Get to know us!
We all have something in common; we were captivated by Turkana the moment we set foot there. Some of us knew each other previously, but we all coincided in the volunteering campaigns that take place in St. Patrick’s Centre Lokitaung. Meeting the girls, the Missionary Sisters and being in this precious but tough region of Turkana, we began to think about the possibility of creating an association due to the abundance of needs that we detected whilst volunteering, that were not covered by other organisations.
Conscious of the commitment involved, as all our work is voluntary, we established Association Manyatta in 2019. Since then, our enthusiasm and implication has only grown, and with them, our projects.
Cristina Carrillo Serantes
I work in sustainability in Santander Bank. I fell in love with Turkana and its surrealistic magic in 2017, when I went as a volunteer for the first time at St. Patrick’s Center. I love nature and sport and any opportunity to head to the mountains. A scout since I was 8, when I left I found a new and exciting project in St. Patrick’s Center where I was able to offer my grain of sand, something I have been able to continue doing with Association Manyatta.
Kateline Lefèvre Noriega
I am a Primary school teacher and I have spent years engaging in volunteer work both on a national level and international one in various parts of Africa. When I went to Turkana, I was impacted by the educational situation in the region, especially that facing both girls and women. That is why I decided to become involved with Association Manyatta and continue working from here. Both from a personal and professional standpoint, I believe it is fundamental that we do what we can to guarantee the right to education in Turkana.
Karin de la Fuente Klein
Peace, smiles, joy, effort, challenges… are some of the things that Turkana offers you. Graduated in journalism and lover of communication, I have collaborated in various international cooperation projects. Turkana definitely hooked me and caused a part of me to stay there. The passion for the life of its people, their desire to improve day by day, their strength… I discovered all of this on my first trip to the St. Patrick’s Center. Now, at our/your Association Manyatta, we are proud to continue completing girls’ education, walking together towards a better future.
Raquel Checa Solueta
Design and Visual Arts teacher at the International Baccalaureate, I love working with people and making things with my hands. Always committed and linked to social and environmental projects, international cooperation did not cross my path until 2018. When they told me about St. Patrick’s Girls Center, I did not hesitate to join their volunteer campaigns. When I met the girls, a part of my heart stayed there forever. Being part of Association Manyatta is my way of being able to accompany our girls in the continuity of their studies so that they can be the engine of change in their region in the future.
Clara Doblas Ibáñez
Art teacher and ceramic artist, I can’t keep my hands still. I like to discover the beauty of the little things. The first time I saw Turkana from the air, it seemed to me like something almost lunar, a remote landscape, full of craters shaped like rivers. It was an unreal spectacle that left me speechless. In Lokitaung everything became real, but neither the wonder nor the beauty left. There I met girls as hard as rocks, strong, brave and radiant women, who should have the right to own their destiny. For this reason, it seems fundamental to me to support education there, as a guarantee that these and many other women will be independent and an engine of change in their society.
Pedro Parreño Rodríguez
Licensed in Chemical Sciences, I went to Turkana in 2018 as a volunteer at the St. Patrick’s Center. Since that moment, I was hooked on Turkana, above all to the girls and young women that I met there. Working with Association Manyatta gives me the opportunity to continue the connection with the girls and contribute to the educational projects that allow them to continue their studies.
Javier Venegas Sosa
Graduate in Audiovisual Communication and a Masters in International Cooperation and Help in Development. I first traveled to Turkana in August 2016, since then, I have felt a strong, daily connection to both its people and country, just like the rest of us who form Association Manyatta. Together, we work altruistically on our projects with the main goal to empower women in Turkana.
Nick Hogan
After years of searching for an opportunity to work with an association that is truly involved and committed, Association Manyatta presented the perfect opportunity. As a teacher, I know that education is fundamental to allow young people to achieve a better future. On arriving in Turkana, I was both shocked and touched by its people and culture. However, seeing their difficulties and struggles first hand, awoke a deep desire within me to help allow these girls achieve a better future, that like everyone else, they deserve.
