The More, the Merrier!


Nearly everyone in the Manna house did some traveling during Semana Santa—some PDs left Nicaragua to travel to the US and Guatemala, while others explored Rio San Juan and Leon. Lucky for us, the fun and excitement of our week of vacation continued upon our return to the Manna House. In addition to the visiting parents of three PDs, three old PDs from 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 stayed in the Manna House!
Many community members were extremely excited to visit with Hemby, Carly, and Steph, who attended classes, did homestays, and attended a wedding during their time here in Cedro Galan. Steph will be with us for another week, although we won’t see in her the house quite as much as we’d like, in light of her decision to spend as many nights as possible in community homestays. It’s great to have old PDs here and to hear their feedback on the evolution of programs and the community. Not to mention how helpful Steph and Carly were during my recent battle with head lice (now completely gone thanks to Steph’s masterful nit-picking skills!).
Although we are sad to say goodbye to Hemby, Carly, and Steph, this summer we will be graced by more special visits from last year’s PDs, including Megan, Luke, and Katie. We’re also getting excited to share the Manna experience with our summer interns, who will begin to arrive on May 12th. We anticipate re-energizing our sports programs and English classes with summer volunteers’ fresh perspective and experience. Hopefully their arrival will coincide with the onset of the rainy season, so we can get some relief from the winter heat!

2009-2010 PD Andrew with Holly

Empower. Love. Inspire. International Women's Day



Martha Ney is the mother of 2 amazing sons, David and Alejandro, who participate in MPI’s Baseball, Math, Literacy and English Programs. MPI programs work to empower young women like Martha to be agents of social change by providing health, education and livelihoods programming for women in the communities we serve. Martha participates in our English, Nutrition and Exercise Programs – her passion motivates all of us to be stronger teachers. Martha's selfless and compassionate personality and commitment to learning and providing opportunities for her family are constant inspirations.



Spring Break Begins!

This week, MPI Nicaragua is excited to host our first two groups of spring break volunteers, from Vanderbilt and UNC Chapel Hill. Our Vandy group will be working closely with our math and literacy program, and have brought books and other supplies that will greatly benefit the class. Meanwhile, UNC Chapel Hill will be helping with our women’s health and nutrition initiative by funding and hosting a inaugural hands-on cooking lesson in El Farito for our new women’s nutrition class. Later on this spring we will also host groups from UGA and Worcester State. Stay tuned for daily updates from our spring break volunteers themselves—you can find each university’s postings on the appropriate tabs above. Enjoy!