While most college students used spring break to escape to exotic beachfront resorts, eight members of Manna Project International Wilmington embarked on a life-changing journey to work with the impoverished in Central America.
The group, which calls itself Manna Project, officially registered with UNCW in February before their second spring break trip to Nicaragua.
This past Friday, the group worked stateside, attempting to sell 1,000 tickets for a concert to benefit both future trips and activities, as well as the people of Nicaragua.
Supplied photo courtesy of Meredith Butterton
Audrey Bafford, from left, Sara Casey, Colleen Tully, Nathan Hingtgen, Stephanie MacConnell, Nick Colquitt, Alyse Hunsucker and Meredith Butterton get ready to head to Managua Nicaragua for spring break 2008. |
As part of a nationally recognized nonprofit, Manna Project has chapters on college campuses throughout the U.S. and two international sites — one in Managua, Nicaragua, and one in Quito, Ecuador.
“… We basically pick a project or pick a specific area of their programs that they have in place down there and go and help,” said Josh Eddings, UNCW Manna Project chapter president.
Before last year’s trip to Nicaragua, the group raised approximately $8,000 through support letters and simple fundraising, which was then used to sponsor the construction of an indoor soccer/sheltered basketball arena.
The project, paid for in full, will be part of a community center for the children in the area, and although it was not completed during their first stint in Nicaragua, progress continues on the project.
“This is at a community center,” said Manna Project member Sara Casey. “… It is also where Manna Project teaches a lot of their classes.”
Eddings said that the center helps keep the area children safe during the dangerous dusk hours that haunt the surrounding area.
“It’s like a hub to kind of get the kids inside of somewhere safe — during those after-school hours when the bad stuff happens,” he said. “They bring them into the community center and try to keep them there and playing until those hours pass, and then they send them home.”
While in Managua this year, the group was exposed to La Chureca, the city dump that houses approximately 1,000 Nicaraguans and is plagued by disease and child prostitution, among other things.
Manna Project member Meredith Butterton remembers being led through the burning dump by a little girl whose infectious joy inspired many members to act for the area upon returning home.
In a stateside effort to bring global awareness and relief to those in La Chureca, last Friday, the group sponsored a concert at Kenan Auditorium, featuring Braddigan, formerly of the band Dispatch, whom they met during “Dia De Luz” or “Day of Light: A day celebrating life, joy and hope,” which was held in the dump and culminated with a live performance by Braddigan in early March.
The music of Braddigan carries
