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- Cedro Galan
MPI believes that the best way to empower the next generation of Nicaraguans is to start with education. With a current educational system that is lacking in many ways, there are many gaps to be filled in this country. Our literacy program is used to supplement the current Nicaraguan educational system. The time spent in the MPI Literacy Class gives the children two opportunities each week to practice reading, writing and reading comprehension through avenues such as group reading, completing grammar and reading worksheets, word games and silent reading. Manna Project's goal for this class is t o increase the reading ability, comprehension, penmanship, and critical thinking skills of our students. We also want to encourage the enjoyment of reading and show its relevancy to the lives of our students.
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After-school Math - Cedro Galan
MPI’s math program began in February 2007. Since it is such a new program, we are still trying to solidify both the curriculum for the class and the most effective teaching methods for our students. Currently, the students who come to class are divided into two groups based on their grade and skill level. One group focuses primarily on addition and subtraction, while the other group concentrates on multiplication, division, and more advanced concepts. The goal of both classes are to supplement what the kids are learning in school and to give them extra assistance, since acquiring math skills is so highly contingent upon practice and the reinforcement of concepts. The class is especially beneficial for students who require extra help, because we have enough teachers to provide one-on-one assistance if necessary. We also try to teach our students that learning math can be fun by playing math-related games, such as multiplication bingo, which is always a favorite. The MPI math program has already seen improvement in the students’ ability to understand and solve math problems, and we hope to see even more progress as the program develops.
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- Cedro Galan
MPI offers a beginner’s English class meeting once a week and an intermediate class meeting twice a week.
With Nicaragua looking to make inroads in the tourist industry and become more integrated in an increasingly globalized world, speaking English has become an invaluable skill. As volunteers in Nicaragua, we recognize that one of our greatest assets is our ability to provide quality English instruction. While English is a required course for all students in high school, the level of English instruction is not very high. Recognizing a need and a desire for quality English classes, Manna Project began offering classes to the people of Cedro Galan in Spring 2005. The intermediate level students are between the ages of 14 and 26, while the beginner class sees more of an age range, with many high school students, but also their mothers and younger family members. All students are hoping to complement their current studies, to gain access to better opportunities, and to enjoy themselves while learning.
English classes count on the help of many MPI volunteers to provide individualized or small group instruction, with students receiving help at their particular level. During class, we combine standard exercises of reading, writing, and speaking with games and other fun group activities. In this way, the students are challenged, but also find themselves in a collegial atmosphere where laughing and having fun are part of the learning process.
English classes have proved beneficial to other Manna Project programs and to building relationships between volunteers and local community members. Through these friendships and ties, we are constantly establishing a greater presence and greater trust within the community.
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Creative Arts - Cedro Galan
The Creative Arts program includes a weekly music & drama class, as well as a folkloric dance class.
While the provision of food, health care, and shelter are the most basic needs in life, people also need a creative outlet. This outlet can be an infinite number of activities, but the idea is that you express yourself in a unique way. Creativity is an indispensable tool for a healthy and productive life, and also for just getting by day to day. With the Manna Creative Arts Initiative, our goal is to turn kids on to different forms of expression and different ways of thinking. As a vehicle for this we use music and drama classes, two disciplines that are seldom taught in Nicaraguan private schools and almost unheard of in public schools.
In music and drama classes, kids are encouraged to think outside the box to come up with the answers. This is extremely important considering the unhealthy learning processes that are commonly encouraged here. Too often kids come to be dependent on the instructor; copying from the board, concentrating too hard to memorize things that the instructor says, and generally not thinking critically. This type of learning is detrimental to the mental development of a child, and is what we seek to provide an alternative to.
In music class kids are taught basic theory with an emphasis on melodic and rhythmic dictation, and also listening exercises where they are exposed to different musical styles from different parts of the world. In drama, acting games are played that encourage kids to act silly and to be themselves without worrying about what others are thinking. In both environments, however, the goal is for kids to have fun and learn at the same time, and to turn them on to something they’ve never experienced before.
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- Cedro Galan, La Chureca
The importance of basic healthcare cannot be understated. Poor health impedes an individual’s ability to function in a community, including school attendence, employment and social activities. While the current Nicaragua team does not have any specific medical training, we aim to utilize our available resources to improve the health of the Cedro Galán and La Chureca communities.
In the community of Cedro Galán, we hope to:
In La Chureca, we will continue to:
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Administer the Child Sponsorship Program, which provides the neediest, most mal-nourished children with nutrition and healthcare
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Provide transportation and funds for the sickest children to see a local pediatrician
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Attract short term US medical teams to work in Casa Base Salud Healthcare Clinic
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Women´s Health - Cedro Galan
Manna Project currently offers a comprehensive Women’s Health Program for women and girls in Cedro Galan. The goal of the Women’s Health Program is to empower and educate women to make a difference in their community. A women’s group will meet once a week to discuss special topics such as pregnancy, breastfeeding, girls’ health, education, and violence against women. Additionally, there will be a weekly women’s exercise class to encourage an active and healthy lifestyle. We hope to partner with local women’s organizations to promote women’s rights in Nicaragua and work towards personal and public female empowerment.
