Hello, and thank you for taking the time to read about this important cause I am grateful to be a part of.
Who I am
If you don’t know me and have stumbled upon this through a friend or colleague let me give a little background. My name is Jade Herrscher and I am from Madison, Wi. I am currently working with Manna Project International as a Program Coordinator for a community development project in Shandia, Ecuador. This beautiful town located in the Ecuadorian Amazon is filled with wonderful people - and potential. Unfortunately, poverty and other issues create barriers for community development and opportunities for the people.
Who is Manna Project International?
Founded over 15 years ago, Manna Project International is a non-profit organization with a mission to create development programs that focus on health, education and leadership, among others. Visit Manna’s site here for more details.
Our Mission In Shandia
Here in the community, our team is working hard to develop programming that will address poverty, education, health and wellness, and overall healthy development. We are offering support to teachers in the classroom who want to teach (and learn English) but don’t have the necessary skills or resources. There is a newly founded computer lab and library that Manna created to support educational programming. There is also a program in the works that will teach participants to care for chickens then provide the families with chicks. The aim is to provide sustainable food and income sources for generations to come, lifting the entire community.
At Manna, we aim for sustainable programming that will create positive changes, long term. Relationship building and collaboration are at the heart of the work we do to determine community needs, wants and the most effective implementation of programs. We don’t create overnight “fixes” instead sim to alleviate symptoms of complex social and environment problems.
Why we need you
Simply put, we can’t do our work without donors like you. While we strive to always make the most economical decisions, the truth of the matter is that we need resources to implement our programs and to support our on-the-ground workers (like myself). Programs like our previously mentioned ‘Chickens for Ilyaku’ program will not only provide education for sustainability, but also a long term food source (the chickens). Your donation would support operational costs for our programs and living expenses for the workers.
Why it is important to you
You’ll be contributing to the healthy growth and development of youth in the communities as well as recent graduates and young professionals. Not only does Manna Project International provide sustainable development for complex social issues that impact everyone, another objective is to develop leadership skills that each worker will bring forward in the work they do. This may even directly impact you and your community in the future!
Please consider helping me help Manna Project International to make a difference in this beautiful community. Every bit counts and no donation is too small. I can say that I’m very proud to be a part of this initiative and I can see the difference we are making, each day. I’m happy to send updates if you’d like so you can see the progress your donation makes. Just let me know! If you care about this cause, but can’t help, please consider passing this along to anyone you think might have interest.
Thanks again for reading,
Jade Herrscher
We are now teaching English in the classrooms in Shandia! It’s a great way for us to continue to build relationships and assist, where needed with teaching. One challenge we’ve come scrips is a lack of supplies! We need more supplies for learning activities, art projects and even basic things like paper and pencils sometimes. Please consider a $3.00 or $5.00 donation to help a student get a better education! 
