Manna Project International

One piece of advice I would give is to be the best team player you can. The work that we do as volunteers for Manna is very much a collaborative effort. If one member of the team isn't giving the job their full effort, everyone else suffers and that can be really hard on morale.

Being a team player means being flexible, being reliable, and having good communication skills. If you come into this position with the mentality that you are going to strictly do only your job and nothing beyond that, you will not have an enjoyable experience. There will be times where you might occasionally be asked to work on days that you don't normally work--be flexible and have a good attitude about this.

Working for Manna, and all nonprofits in general, really requires an "all hands on deck" mentality. There is always big need when it comes to philanthropic causes and there are never enough hands. Remember to keep in mind why you joined in the first place: to serve others. There will be plenty of time to have fun, but helping others should be your priority.

Program Directors work Tuesday through Saturday because those are the days that our Community Center is open. On week days, our Community Center is open from 2:00 PM to 7:00 PM and on Saturdays it is open from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM.

Every Program Director is responsible for certain programs that are offered through Manna and take place during Community Center hours. While the Manna programs that Program Directors lead may vary, each Program Director is usually responsible for at least one English class; often a Program Director will lead one Children's and one Adult's English class.

Program Directors also have the opportunity to get involved with programs that are offered through local organizations with which Manna partners. That being said, during the mornings on Tuesdays through Fridays, Program Directors normally are either at their partner organizations or they are prepping for their programs.

During the rest of the day on Tuesdays through Fridays and on Saturdays, Program Directors are working at the Community Center. On Sundays through Mondays, we often travel and explore Ecuador!

Going into this experience, my biggest fear was definitely whether I was going to be able to adapt to using my Spanish at a sufficient level when necessary.

I knew that I was going to be leading programs in Spanish and that I would have to use public transportation, so if I ever got lost I would have to use my Spanish to find my way. My level of Spanish when I came was slightly below intermediate so, looking back, it's a little funny that I was so scared. There are other Program Directors who have come to Manna not knowing any Spanish at all!

Within a couple weeks of being in Ecuador, my fears about my Spanish faded significantly. Manna provides all Program Directors with about a week of one-on-one Spanish language schooling, which really helps boost things. Additionally, Manna is really good about pushing its volunteers outside of their comfort zone to practice their Spanish on a daily basis, which can be a little nerve-wracking at first, but you *really* grow from it in such a short amount of time; this is SUPER helpful for getting you to feel comfortable quickly.

My views on this issue have definitely changed after being with Manna for a while. My own experiences and my experiences observing other Program Directors with even lower levels of Spanish fluency adapt to all of this have made it very evident to me that it really isn't about how much Spanish you know, it's about how much you're willing to put yourself out there and try.

Definitely go to Selva Alegre near Quito to try cuy! Cuy is a delicacy that is beloved by the natives in both Ecuador and Peru. It's guinea pig. I know, I know, it sounds gross, but you SERIOUSLY have to try it! Surprisingly, it tastes a lot better than you would expect and it makes for a cool story. If you look at the photo of me that is included here, you'll see that I'm holding a stake with roasted cuy.

I think my favorite stories are hearing about how volunteers end up being other volunteers' bridesmaids and groomsmen, and remain close for years after their time with Manna Project.

Something else that has always stuck with me is how our volunteers expect to travel abroad and really change and impact our communities, which they do. However, they don't realize how much the communities and community members end up changing them even more. They go in with an idea of what to expect, and often have their world rocked in the best way.

If I could go on any program, it would be our 13-month Program Director position. Once on site in Ecuador, a large percentage of our 3, 5 and 7-month Program Directors end up extending their time to the 13-month position and beyond because they find they need more time with the community and fellow volunteers. It is so much more than just a volunteer position where you travel and learn about a new culture - it really is a very crucial component of all of our alumni's resumes, and I find that the leadership and professional experience that they gain with the 13-month position carries over to their jobs once they complete their time with Manna Project.

What makes our company unique is the relationships that are formed. We refer to ourselves as the Mannamily. Whether its the close relationships between our community members, volunteers, staff, board, alumni or donors, we all take immense pride in being a part of something bigger together. Part of an organization that is bringing sustainable change to underserved communities in Latin America.

The biggest factor in being a successful company is purpose. Without purpose, there is no change and no growth. We take pride in our community needs assessments to make sure that we are only providing services and programs that are tailored for our specific communities. If for any reason one of our programs becomes irrelevant, we assess this and change the program accordingly.