Manna Project International

This year, I am so excited to be part of the founding team for Manna Project International's third site in Guatemala! Guatemala, a constitutional democracy, is known as the “land of eternal spring.” Located in Central America and bordered by Mexico, Honduras, El Salvador, and Belize, the country maintains year-round temperatures close to 75 degrees. Although Guatemala is roughly equal in land area to the state of Tennessee, some of the greatest wealth disparity is found within its borders, and its children suffer from the third worst childhood growth rate in the world.

Our work focuses on the central neighborhood in Chaquijyá, an aldea (village) founded in 1968. Located approximately 130 kilometers from Guatemala City, the community lays within the department of Sololá, the 5th poorest in the country. Of the 6,000 inhabitants, seventy-seven percent of the community lives in poverty, and thirty-four percent lives in extreme poverty earning less than US$1 per day. The life expectancy is about 64 years.

MPI Guatemala believes in the dignity and strength of every man and woman. As partners of the communities in which we work, we coordinate our services and skills in conjunction with the efforts of resident-run organizations. MPI Guatemala focuses not only on areas of need in the community. We aim to recognize strengths that can be utilized to further holistic development.

Working with local leadership to identify areas where our programs can be most helpful is of utmost importance to MPI Guatemala. Through cultivating relationships and building trust within Chaquijyá, we aim to become respected participants within the community. By keeping the focus on their strengths and aspirations and by allowing local individuals to take ownership of development initiatives, we constantly strive to emphasize their assets and potential for growth.

I hope you will join me on this adventure, as we launch this new site in Chaquijyá. You can follow me at http://guatemalasavage.blogspot.com or you can follow MPI Guatemala at http://mpiguatemala.blogspot.com.