Manna University

There is no school that could have taught me what I have learned in the past month.

We eventually found an organization, Mercado Global, to donate food and supplies to all 20 families in Chaquijya that lost their homes because of Hurricane Agatha.

We learned cultural norms and traditions like eating 4-8 corn tortillas at every meal; the fact that "embarasada" does not mean embarrassed, but pregnant; and being on time is a concept little understood.

We got to host MPI's executive director, Lori Scharffenberg, and learned that harnesses do in fact fit over traditional indigenous skirts.

We learned that while nothing gets accomplished without hard work, play time is crucial to one's sanity.




















Finally we learned that without a dedicated team of volunteers, this site would be nothing.  So, I am happy to say that TEAM GUATE is fully assembled and have arrived in one piece.  It's an all-star team of 6 (including Kat and myself) that you will get to know very well over the course of this year.  Now that we're all on the ground, I will be splitting my blog-writing duties with the best and the brightest, so please welcome them with open arms.  As always, thanks for reading and supporting us as we dive into this year together.

Finally in good, permanent company,

Dana

Chaquijya, Louder than Words

The Aftermath of Hurricane Agatha

When the storm subsided and the rain finally let up, I looked out my window expecting to find chaos.  Instead, men and women were lining the streets with shovels and brooms cracking away at what Agatha left.  Within hours the muddied streets were lined with piles of garbage ready to be picked up.  I thought the immense lake would be a different story, only to find people of all ages up to their waists in still turbulent water fishing out fallen trees, mounds of plastic, and trash. 

I was really taken aback, and filled with a sense of patriotism for a country not even my own.  No one was being compensated, or even commended for their day's work.  People took it upon themselves, altruistically, to fix something that was not really theirs.  It is refreshing to finally see what I only read about once in my environmental studies textbook-- people coming together to successfully prevent a tragedy of the commons.

Here are some pictures I took yesterday:

 

 Mud piles that once covered the streets.

Two women lending a hand to help clean Lago Atitlan

The no longer "bather exclusive" public beach.

The bruised dock.

More on MPI-pertinent activities soon.

Dana

....and We're Back!

I am so happy to be back, and so excited for the next months of preparation before our founding team of Program Directors and my wonderful co-country director comes down to also discover the wonder that is Guatemala.  Right now I am in Panajachel, a lovely town on Lago Atitlan, staying in Hostal Montufar.  It is a cute, homey place run by a friendly family.

My DELICIOUS first breakfast in Panajachel... You can see how excited I am for it.

As it stands, Miss Annie Freyman is due to arrive on June 3rd to help out with the initial site set-up.  Annie is newly graduated from none other than Vanderbilt University and served as VP of Global Initiatives for Manna's largest campus chapter there.  In her experience she organized eleven spring break trips to either Nicaragua or Ecuador!  We will definitely be putting those organizational skills to use, and are so lucky to have her help for 2 weeks till she sets off to teach English in Colombia as a Fulbright Scholar.

Next comes Kat Mueller!  June 9th I will finally meet the legend and I couldn't be more excited!

On a heavier note, if any of you have been reading the news about recent Hurricane Agatha and Volcan Pacaya, I am safe and dry.  These past two days, Guatemala has received almost two feet of rain... the most since 1949!

More news soon.

Dana