Manna Project International

Happy National Reading Day! 📚

Over the past few weeks, students in Shandia have been taking part in Manna’s very first Reading Club sessions! 📖

These pilot sessions are designed to spark a love of reading from an early age, helping children build literacy, focus, and develop a lifelong passion for learning. We can’t wait to see these young readers continue to grow, one story at a time! ✨

You've met Angela, Emely, and Mariela - help them get the last $400 to hit our goal!

Over the past few weeks you've heard their stories — why they show up to Mamitas every month, what they're learning, and how they're growing into leaders within their own community.

Mother's Day is this Sunday, and we're $400 away from our goal of supporting 20 mothers through Mamitas this year. This is our final push.

If their stories moved you, this is the moment to act. And if you're looking for a meaningful way to honor a mom in your own life this Mother's Day, our donation page lets you dedicate your gift in her name. It's a way to celebrate the mothers closest to you while supporting mothers in Shandia who are working hard to give their children the strongest possible start.

Link in bio. Thank you for following along, for sharing, and for honoring the mothers in your life by showing up for mothers in Shandia!

Meet Mariela.

Mariela Licuy is 36 years old, a mother of four — from an 18-year-old son to a 9-month-old daughter — and serves as the Vice President of Shandia. As one of the few women in community leadership, her work has always centered on the wellbeing of the women and children around her.

It's no surprise she found her way to Mamitas.

Within the program, Mariela is the kind of presence that makes other mothers show up. She encourages participation, reminds women that their health and their children's health are worth prioritizing, and leads by example in a community where women in leadership roles are still rare.

Mariela believes the program works best when it goes both ways. "If the community shows effort and initiative," she says, the impact grows — for the mothers, for their children, and for Shandia as a whole. It's a philosophy she lives out every time she shows up, encourages another mother to do the same, and steps into a leadership role that makes the program more rooted in the community it serves.

She was recently selected to train as a Peer Champion — learning to carry out home visits and bring individualized health support directly to mothers in Shandia who need it most. Mariela has been showing up for the women and children of Shandia for years. Mamitas is just the newest way she's doing it.

This Mother's Day, your support helps women like Mariela extend that impact even further! Link in bio to sponsor a Mamita.

We're two weeks from Mother's Day and 30% of the way to our goal of supporting 20 mothers through Mamitas this year. These are some of the women and children your gift will reach. Will you help us get there? Link in bio.

Meet Emely ✨
Emely is 23 years old, a mom of two, and one of Mamitas' most dedicated participants. She was among the first mothers to complete all six sessions of the Mamitas curriculum — earning her certificate and showing up every single time.
Her commitment is personal. Emely's 2-year-old son was born with congenital health challenges, and navigating his care has been an ongoing journey. Mamitas has given her the knowledge she wishes she'd had from the start — and the chance to apply it now for her 11-month-old daughter.
Every session, Emely learns something new about lactation and nutrition. She sees firsthand how much this program means for first-time mothers who are figuring it out as they go — and she's passionate about making sure other women have access to the same support. She was recently selected to train as a Peer Champion, carrying what she's learned directly into her community through home visits.
Emely is exactly who Mamitas was built for. And she's exactly who your support reaches.
This Mother's Day, sponsor a Mamita like Emely at the link in bio!

Last week, the Mamitas program welcomed its largest group yet — over 30 mothers gathered for this month's session, the biggest turnout since the program launched. But that wasn't even the most exciting part.

For the first time, a group of mothers from within the program were selected and trained as Mamitas Peer Champions — community members who will now support other mothers, lead activities during sessions, and help carry the program forward from within.

This is exactly what Mamitas was built for. Community-led, community-owned — and growing from within. Your support isn't just funding a program. It's helping build something that belongs to women in Shandia!

This Mother's Day, your support helps make moments like this possible. Sponsor a Mamita — link in bio.

Meet Angela!

At 23, Angela is raising two daughters in 5 de Enero — a small community separated from Shandia by a bridge that only irregular taxis and motorbikes can cross. Getting to the monthly Mamitas session isn't always easy. She comes anyway.

Since joining in February, Angela has become one of Mamitas' most engaged participants — leading activities, sharing what she's learned with other mothers, and spreading the word to other moms in surrounding villages. She says Mamitas gives her a space to connect with mothers from different communities, deepen her knowledge about breastfeeding, and learn how to nourish her daughters using native plants from her family's chakra when money is too tight for a trip to the city.

Angela would show up without any incentive. But she notes that the small practical items Mamitas provides to consistent participants — often worth less than a dollar — make a meaningful difference for her family.

This is who your support reaches. This Mother's Day, visit the link in our bio to sponsor a Mamita like Angela.

Behind every statistic in this carousel is a mother in Shandia making decisions about her pregnancy, her nutrition, and her child's health — often without access to accurate, culturally relevant information to guide her. That's why Mamitas exists. And this Mother's Day, you can be part of changing that. For just $50 a month, you can provide a mom with a full year of support during this critical window. Link in bio to sponsor a Mamita today!