their limited resources and time to help the larger community.
I then realized that this unity is not only particular to Sololá, Guatemala. After Katrina, residents of New Orleans reached out to each other to provide tangible and emotional support. Likewise, during the power outage that afflicted New York City several years ago, the stereotypically unfriendly New Yorkers went out of their way to assist lost and scared individuals. Following the earthquake in Haiti, thousands of doctors, NGO’s, and volunteers rearranged their schedules to aid the victims and reconstruction.
This ability to unify in times of need is indeed a universal trait of the human race and gives me hope in the world’s future. Newspapers and television may portray the world as violent and corrupt, yet I don’t see that. For every instance of suffering in the world, there are 10 instances of compassion and unity. I feel so fortunate to live in a place where these positive qualities are so evident.
Monday, November 1, 2010
School's Out!
Here in Guatemala, November is truly a joyous month. Not only does November mark the beginning of the dry season and Navidad preparations, but for children, the month also signifies summer vacation. Although most Guatemalan children neither travel nor attend summer programs as is customary in the United States, summer vacations still constitute a welcomed break from daily classes and a chance to spend time with friends and family.
For vacaciones in Chaquijyá, the MPIG team and I have decided to direct an educational summer camp for the students of la Primaria Central. During initial conversations, numerous community leaders of Chaquijyá expressed the desire for a program that would help stimulate children’s interests in academics and motivate them to continue their education at the Básico level. Having begun to form relationships with the children at la Primaria Central, we decided that a summer camp for our students would be an ideal mechanism to address this community-expressed need. Directing a summer camp would not only allow us to maximize our time with the students, but it also provides us with greater flexibility in the variety of activities we can offer, as our pursuits do not interfere with the topics and demands of the school-year curriculum.
Additionally, during the summer vacations, most students assist their parents’ work in farming or shop keeping. Community leaders have expressed that the children’s summer contributions are not essential to their families’ livelihoods, yet Chaquijyá currently lacks any educational or recreational enrichment programs to occupy the students’ free time during the vacation. Without any convenient opportunities for external scholastic stimulation, the children of Chaquijyá do not continue to develop mentally during the summer, and they do not receive the necessary additional encouragement to pursue higher levels of education.
Thus, we have created a six-week summer camp, and we have successfully completed our first week of the program. Held on the school’s campus, the camp currently hosts over 100 participants, who are divided into four groups, determined by age. Groups attend programs in English, Science, Arts, and Sports that all relate to the camp’s theme of “Un Viaje Alrededor del Mundo” (A Trip around the World). As most of students will never receive the opportunity to venture abroad, we chose an international theme, so as to introduce children to the unfamiliar topic of foreign cultures and also to stimulate an interest for learning in general. Every week, we gear our programs to focus on the cultures of different continent. For example, last week, the children ventured to North America, where they played volleyball in Sports class, made Native American dream catchers in Art, constructed and exploded volcanoes in Science, and learned the numbers in English. All of the participants have “passports” that receive stamps when they have completed an activity on each “continent.”
I am particularly excited for our special Thursday programs. Instead of normal classes, Thursdays consist of special activities designed to provide the children with hands-on experiences in which they can serve the community and have fun. For our first Thursday program, we will be showing Wall-E and then leading a trash clean-up activity, in which students will compete to fill the most trash bags with trash picked up from the community. Other programs will consist of painting a mural on the school grounds, recycling and health seminars, and even our own version of the Olympics.
With only a few logistical flubs, last week’s programs ran very smoothly and all the campers seemed to enjoy the classes. I was so happy with last week’s success and I cannot wait for the upcoming six weeks. Stay tuned for more to come on sustainability issues regarding camp and updates on other programs’ development.
For vacaciones in Chaquijyá, the MPIG team and I have decided to direct an educational summer camp for the students of la Primaria Central. During initial conversations, numerous community leaders of Chaquijyá expressed the desire for a program that would help stimulate children’s interests in academics and motivate them to continue their education at the Básico level. Having begun to form relationships with the children at la Primaria Central, we decided that a summer camp for our students would be an ideal mechanism to address this community-expressed need. Directing a summer camp would not only allow us to maximize our time with the students, but it also provides us with greater flexibility in the variety of activities we can offer, as our pursuits do not interfere with the topics and demands of the school-year curriculum.
Additionally, during the summer vacations, most students assist their parents’ work in farming or shop keeping. Community leaders have expressed that the children’s summer contributions are not essential to their families’ livelihoods, yet Chaquijyá currently lacks any educational or recreational enrichment programs to occupy the students’ free time during the vacation. Without any convenient opportunities for external scholastic stimulation, the children of Chaquijyá do not continue to develop mentally during the summer, and they do not receive the necessary additional encouragement to pursue higher levels of education.
Thus, we have created a six-week summer camp, and we have successfully completed our first week of the program. Held on the school’s campus, the camp currently hosts over 100 participants, who are divided into four groups, determined by age. Groups attend programs in English, Science, Arts, and Sports that all relate to the camp’s theme of “Un Viaje Alrededor del Mundo” (A Trip around the World). As most of students will never receive the opportunity to venture abroad, we chose an international theme, so as to introduce children to the unfamiliar topic of foreign cultures and also to stimulate an interest for learning in general. Every week, we gear our programs to focus on the cultures of different continent. For example, last week, the children ventured to North America, where they played volleyball in Sports class, made Native American dream catchers in Art, constructed and exploded volcanoes in Science, and learned the numbers in English. All of the participants have “passports” that receive stamps when they have completed an activity on each “continent.”
I am particularly excited for our special Thursday programs. Instead of normal classes, Thursdays consist of special activities designed to provide the children with hands-on experiences in which they can serve the community and have fun. For our first Thursday program, we will be showing Wall-E and then leading a trash clean-up activity, in which students will compete to fill the most trash bags with trash picked up from the community. Other programs will consist of painting a mural on the school grounds, recycling and health seminars, and even our own version of the Olympics.
With only a few logistical flubs, last week’s programs ran very smoothly and all the campers seemed to enjoy the classes. I was so happy with last week’s success and I cannot wait for the upcoming six weeks. Stay tuned for more to come on sustainability issues regarding camp and updates on other programs’ development.
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