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Child Sponsorship - La Chureca, Cedro Galan Working with the local health clinic in La Chureca, we seek out the neediest children in the community. Lead poisoning, malnutrition, respiratory problems and an array of skin diseases plague the community´s inhabitants, affecting the children most severely. Our sponsorship program aims to support the many suffering children and to strengthen the relationships between the community´s inhabitants and its health clinic professionals.
In Cedro Galan, our current aim is to sponsor children who need supplies and uniforms for school. We plan to broaden this sponsorship program by incorporating other aspects of the children´s lives such as their health care and recreational opportunities. Learn more.
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- Cedro Galan
(August Family)
The “El Farito” (little lighthouse) preschool was founded by Kathy August in February 2004, and has just completed its third year. For the past two years MPI’s Nicaragua Director has co-taught the preschool with Kathy. The Nicaraguan school year is from February to November, and students attend classes 3 days a week. We offer first and second level preschool (preschool and pre-k) for kids between 3-5 years. After attending our preschool for two years, we hope to scholarship our graduates to attend a nearby private school. This Preschool Scholarship program is new and thus we are still seeking sponsors. If you would be interested in sponsoring a child’s education, please read more.
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- Cedro Galan
(August Family)
For the past year and a half, Kathy August has run a feeding program at El Farito, meaning The Little Lighthouse, where she teaches pre-school. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, anywhere between fifty to ninety kids come to this single-roomed, cinder-blocked building to eat what might be their only substantial meal for the day.
A feeding program is not just a free handout; friendships are created here-not just between the kids themselves, but between the volunteers and kids, as well as between the volunteers and local residents. The mothers of local children volunteer alongside the gringos and they participate in the process by helping to prepare the food and provide a watchful eye. In addition, kids sing a few songs and say grace before they line-up for the food. A typical meal usually consists of a rice, bean, or potato dish, (local staples) and usually accompanied by fresh flour tortillas and a glass of juice. All of this is hand-prepared at El Farito.
The kids also participate in cleaning up-and they seem to actually be fond of the process of clearing the dishes, putting away the tables and chairs, and sweeping the floors. The program is not necessarily over after the food is over; oftentimes, kids will hang around for a while outside or in the building. Some of them are waiting for a ride home from a volunteer (often given to those kids who live far away from the site) while others are playing…and just being kids. Rather than just providing food, the program hopes to give these children the opportunity to be with each other and do exactly that: be kids.
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- Chiquilistagua
(MPI, Gutierrez Family & August Family)
Halle and Kathy August own a seven-acre plot of land in a neighborhood called Chiquilistagua. This property is where MPI has partnered with them to build a community center. Their vision and purpose for this community center is to create a place “that builds people up and provides an area to relax as well as be challenged physically, spiritually, and mentally.” (taken from their website, www.salero.org) Manna Project sees the potential to utilize this facility to further our programs and enable us to aid the community in a more holistic manner.
Thus far, we have been extremely fortunate in the quantity and quality of construction we have completed. Through generous donations and fundraising efforts, the property has seen tremendous development in the past 12 months. The center currently consists of a baseball field, soccer field, basketball court, volleyball court, playground, and multi-use open air facility (the “Ranchon”), a lending library, and a computer lab. Each new addition to the project generates a growing interest from the local Nicaraguan community, confirming that the center will be well used in the future.
The completed community center will include a second computer lab/internet cafe, swimming pool, parking lot, freshwater well, and a second basketball court. We also hope to add an open-air classroom and a ropes course.
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Sports & Recreation - Chiquilistagua & Cedro Galan
(MPI & August Family)
The Sports Program currently includes two boy’s soccer teams, a girl’s soccer team, and a boy’s baseball team, all coached by Manna volunteers.
The development of a quality sports program will help remedy some of the problems in struggling communities. Participation in sports is known to produce countless positive benefits in the development of children and adolescents. Social benefits include developing a sense of teamwork and cooperation while at the same time nurturing positive friendships. Commitment to the members of a team creates a heightened sense of responsibility, and active children tend to be healthier and happier.
In addition to the basic benefits of involvement in sports, having this outlet encourages young adolescents to stay off the streets and gives them a sense of identity. Young boys are less likely to join gangs, while adolescent girls gain a sense of pride and identity, which ideally decreases their tendency towards teenage pregnancy. Finally, in organizing and participating in the program, we have the opportunity to establish mentoring relationships that positively impact all those who participate.
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Microfinance - Cedro Galan
(MPI and Prof. Bonnie Orcutt, Worcester State College)
MPI’s micro finance project was started at the end of March 2006, when an economics professor from Worcester State College, in Worcester, Massachusetts, brought students to Nicaragua to engage in a learning experience. MPI coordinated the initial meeting and bridged the gap between the newcomers and the community. At the end of the group’s trip, six women were chosen to receive loans between $115 and $200. The management of the project has been left to the hands of the MPI members in Nicaragua, and thus far it has been a great learning experience.
The WSC group decided to focus on helping poor women be self-sufficient in a male dominated culture. MPI embraces this mission as an opportunity to make a more direct improvement in the economic livelihood of the loan recipients and their families—especially since research indicates that women are much more likely to spend their earnings on the family than men. Thus MPI is excited for this new method of reaching the community’s needs as the holistic scope of the programs broadens.
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