Feliz Navidad

Christmas in Paraguay is most definitely unlike any other Christmas I've ever experienced- and to be fair, this is not my first merry-go-round.

I headed back to my training site near Asuncion for a special Christmas with the host fam. I arrived on the 23rd and immediately was invited to a neighborhood party. After several hours of chat, music, and Brahma I went home feeling happy to be back 'home' for the holidays. Even more excited when I officially became a novia. :-) They say Christmas is the time of year for that sort of thing, and they would be right.

By the 24th, the day Christmas is celebrated in Paraguay, we were full of Christmas cheer. I helped construct a pesebre (manger... you know with all the animals and a little Jesus inside) out of tree limbs and freshly dug-up grass, which was my first of the Paraguayan traditions to learn. Then it was out to the back yard to kill some chickens and stoke up the brick oven. Round one of sopa paraguaya (cheesy corn bread) was out a little after noon. From there, it was off to visit several families around town. Five families through, I had so much sopa my stomach just couldn't take it, clorico (sangria with oj and tropical fruits) to the point of drowning, and new resolve in starting a New Year's diet. I had also been invited to several Christmas dinners at the stroke of mid-night. Nobody starves in Paraguay this night. Finally, I got into several close calls with an ungodly number of firework fights... why people let their children play with bombas I will never understand. Even after the mid-night city-sponsored firework show, the smoke of the city hung in the air for several hours. At about 10pm (although the tradition is typically withheld till mid-night), we opened presents at my family's house. Everyone got at least one, but certainly not the stockpile often exhibited during this season in the States. Mostly because the Day of Kings is in January and made for just such gift-giving to children. So, I received a lovely shirt from Argentina and a hair clip- yes! A big BBQ ensued directly after- the enormous meal to call in the festivities.

From mid-night on throughout the 25th, it was dancing and parties throughout Paraguay. My friends and I jumped from house to house, dancing, music, drinks, and of course more sopa. They even opened up a swimming pool at the local discoteca, so we could all experience another kind of sopa... the human soup that is beer, sweat, and lord knows what other disgusting liquids. I did NOT get in. Instead, I took refuge at nearby, hidden lake where I happily swam in the natural good ole' outdoors. The boys took the challenge of fishing, which did not work out as planned so us ladies had to make do with carne instead of pescado for dinner. Que lastima!

All in all, the best Christmas I could have ever asked for and a nice Skype chat with my family in the States to complete the package. Could you ask for more?

Pero... le gusta carne

We have all heard the fish analogy- give a man a fish, he'll eat for a day; teach a man to fish, he'll eat for a lifetime. Since I've joined the Peace Corps, I have heard that phrase time and time again. We are talking here about the sustainability of projects that are started by volunteers, and while I totally relate on the one hand... there is something missing to this lovely metaphor on the other. I live in Paraguay. It is a landlocked country. While we do have rivers, not all that many people actually eat fish. The truth is- Paraguayans like carne (meat), and no matter how many times I teach people to fish they'll never use the knowledge because at the end of the day what they really want is a charred steak straight off the asado (BBQ).

Silly as it may sound phrasing my situation as such, I feel deeply entrenched in a personal dilemma. Thus far in Paraguay, I've spent a lot of time focusing on Peace Corps' teaching how to fish- Construye tus Sueños, Juegos de Ingles, Hora de Cuento- but that is not at all what is going to last when I leave site in 2 years. No, not even remotely. I'll bet everyone will forget I ever even did any of that. Why? Because the people want carne, and that's what we need to be focusing on. It may not be on my list of indicators or take precedence in my PC project plan outlined by who knows who, who knows where, but that is what will last.

This week I finished up many of my first projects in site. Most prominently, I finished up pretty much all of my taught courses. And here's where I've decided to stop teaching these packaged capacitation programs. Indeed, they keep my mind busy, but they just don't go the distance for my community. From now on, I focus on the carne versus the fish. When the people want it, and we work together to get there... that's when we see the real results.

Watch out cows! We're taking this countryside by slaughter.

