About Manna Project International
Manna Project International (MPI), a US-based nonprofit organization operating health, education, and economic empowerment programs in Ecuador, is looking for Program Coordinators (PCs) and interns to strengthen our on-site team in rural, Amazonian Ecuador to create sustainable grassroots programming that addresses the challenges and needs in the community. Interns generally serve 5-10 weeks and Program Coordinators tend to serve for 3-6 months. Since 2004, Manna Project International has fostered communities of talented young leaders to become the next generation of social change agents by engaging in collaborative, on-the-ground service with international communities in need. MPI focuses on building cross-cultural relationships with local residents, partner organizations, community leaders while creating and implementing small, start-up community programs and develops our short-term and long-term volunteers and Program Directors through challenging field work, active skills building, and hands-on leadership opportunities over the course of their service. For more background on MPI, please visit our website,
www.mannaproject.org.
Overview of the Role
This internship was created to support community-led initiatives whilst creating a once in a lifetime opportunity to get hands-on experience and mentoring in your future career track. During your internship, you will experience life and work alongside other young leaders from around the world as well as our large network of Kichwa community members all while being surrounded by one of the world's most amazing rainforests, complete with biodiversity, flora, fauna, and fantastic views. You will have the flexibility to support new programs and conduct personal research where the community's vision intersects with your own education, passions and interests. By the time you'll leave, you'll have created a community in Ecuador and internationally and have a much stronger sense of who you are and what drives you.
What a Youth Development Program Coordinator Might Do
- Assistant teach English classes alongside teaching professionals in the public school system.
- Run after school programs in arts, music, and sports that incorporate citizenship and environmental stewardship lessons.
- Organize and run after in team school teens club to encourage community and mentorship.
- Monitor and run computer lab to help with homework and teach computer literacy.
- Work with public school system to identify challenges in learning for students.
- Monitor and evaluate students' grades and language development.
- Serve as a role model and mentor for youth and encourage them to continue learning and developing.
Objectives of the Youth Development Programs
- Provide educational support, especially to the school
- Give teachers the ability to use the computer room to support their teaching
- Build computer skills/ experience among students
- Hopefully an increase in interactive learning resources used
- Allow community members to gain experience with using a computer
- Improvement of computer skills/ literacy
- Further understanding of how to engage with the internet in a positive way
- Build connections with community and collaborate with the school
- Language exchange with Kichwa
Identified Needs in the Community
The public school system currently has no English teacher that is comfortable in the English language so the school has invited us in to provide support alongside the trained teacher to make sure that the English the students are learning is natural and accurate. Additionally, there is no organized after school support in the community- leaving many children to roam on their own. The Parents' Association and the Director of the school have requested that MPI provide educational and entertaining after school activities, including supplementary arts classes for youth, afterschool tutoring, access to the internet and classes on computer literacy.
Housing + Food + Culture
All Program Coordinators (PCs) will live in a shared house with other PCS and fellows about a ten minute walk from Shandia. It has 4 generously sized bedrooms that generally house 2-3 Program Coordinators at a time. There are also 2.5 bathrooms in the house, a rooftop terrace that offers panoramic views of the Amazon Rainforest, a fully equipped kitchen to cook, running water, electricity, and wifi. The house is situated above a local shop where PCs are able to purchase any emergency items , like soap or shampoo packets, or about 30 minutes from the larger city of Tena where they will get groceries and can buy toiletries and supplies. PCs will have access to bicycles as well as the bus line to Tena and Shandia is located right in front of the house for easy access.
All interns have the option of doing a short-term homestay in a home in the community of Shandia as well for 1-2 weeks. These are generally organized by the PC with the help of Manna staff.
Most PCs will prepare breakfast and lunch on their own from food available in the Manna house. PCs will generally cook dinner together. One day a week, the entire team will get together and eat at the ecolodge as an informal check-in and a way to enjoy the delicious, local Kichwa food. MPI provides every PC with a weekly food allowance. A portion of that allowance goes towards shared resources, like grains, vegetables, and beans. The rest is for the individual to use on personal food. Some people use it to buy food from local restaurants or food stands and others will use it on personal items from the grocery store like ice cream or cheese. We are able to accommodate all dietary recommendations, but recommend that PCs mention to the Country Director as early as possible if they need any special accommodations (for example separate cookware) so that we can make sure that they are comfortable and healthy from day 1.
We are conveniently located in an area that is ripe for exploration. If you are interested in self exploration, we are about 3 km from Pimpilala Butterfly Sanctuary, La Laguna Azul, and many different trailheads for hikes in the Amazon. We have relationships with many local guides in Shandia who love to go out for hikes, invite PCs to check out their chakras (family's farm fields), or who organize chocolate classes. We are also a 30 minute bus ride from Tena, where there is live music, cultural events, musical festivals, restaurants, and much more.
