This Spring 3 volunteers with Manna Project International in the Los Chillos Valley, Ecuador were each awarded $1000 Volunteer Service Awards. Kelly Teshima-McCormick and Gaby Hochu each were also awarded 2018 Volunteer Service Awards and have been in Ecuador since July 2018, planning to return to the US in August 2019. Kate Clendenen has been volunteering since January 2019 and will also be returning home in August. As Program Directors they help run the day-to-day operations. For example, teach English to both children and adults, run libraries, teach nutrition and cooking classes. They also work in partnership with a local shelter for adolescent mothers who are victims of sexual abuse. Program Directors are given a degree of autonomy which enables them to propose and design programs with match their interests and skills. Finally, each of the Program Directors are responsible for evaluating and tracking metrics or each of the programs they are involved with.