Che Roga

After weeks and months of searching, I've finally located and moved into my own house!!! The additional freedom and privacy are very much appreciated. I find I even sleep better knowing that nobody can watch me behind my closed doors. I know... sounds a bit odd that people might ever be watching me, but you'd be surprised. People here know what time I get up, what I ate for breakfast, and even the exact moment/where I get wobbly on my bike going around town. Yup, they say Peace Corps is a 24 hour job, and it is sooo true. I get daily reports on my actions from my neighbors and friends- "Who was that guy you were with (that one time when someone said hello)?" "I saw you wearing your helmet in front of the grocery store today (yes, I do need to eat and I do wear a helmet)." "Your pants looked a bit dirty the other day (after painting my table in the sun all day)." You get the idea, having a place to call my own and more importantly a place to hide from time to time is really really nice.

So- the details then! My PC crib has 4 primary rooms which I have turned into- bedroom, living room, kitchen, and dining room. It also has an semi-enclosed patio in back and a modern bathroom! Whoa- que chuchi, no? The whole place has been recently remodeled, so it's super lindo. For example, my walls have all been re-cemented (we don't really have plaster here, so cement is used to cover up the brick building materials, kinda like adobe but grey), I have a brand new concrete patio for a front yard, I've got a really nice locking front gate, new bars on my window, even a new roof. I'm pretty much living in new house! All the amenities are here too- running water from a well in my yard with motor, electricity, and a corner shop with NAFTA (natural gas) for my stove. Even my furniture situation is pretty stellar- I've got a stove, fridge, bed, and kitchen table all borrowed from neighbors and friends :-) All the basics taken care of in my simple life. The only thing that I lack is a tile floor- but concrete suits me just fine. In my backyard it gets even better- I have an enclosed veggie garden, a chicken coop, and fruit trees/plants ranging from papaya, orange, and lime, to avocado and grape. I'm definitely planting in my garden as well, to have a fresh range of veggies and spices. Yippee! I am very very please and super lucky to have found such a great deal- oh yes and all for around 75 USD/month. Gosh... wouldn't it be great if life was like this everywhere? Haha!

My spare time as of late has been all about getting settled in. I've got my dog and cat here now, still waiting on the chickens until they get a big bigger. So all's well- I've even got a new theme song: el Perro, el Gato, y Yo. Please enjoy a little soundbite from my South American life! (If you translate, it's actually not my life at all, but I like that at least the title is kinda my life here in Paraguay).

Día de Gracias y Sala de Emergencia

Thanksgiving- a time that we Americans get to say THANK YOU for all that we have in our country from infrastructure to diversity to lasting ideals. At a time when I am living so very far from that place, I am awed by just how much there really is to be thankful for. 

I spent my Thanksgiving at a resort outside of Encarnacion with several hundreds of Americans celebrating all that is great about our lives in Paraguay and our home in the United States. Swimming pools and all! It was a serious blast- auctions, competitions, hiking, dancing, and lots of friendly banter amongst close friends. And thank heavens for close friends- because this lovely weekend I also had my first adventure to a Paraguayan emergency room. The final night of our event, I was dancing with a super awesome friend and dance partner when I encountered some broken glass on the floor. Another friend passes by, "Be careful not to step on that glass!" It was already too late. Not realizing how badly I had cut my foot, I tried to continue the dance until realizing that the floor had become quite slippery... I was dancing in a puddle of my own blood. I limped across the dance floor to an area with more light and we quickly realized there was a larger problem at hand, pools of red followed in the wake of each footstep. Realizing the gravity of the situation, people began to mobilize- some of my friends even removing their shirts to stop the spouting blood. Bringing me water and making all the necessary phone calls- a friend smiles and says "Don't worry- this will all be funny tomorrow." I glare back, "Yeah, it's not funny yet." Carried by two of my G-mates still in their swim-trunks having just left the pool, and rushed to the emergency room by the PC security officer- I'm sure the hospital has seen a stranger bunch, but not by much. A little wincing with two friends to hold my hand and cover my eyes (I hate blood)- I was fixed up in no time. Two layers of stitches: one to close the artery I had apparently hit and another for my skin. I get to the waiting room to find my friends asleep, still only half dressed but there to take me home. 

Thank you, thank you, thank you for friends no matter where I am in the world! There is so much to be grateful for this year, but the relationships I have with all of you are at the top of my list.

Debut Radial

Whereas the USA is a highly visual culture with an extensive written record, Paraguay is an auditory culture. History, language, news, and of course the local chisme is based heavily in what is said from one person to another, day to day, generation to generation. As such, in place of local newspapers we've got local RADIO. My small, middle-of-nowhere town has 3 local radio stations with another in one of our suburb communities. The stations are frequently connected to political parties- for example, two of our three stations are owned by the two latest political candidates for mayor of opposing (liberal vs. colorado) parties. Thus, everything from the news to events to local campaigning has its place. And today was my Radio Debut!

I have been in contact with the independent local radio ringleader since practically my first day on site. While I've had several advertisements for my classes and events broadcast thus far during my stay- they've been hankering to get me in to talk for quite some time. Thus, invited by one of my barrios to talk about our proyecto de arbolizacion y limpieza (tree planting and neighborhood clean-up project), my good ole' radio friend jumped on the opportunity to broadcast my ever-questionable Spanish/Guarani to a wider audience. Lovely... My personal fears and public shame aside, I think it went pretty well :-) Plus, my super guapo (hard-working) lider del barrio (neighborhood leader) is amazing and can talk up a storm about the importance of the environment for the community and all the fun things we can do with recycled goods. We even started a new battery collection program right there in the studio in the midst of all the chatter. Not bad for a first go-round. And, looks like we have two more radio shows throughout the week.

Ahhh... one step closer to adapting to a culture so very different from my own.

Dignidad Humana

As always with my community groups and projects, I have been astounded by the topics of discussion we've been able to cover in our first two charlas with the Constructores de la Sociedad on civic education and community action. My impression thus far: the dictatorship has left a lasting legacy both on the record and in the hearts and minds of my community.

On our first theme, human dignity, we worked through the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as well as articles of Paraguay's National Constitution. 

Check out the Preamble's reference to the role of human dignity in Paraguay:
"The Paraguayan people, through their legitimate representatives convening at the National Constituent Assembly, pleading to God, recognizing human dignity for the purpose of ensuring freedom, equality and justice, reaffirming the principles of a representative, participatory, pluralistic republican democracy, upholding national sovereignty and independence and joining the international community, hereby approve and promulgate this Constitution."

Placed with such prominence in the founding document of modern Paraguay, human dignity is recognized as ensuring several key aforementioned societal values. The big question: where does my community in Paraguay draw the line between dignity and indignity? If only we could begin to give a shape to such an ambiguous term at the foundation of this gaining democracy, perhaps we'll have an insight into the ideals of this society as a whole and the challenges in achieving them. While I cannot say we got anywhere close to achieving this aim, we were able to dish out the group's feelings on poverty, disability, the elderly, state protection, and those institutions (or lack thereof) that work to address these ends. 

This week's second session, we focused on the rights of the child with regards to his/her dignity. Prioritizing the principles of the Declaration of the Rights of the Child, we began to break down those rights that are coveted and those that my community finds most difficult to achieve. 

In order of importance:

Right to a name and nationality

Right to food, shelter, adequate medical attention for the child and mother

Right to special protection for the child's physical, mental and social development

Right to understanding and love on the part of parents and society

Right to protection from abandonment and exploitation

Right to equality without distinction of race, creed or nationality

Right to receive free education

Right to build a spirt of solidarity, understanding, friendship, and justice within the community

Right to special education and care for those physically or mentally disabled

Right to be first to receive help in the case of disaster

In order of difficulty to achieve in the community:

Right to understanding and love on the part of parents and society

Right to protection from abandonment and exploitation

Right to build a spirt of solidarity, understanding, friendship, and justice within the community

Right to food, shelter, adequate medical attention for the child and mother

As always with my community groups and projects, I have been astounded by the topics of discussion we've been able to cover in our first two charlas with the Constructores de la Sociedad on civic education and community action. My impression thus far: the dictatorship has left a lasting legacy both on the record and in the hearts and minds of my community.

On our first theme, human dignity, we worked through the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as well as articles of Paraguay's National Constitution. 

