All good things must come to an end...

Today marks the end of my Aliñambi Nutrition Education Program. :(  Though it has been a rough few months full of long nights and sore throats after class, I am going to genuinely miss some of those kids!

We spent the last two weeks of class playing jeopardy and taking one last trip per group to the garden and the kitchen. Though the garden is still in it's growing stage and not quite ready to be cultivated, the kids really enjoyed planting and taking care of their respective plots. Hopefully Bryan, one of our kids who lives at Aliñambi, will be able to pick some of the crops over the summer!

In the kitchen, Haley and I made a recipe book for each of the kids full of all the recipes we did in class as well as about 25 more recipes catered to their household cooking abilities. I wish I could have captured all their faces of excitement when we told them about the recipe books! Priceless. Surprisingly, I think the boys were more excited than the girls haha.

The kids will take the diagnostic exam that they took the first day to gage how much they learned, as well as to see how they each responded to the self-efficacy questions (hopefully positively!). When they first took the diagnostic prior to learning anything about nutrition, the average score was about a 50%. To deem the program successful and hopefully carry on another year, we are hoping for an increase of 25% or an overall average of 80%. We shall see next week when we get back the exams! I'll keep you posted! I'm crossing my fingers, yet again, that this program can continue next year and expand to include the families to promote more permanent change within households.

And now, the best of the Aliñambi Nutrition Education Program...

One of the posters I made for the 

hand-washing charla

Some of the girls soooo excited to give

their interviews at local tiendas! 

Such eager students!

Sayuri and Jessica crying. From the onions

or because they're having so much fun? Guess

we'll never know...

Enjoying the fruits of their labor!

Our final class. :( Captures them perfectly...

I was so sad to be ending the class as I probably will not see many of the kids again because they are out on summer vacation now. Though a few come to the library, so I will have a couple more days before the big goodbye.

besitos,
Krysta

'Tis the Season for Money!!!

After months of work, a 12-page document, days of editing, and 'self-efficacy' becoming my new favorite word, my Coca-Cola Grant request is officially submitted!! :) CELEBRATION!

I submitted a grant request to the Coca-Cola Foundation for Manna's nutrition and health programs. Currently our budget is at about $200, and lets just say that doesn't go too far when you're trying to purchase new Women's Exercise equipment, run a nutrition class and trying to open a Health Resource Library. So, for months I have been working on this grant so the next year Program Directors are not held back by money.

My money request came to approximately $17,516.32. Now do I expect to get all $17k? Perhaps not, but even a small chunk of that would do wonders for the nutrition programs and that is the least I can hope for! The budget included things from aerobic steps to photo copies to health conferences for Manna PDs and community members to a weight scale and blood glucose monitor. Channeling the true nerd in me, I am so stoked at the possibility of getting sweet, new medical equipment!

I believe the turn around on notification is 6 to 8 weeks so hopefully by the time my contract ends with Manna in August, I will have heard some (great) news! I will fill you in once I hear something!

I'm so nervous I'm biting my nails...

(This was actually taken in Venezuela after Jackie

and I  got the last 2 seats on this overnight

bus to catch our flight back to Quito!)

Hope you're enjoying the start of summer!
Finger- and toe-crossed Peterson