I have trekked what feels like the entire city of Managua today. The day started at 8:00 am catching a cab to meet the wonderful people of Manna Project. Manna Project operates 17 programs in the Managua area. They work in communities in the highest need, including Villa Guadelupe. Villa Guadelupe is a community of families who previously lived in La Chureca, a community that existed on top of a dump. Hundreds of families, including children, literally worked and lived on a mountain of trash. Conditions in La Chureca were so bad the country of Nicaragua, along with the Spanish government, shut down La Chureca and moved the families into a refuge community next to the dump. The families who once lived in trash now have homes in safe structures with sturdy walls instead of among burning trash and pollution. Some of the workers who previously made their living sorting and selling trash now have jobs working in a recycling facility that was created as part of the La Chureca rehabilitation. While an improvement from their previous situation, there are problems that have crept up as a result of the families uprooting their entire lives from the trash dump to Villa Guadelupe. While living and working in the trash dump, all members of the family were able to find work selling and burning trash. Now, only select members of the community are able to work in the recycling plant, leaving many without work.

I met with Manna Project to learn more about their work in La Chureca, Villa Guadelupe and the many other communities around Managua they work with. I spotted Manna Project and their micro-bus full of friendly young faces at a gas station in a busy intersection. 13 people greeted me as I got on the bus and I quickly learned they have an incredibly productive volunteer model. At the time I met them, they had 12 long term volunteers serving a minimum of 13 months in Nicaragua. Most of the volunteers were college students, all studying various areas of community development, non-profit, and medicine. Along with them was Manna Project Country Director, Christina. They took me around to several of their programs, including a school, a clinic in Villa Guadelupe, a women's co-op, multiple homes of families they support, a pre-school and a youth camp. These were just a handful of their programs and I was amazed at how much impact this small group is making in these communities. It felt as though each person we walked by or home we passed someone was yelling out to greet to the Manna Project workers. They have done an amazing job building relationships with the community and the people they are working with. I learned so much more about Managua, Nicaragua, and the surrounding communities by listening and hearing the stories of the Manna Project workers. The tour of their programming ended in the home of a local woman they work with, Lupe. Lupe made an amazing home cooked authentic Nica meal. I am grateful for the time Manna Project and Lupe put into showing me a closer glimpse into Nica life.

Pictured above: Manna Project Country Director, Christina, along with 2 Manna Project long term volunteers and Lupe, our gracious host.

Pictured above: Family members supported by Manna Project in the communities surrounding Managua.