Sheila Rivera Plúa first heard about YAMEN eight years ago, when her parents became hosts for a YAMEN participant serving in her home city of Manta, Ecuador. Today, she is living that experience herself: she is completing a one-year assignment in Arusha, Tanzania — the city that will host the Mennonite World Conference (MWC) global Assembly in 2028.
In the Ngaramtoni district, she works as an agricultural extension intern with ECHO, a Christian-based organization collaborating with Mennonite Central Committee (MCC). Her work focuses on alleviating food scarcity in rural communities across East Africa, where rapid population growth has outpaced declining food production. «I see YAMEN as a way for me to serve God as a biologist,» she says.
The program has challenged her in many formative ways: learning Swahili, mastering sustainable soil management, exploring fuel-efficient cooking technologies, and designing irrigation proposals. «All of these strengthen my ability to apply practical solutions in rural contexts,» she explains. Navigating a new culture also required humility and patience. «Over time I have learned to love their language. It has helped me get closer to people and have deeper conversations,» says Sheila Rivera Plúa.
Her home church in Ecuador, Iglesia Menonita Casa de Oración Jacuatas, is small but active — currently planting two new congregations in rural communities in Manabí. «Serving the community is in the DNA of my church. This is very similar to where I work now: we reach people not only by talking about God, but also by bringing hope and tools for them to have a more dignified life,» she says.
Sheila Rivera Plúa will return to Ecuador in July 2026, hoping to deepen her involvement in food security and soil conservation projects for small-scale farming communities. YAMEN — the Young Anabaptist Mennonite Exchange Network — is a joint program of MWC and MCC designed to develop young leaders and strengthen fellowship among churches in the Anabaptist tradition worldwide.