Check out the Preamble's reference to the role of human dignity in Paraguay:
"The Paraguayan people, through their legitimate representatives convening at the National Constituent Assembly, pleading to God, recognizing human dignity for the purpose of ensuring freedom, equality and justice, reaffirming the principles of a representative, participatory, pluralistic republican democracy, upholding national sovereignty and independence and joining the international community, hereby approve and promulgate this Constitution."

Placed with such prominence in the founding document of modern Paraguay, human dignity is recognized as ensuring, reaffirming, and upholding several key aforementioned societal values. The big question: where does my community in Paraguay draw the line between dignity and indignity? If only we could begin to give a shape to such an ambiguous term at the foundation of this strengthening democracy, perhaps we'll have an insight into the ideals of this society as a whole and the challenges in achieving them. While I cannot say we got anywhere close to achieving this aim, we were able to dish out our feelings on poverty, disability, age, state protection, and those institutions (or lack thereof) that work to address these ends. 

This week's second session, we focused on the rights of the child with regards to his/her dignity. Prioritizing the principles of the Declaration of the Rights of the Child (simplified), we began to break down those rights that are coveted and those that my community finds most difficult to achieve. 

In order of importance:

Right to a name and nationality

Right to food, shelter, and adequate medical attention for the child and mother

Right to special protection for the child's physical, mental and social development

Right to understanding and love on the part of parents and society

Right to protection from abandonment and exploitation

Right to equality without distinction of race, creed or nationality

Right to receive free education

Right to build a spirit of solidarity, understanding, friendship, and justice within the community

Right to education and care for children with physical or mental disability

Right to be the first to receive disaster aid

In order of difficulty to achieve in my community:

Right to understanding and love on the part of parents and society

Right to protection from abandonment and exploitation

Right to build a spirit of solidarity, understanding, friendship, and justice within the community

Right to food, shelter,  and adequate medical attention for the child and mother

Right to receive free education

Right to equality without distinction of race, creed or nationality

Right to special protection for the child's physical, mental and social development

Right to education and care for children with physical or mental disability

Right to a name and nationality

Right to be the first to receive disaster aid

Looking at these lists, we can see some of the priorities and challenges that my community (and very likely Paraguay nationally) is working with. One can draw his/her individual conclusions, but I see this particular sequence of rights as indicative of how society feels on a deeper and larger level- its values in the former, and its apprehensions in the later. Thinking back on my days in training and learning about the legacy of dictatorships world-wide, it seems fitting. Odd how one little exercise can make lucid a realization only thus far entertained in my mental musings.

If the aim here is to "build a society," (as signified by the group's name Constructores de la Soceidad) a clear understanding of the foundation upon which one is building is necessary. Little by little, we are re-discovering the bricks to build upon.

Construyendo una Soceidad

Elections are over and my work in the civic education sector is in full swing- open for charlas (facilitated sessions), discussion, debate, and community action. To get the ball rolling, my contact and I sat down for a lengthy chat about what the Constructores de la Sociedad want to do based on our work in September (vision and mission have been established), the groups guiding principals (many established through the Catholic Church's Social Doctrine), and an organizational structure we can build upon. Here's what we've decided on: 

TRIPLE TASK:

1.     Profética- Enseñanza (Formación)

2.     Pastoral- Servicio (Acción)

3.     Sacerdotal- Santificación (Celebración)

1.     Formation

2.     Action

3.    Celebration

METHOD:

Ver --> Juzgar --> Actuar

Observe --> Judge --> Act

PRINCIPLES:

§  Dignidad Humana

§  Bien Común

§  Solidaridad

§  Subsidiariedad

§  Participación

§  Destino Universal de los Bienes

§  Human Dignity

§  Common Good

§  Solidarity

§  Subsidiarity

§  Participation

§  Universal Property

VALUES:

Fraternidad

Verdad

Libertad

Justicia

Caridad

Fraternity

Truth

Liberty

Justice

Caring

STRUCTURE:

Urban Community Meetings every 1st and 3rd Friday

Neighborhood Action every 2nd and 4th week

Solidarity Event every 3rd Saturday

We are kicking things off this week with a bang! Official invites and brochures are being sent to all the barrios. Full-steam ahead on my favorite project yet in Paraguay. 

VAC Meeting- Influencia de Alemania

Today I attended my first ever local VAC meeting in a neighboring pueblo. Simply awesome. Many Paraguayan cities have a strong German influence. The city visited today was just one of these with it's own German high school, museum celebrating it's international heritage, and an organizational structure unlike any other I've yet seen in Paraguay. How refreshing- right down to the homemade ice cream.

Aprendiendo a través de Trabajando

With all of the new projects I've gotten into as of late, it has been a week chockfull of work and even more so a week for learning. Although I am frequently the "teacher" or "facilitator" in my activities, I find that I spend most of my time learning (sometimes I think more) than teaching. I wonder if there will ever be a time when I feel like I've finally "figured out" Paraguay. So, please find the top seven lessons I learned in my classes this week:

Cooperativa Charla
My first family finance workshop with the local Coop took place last Saturday. The Coop selected theme was "Needs vs Wants" and despite somewhat nasty weather we had 10 people attend. That's a stellar turnout for a pilot program in finance I'd say- so all started well. Our first activity was to name the things that we most value in life. Responses included family, friends, experience, etc. After a small icebreaker of "what would you choose to keep on a stranded ship at sea?," we then started into a division of "Needs vs Wants." And this is where I encountered by first big lesson of the week: "basic needs" is a very big category. Divided into two groups, participants enumerated a long list of basic needs, the highlights of which included cleaning supplies, cosmetics, education, cell phones, and transportation. Really? I had no idea that make-up was a basic need, but it tells you a lot about the values in this society. The "lindo" factor- it if looks good it is good enough. Second big lesson of the week: when we looked at the lists none of the things that we say we really value in life (family, friends, experiences) ever showed up. Wow, are we really so focused (not just Paraguayans mind you, all of us worldwide) on material and consumer goods that we forget about the important stuff in our needs/wants? Yikes! It makes us give Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs a closer look- how many basic needs do we need to fulfill before we start to think about our social wellbeing and self-actualization? Is our list of basic needs so large now that we aren't moving on from the base of the pyramid? Just some thoughts on lessons one and two.

Construye tus Suenos
My first ever micro-business class was quite the adventure as well this week. Lesson number three: Setting-up a classroom and a projector takes over an hour. Yes, I need to arrive an hour early for class because something, really everything, will be sure to either go wrong, not work, need moved, etc. before I can get started. Fourth big lesson of the week: It is very hard for the youth in Paraguay to think through the details of their personal goals and aspirations. Often the responses are very cliche. For example, question is, "Why do you want to start your own business?" followed by a response, "To improve my quality of life." Sure, why not? But, what does that really mean? Break that down for me. What is "quality of life"? Are we talking a big house, new car, land out in the country or something to bring your family closer together as you are going to be running the business as a unit? Lesson number five: In all cultures there is a limit on the amount of listening one can tolerate before interrupting. In Paraguay, this time is 20 seconds. Clearly, I've got to rework my listening activities in the future.

Games in English
My second English class took place just the other day and it was certainly a hoot! Sixth big lesson of the week: English makes NO sense whatsoever. Why is it that we form questions with one verb and reply with a completely different verb? Why are there sooo many irregular conjugations? Who came up with this language anyway? Jajaja (hahaha). Finally, the seventh lesson of this week has been that class-size typically doubles the second week. Without further promotion, I was shocked to find over 35 kids in my afternoon English class this week. Apparently word got out via chisme a week late that we had English games in the library. I'm debating starting a third class, but I understand that class-size typically shrinks dramatically after lesson number three. So maybe not...

Always learning! Thank you Paraguay- not a dull moment!

El Mejor Día Paraguayo

Today was one of the best Paraguayan days that I have had in site. I cannot say that it was special in any grand fashion, but it was productive, fun, innovative, and new all in one: BALANCED.

I awoke after a rather short night's sleep at 6:30am to no electricity or running water. It was raining (more a slow drizzle), so school would likely be cancelled in the morning. Nonetheless, I was up and getting ready for a working breakfast with my co-worker on our "Construye tus Sueños" course at 7:30am. We each had one small bread roll with dulce de mora (kinda like a blackberry jam) and cocido (mate that's been burned with sugar and then boiled). Not sure why, but I was extremely full afterward! Then, we sat down to finish our lesson plan for our first day of class. I'm so excited to get started- we've got some great activities, ideas, etc. we're going to incorporate in the regular lesson plan as well as visits from local business owners, credit/loan institutions, and the like. From there we headed around town to work on promotions with signs to hang in the local hot spots, cooperative, bank, internet cafes, copy shops, and colegios.

By noon, it was time to tackle my next task- introducing comida saludable (healthy eating) to my host family as my host sister has recently been diagnosed with Gastritis and has to learn to eat foods without crazy amounts of fat/oil/acidity. So, my sister and I met up for our healthy shopping trip to buy lentils, veggies, and skim milk/yogurt (heaven forbid!). We made it home just in time for rice soup and the power to come back on.

After a short nap, required for it to be a good Paraguayan day, I woke fully rested to start my second shift.

My afternoon task was to prepare a lentil soup with my host mom without using oil. I know it doesn't sound that hard, but trust me- that is NOT normal here. After a big discussion about which parts of broccoli we can eat (all of it, but that's not so clear when one's never used it before) and how to prepare lentils, we were finally cooking. Meanwhile, I prepared all the materials for a Taller de Administración Familiar (family finance workshop) with the local cooperative. Again, thrilled to get to facilitate some cool activities this month on making wise spending choices and needs vs. wants. I have a good friend from Pakistan that (jokingly... I think), suggested that I have the whole class fast for a day and then offer them bread or a new cell phone and see which one they'd choose- I've opted for a slightly less profound but hopefully fun set of games and personal budgeting exercises. :-P Also during my afternoon marathon, I received a visit from a fellow American in site that would like to collaborate on a crash-course in English at the local university. It's lookin' like I've got another project and another contact organization in the works.

While the soup was cooking, I headed out for my final activity of the day around 7pm- one of my neighborhood meetings with the Constructores de la Sociedad. Set up in the neighborhood chapel, we completed a lluvia de ideas (brainstorm) and an excel desenchufada (excel unplugged) to pick and plan our first neighborhood level, capacity building, small project. In this particular barrio, they have decided that they want to get the word out about our group and start to build support for various infrastructure projects such as empedrada, public lighting, neighborhood clean-up, etc. As such, the task for the week is to invite as many neighbors as possible to a barrio kick-off meeting with motivational speaker (Pa'i), ice breakers, and appetizers. Tasks have been assigned, decorations and activities planned. Ore guapa!

By 9pm, I was headed home on my fancy new bicycle (which has gone over swimmingly with the locals- all my co-workers get a real laugh out of my chuchi helmet and headlight). It cuts my travel time around site in half; great exercise too! Upon arrival our lentil soup was done, and to my delight the family was loving it. Even the grandkids were going in for seconds. My host sister suggested we start eating this stuff for the primary meal of the day (lunch). What an accomplishment- lentils and broccoli introduced and devoured with pleasure in one fell swoop. A cold shower to finish off the day just in time for round two of the rainstorm and an evening power/water outage.

I couldn't ask for a better day. Goodnight Paraguay.

Proyectos en Processo

In an effort to organize my thoughts and to give readers and idea of what I'm up to out here, I've put together this list of projects currently underway in my Paraguayan service divided into the categories of the Community Economic Development sector:

Educación Cívica/Participación Ciudadana (Civic Education/Citizen Participation)

  - Constructores de la Sociedad- This is my main contact organization in my community and a super interesting group to work with. We have just recently completed our community study on the individual, group, neighborhood, and community levels. The results were super outstanding and allowed us to develop both a vision statement and prioritize our mission projects. Vision Statement: "A través de la cooperación, la solidaridad, y la amistad lograremos una verdadera seguridad organizada." Our large-scale community projects in order of priority: Universidad Nacional (opening a national university branch in town), Sala Informática (computation center), Comedor Comunitario (soup kitchen), Empedrada (paving/cobble-stoning local streets), Grupos Juveniles (youth groups), y Espacio Recreativo (constructing recreation spaces). Now that we've got the community census completed and the vision to guide us- we are working on our group's credibility within the community and at a national level. Little by little, we are starting small projects in each neighborhood (fixing-up the local chapels, installing volleyball courts, working with youth, finding an office for organization, etc.) to build-up our group's confidence, learn lessons about planning and organizing events, testing out our abilities, and promoting the collective vision of the future. Perhaps by the time my two years are up, we will be able to make our move on some of the bigger plans the community is hoping for.

