Post Grad Problems

I just returned from the US three days ago. Coming home to Kentucky took a little adjusting. I caught myself checking my dog for fleas, then I remembered that he didn’t have any. Driving down to Nashville for Vanderbilt’s Homecoming weekend I kept waiting for the chicken buses to come roaring by, but all I saw were plain yellow buses filled with children. Little do they know that in 20 years some of those buses will be flying through Guatemala, colorfully painted and stuffed to the brim with 150 Guatemalans and a handful of gringos.

Going to Vanderbilt’s Homecoming was definitely the highlight of my trip. I got to talk with our future Spring Break leaders and pretend I was back in college. I woke up on Sunday with the disturbing thought that I was leaving my beloved school and heading back to Guatemala. To be honest I didn’t want to go. I’d had about all the mudslides and rain I could take. However, as we stepped outside at the airport in Guatemala City the sun was shining and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. We hopped in a shuttle and settled in for the long ride back to Sololá. Driving through the Guatemalan countryside I had a realization. My depression didn’t stem from returning to Guatemala, but from the understanding that I was no longer a Vanderbilt student. The fact is I’m just now coming to terms with graduating. For the past five months I have taken comfort in the slightly delusional idea that I’m just studying abroad, taking a short break from school, but will be coming back soon. Leaving Vanderbilt after only a weekend, it finally clicked with me, I was just a visitor. I don’t belong there anymore and as I settle back into life in Guatemala I’m finally owning up to that fact.

Just to make myself feel even better I like to compare my life with the lives of my friends who are currently employed in the real world. The majority of them are sitting in their cubicles right now grinding away in jobs that they may or may not like. My friends had plenty of things to complain about during our weekend: long hours, terrible bosses, huge living expenses and small paychecks. Always game for a good whining fest, I joined in, lamenting the terrible rains that had been going on. Then one of my friends pointed out that all she had heard me talk about for the past few months was how much I loved my work in Guatemala. If the only thing I have to complain about is the weather, I guess I’m doing pretty well. 

 My post-grad problems stemmed from not accepting my graduation, but I have begun to recognize that most people are dealing with a lot bigger problems than that. So to all you soon-to-be graduates: I don’t want to alarm you but you can’t stay in college forever. Maybe you squeeze in a fifth year if you swing things right, but the 6^th one rarely happens. You need to have a plan and if you want to have an amazing experience while easing yourself into the real world and minimizing the post-grad problems apply to become a Program Director for Manna!

I love my life, Emily

How We Became Teachers

This week I gave the last test I'll give before I leave Guatemala.

When I arrived thirteen months ago, I'd never taught a class in my life. "I'm not qualified," I reasoned. And I wasn't. But that cut at the intersection of our most important principle: letting Chaquijyá dictate what kind of work we provide. It's critical that we're conscious of our skills and weaknesses, and our preference is to place Program Directors where they can leverage their expertise to positively impact the organizations alongside which they work.

Nevertheless, for much of the past year, that wasn't our most pressing concern. Doing what the community leaders asked of us took priority. So when they asked us to teach English in their elementary school, we agreed. They felt that English comprehension was essential to their children’s future opportunities. Our plans to launch a small business incubation program and an import/export cooperative took a back seat. And thus, I became an English teacher.

My first few classes were difficult; in a class of 38, it's hard to keep the boys from joking in Kaquikuel, and it's even harder to get the girls to volunteer a response. On the first test, which covered colors and numbers, the class average was a 29.5. But slowly, almost without notice, my teaching and the students’ retention improved. Now, on their most recent test, the class average was a 63. Thirty-one students have shown double-digit improvement on each exam. On the portion of the exam that covered complete sentences (such as They wear two red shoes and He is not tall and ugly), they averaged a score of 58.

These are students who, six months ago, didn't speak any English. These are my students. I'm not sure if English will ever benefit their future endeavors, and I'm confident that I'd improve as an educator with experience and training of my own, but they've worked incredibly hard. As I leave, I know I'm incredibly proud of these kids. And I know that, if you met them, you would be too.

And a New Chapter Begins...

Karen Baker here.  With the new crew of PDs now here and settled, we have initiated the process of transitioning our existing programs to them for the upcoming year. We began the week by giving Kelsey and Cameron a history and overview of all the English, health and environmental programs that we currently run and why we have the programs set up as they are. Throughout the past year, our team has had many discussions and debated about program structure, what “sustainability” means as it pertains to our work, and, more broadly, what we envision our site’s mission and vision to be. Over the next several months, however, the recently arrived Program Directors will have the opportunity to do the same, offering a fresh perspective on all of these topics.

Per this week’s opening transition discussion, MPI-G’s English program will likely be the focus of much talk in the weeks and months ahead. Last August, our group began teaching English during class at La Primaria Central at the request of Esteban, the school’s director. Earlier this year, we expanded our English program to include an accelerated after school class for motivated students at the primary school in the nearby neighborhood of Cooperativa. Six months later, we are taking a good look at how the differing program structures and teaching strategies affect the efficacy and impact of our classes.

Which of the two models has thus far been the most successful? At this point, I believe that we would all arguably say that the after school English class, which is led by Dana and Hudson, has been more effective than our in-school English classes. Students voluntarily come to class because they have a genuine interest in learning English and, as a result, make a stronger effort to master the material. These students score well on their English exams and the class can move at a faster pace than those taught in La Primaria Central. Thus, the disparities between the English classes in the two schools have led us to consider the possibility of implementing an after-school English program in Central which is similar to that in Cooperativa.

A bit overwhelming, though nonetheless exciting, the transition period raises various important questions about evaluating and perhaps modifying program structure so that the new MPI-G team will continue building and maintaining a solid relationship with people in Chaquijyá, and direct programs as best they can. Additionally, there are fewer PDs this year than there were last, so the way programs are structured may also be affected by this variable. The upcoming months will be an incredibly busy but exciting time for the MPI-G group, so be sure to check back for more updates on how our programs are growing and changing and all else new that we have going on!

Welcome Kelsey and Cameron!

One year ago yesterday Ginny, Jared, Hudson, Kat, Karen, and I landed in Guatemala. Wielding about 500 pounds of luggage collectively, we each moved in with our respective homestay families, unsure of what to do next. One year later we're almost ready to hand off our work to a whole new team. One year later we run 11 community development programs, teaching English, health, and environmental awareness. One year later we work with over 400 men, women, and children in Chaquijyá. One year ago Manna did not exist in Guatemala.

This past year our goals were to get our foot in the door--build significant and meaningful relationships, set a foundation based upon trust, and of course implement beneficial programs for community members. Transitioning into year two we will continue forging new and maintaining old relationships while shifting a large emphasis onto evaluating current programs, expanding programmatic offerings, and finally emphasizing sustainability.

Yesterday I watched as two of our new PD arrivals wheeled their suitcases into their homestays and it surprised me how overcome I was with emotion. I don't get much instant gratification in my line of work, but knowing that all our hard work will continue into year two in the hands of an equally motivated, enthusiastic team, means to me that we did something right.

Kat, Hudson, Karen, Ginny, and Jared--you are MPI Guatemala. Thank you for driving this year's success with your passion and enthusiasm. Finally, a HUGE welcome to Kelsey and Cameron (Emily, we saved a spot for you)!

Cheers to year two,

Mama D