Help Her CRECE — Manna Project International

Give girls in Shandia the confidence, knowledge, and skills to lead their own future.

Every $150 raised sponsors one of the ten modules in the CRECE program – funding the workshops, mentorship, and hands-on experiences that build a girl's confidence, health knowledge, and leadership skills for life.

Every gift, no matter the size, helps fund CRECE for the girls in Shandia – and monthly giving helps that impact carry on well beyond this campaign.

Donate below, or give using Venmo, googlepay, microsoftpay or ApplePay! To donate by EFT/ACH to avoid processing fees, please donate HERE.

About CRECE

CRECE (Confianza, Resiliencia, Empoderamiento, Comunidad y Educación) is MPI's empowerment program for adolescent girls ages 14–18 in Shandia and neighboring Kichwa communities in Ecuador's Amazonian Napo Province.

Girls here face real barriers at a critical age — limited health education, few paths to economic opportunity beyond subsistence farming, and an adolescent pregnancy rate that's a leading cause of school dropout. At the same time, Kichwa culture carries a strong tradition of women's leadership. CRECE builds on that foundation, giving girls the tools to grow into it themselves.

Through ten monthly modules — covering self-esteem, mental health, healthy relationships, physical and reproductive health, financial literacy, entrepreneurship, and leadership — girls build confidence, knowledge, and agency over their own futures, guided by mentorship from our partner World Vision and trusted local female leaders.

CRECE is a multi-year program: girls participate from age 14 through 18, revisiting core themes with greater depth each year, while older participants grow into mentorship roles for those just joining.

Self-Esteem & Confidence

During the first module of 2025, girls had a discussion about self esteem and beauty standards on social media, then made homemade face masks!

Female Entrepreneurship

The girls got to go on a field trip to visit Pakarina Wayusa, an indigenous entrepreneur in Tena who spoke about maintaining indigenous identity and led a natural soap-making demonstration.

What it takes to be a nurse

The girls met with staff from the local Health Center to learn about what it takes to become a healthcare professional

Planning A Business

The girls participated in a series of workshops led by World Vision to learn about entrepreneurship and plan the launch of their own small business (which has since grown into Chiri Chiri)!

Chiri Chiri Taste Test

After the workshop with World Vision, the girls worked with a professional chef to create ice cream using yuca from their chakras. They got to taste test the different flavors they created!

CRECE In Action: Chiri Chiri

Last spring, a group of CRECE girls turned a financial literacy lesson into something real. Partnering with World Vision Ecuador, they learned the basics of budgeting and saving, then asked themselves what they could build with what they already had. The answer was in their own backyards: yuca, a staple grown in nearly every family's chakra.

With guidance from a professional chef, the girls learned to turn it into ice cream. They named the business Chiri Chiri — "cold cold" in Kichwa — designed their own logo, and started selling popsicles in their community. It's a small business, but it's proof of what these girls can build when they're given the tools, the trust, and the chance to try.

Your gift helps make more moments like this possible.

An Easy Way to increase your impact:

Check if your employer offers donation matching!

Did you know that more than 26 million Americans work for companies that provide employee gift matching? Find out if your company is one of them and you can instantly double your contribution! See details below to complete matching gift request form: