Welcome to Manna
Communities Serving Communities.
Our Mission:
To foster communities of talented young leaders to become the next generation of
social change agents by engaging in collaborative, on-the-ground service
with international communities in need.
Our Story
Vanderbilt Manna is a campus chapter of the international organization Manna Project International.
Manna Project International was actually started by a group of four Vanderbilt University students who wanted to harness the creative energy of college students and recent graduates to work with populations in need. As interest grew, they established an on-campus service organization to bring the university campus into greater contact with the local immigrant community, and to provide international service opportunities for students.
After visiting Nicaragua several times and making connections with others on the ground, the four friends established Manna Project International as an IRS-recognized nonprofit organization, and began recruiting other college graduates to commit to working in Managua for one year. In September 2004, eleven recent graduates arrived in Managua. The experiences and friendships from that first year of service forever changed their perspectives and outlooks on life. As the year drew to a close, students from the next class of graduating seniors arrived to transition into the community and the Program Director position was born.
While the faces have changed, Manna Project’s volunteers serve more than 3,000 community members each year. These communities of young leaders are helping breaking the cycle of poverty through participatory programs supporting education, health, leadership, and economic development for communities in need.
Click here to learn more about the larger Manna organization.
Why Manna?
Service. Spring Break. Latin America.
Our vision is to create communities of
young leaders that help break the cycle of poverty in underserved communities around the world. It’s why our mantra is
“communities serving communities,”
and it’s why we’re different.
Throughout our trips, we emphasize a holistic approach, community focus, and leadership development.