Emprendedurismo (Entrepreneurship)

  - Curso “Construye tus Sueños”- As of this upcoming week, I will be co-teaching a course on entrepreneurship and micro-business called "Building your Dreams." Working with a group that is interested in starting a milk/yogurt factory in Caazapa (desperately needed for jobs as well as to take advantage of our outstanding cow-raising terrain) and various individuals interested in starting their own businesses, we will be going through the basics of business from market studies and marketing to accounting and budgets. The course lasts about 3 months and is certified through the Peace Corps as well as the local Supervisión (superintendent's office). 

Finanzas Familiares (Family Finance)

  - Charlas de “Administración Familiar”- In collaboration with the local cooperative (much more popular than banks in Paraguay for individual financial needs), we have developed a workshop series on "Family Administration." The kick-off workshop is this upcoming weekend on prioritizing needs versus wants in our consumer society. If all goes well, we hope to move into family budgeting, the importance of savings, credit/loans, and more in the future!

Informática/Computación (Information Technology/Computation)

  - Sala Informática en el Colegio Técnico- Increasing opportunities and access to technology is very much on the list of priorities for my community. Recently the Colegio Nacional (the primary high school in town) has been rumored to receive funding for a computer room. As such, the Colegio Técnico with a focus on accounting would like to join the race. With any luck, we'll have two educational institutions moving into the technology age by the time I leave. 

  - Curso de Computación- Currently in the works but not likely until the coming school year, I will be teaching a computer course at the local library that has recently received 5 new computers from the departmento. Certification to be offered by either SNPP or SINOFOCAL (two educational capacitation organizations funded by the national government with aims to enhance Paraguay's workforce).

Otros/Secondarios (Secondary Projects)

 - Comité de Huerta Familiar Ecológica- A project that I pretty much bumped into during my first week in site all about the benefit of family gardens. Working with a committee of about 15 members within one neighborhood (and growing rapidly), we are meeting to learn how to plant gardens, sharing recipes on how to cook with our home-grown veggies, and earning funds to help our neighbors buy the supplies to get started. To get the process jump-started, we have also teamed up with a small micro-credit organization to teach about micro-credit in a community new to the system and encourage efficient returns on borrowed funds. Lucky for us, a small family garden brings over in 300% of the investment cost in savings/sales- a great way to show how a little investment at zero interest can jumpstart your gains.

 - “Juegos de Ingles”- At the request of several families in town and encouraged by the amazing rate at which children can learn languages, I have started a weekly hour-long "English Games" class for kids ages 6-13 at the local library. If nothing else, we'll learn to count and say hello while promoting library usage.

 - Ingles para Docentes- Our local teacher training center is keen to get ahead of the game by becoming one of the first institutions in the nation to certify English teachers. As partner to the planning process and an instructor in conversational English, I am waiting with my team for the Ministerio de Educacion to approve our proposal and let us get the program rolling for the upcoming school year.

 - Campamento de Liderazgo/Taller de Emprendedurismo/Taller de Bibliotecas- Several super guapo (hard-working) Peace Corps volunteers and I are working together on several stellar camps and workshops to take place during summer vacations. In January/February, we are looking at both a Leadership Camp and Entrepreneurship Workshop. In March, the PC Library Committee is setting-up a Librarian training and Library Resources Workshop. These are really awesome opportunities for Paraguayans from around the country to come together, share ideas, and learn something new. All feedback on past events has been outstanding, and I look forward to getting to play a part in the organization of this year's events. :-)

Whew! I think that's all for now! Clearly, I've got my hands full for a PCV- always good to be active.

Presentación a mi Sitio

For something I wasn't looking forward to, how ridiculously exciting it was to have completed my official "Site Presentation"!

It took several days to prepare- finding a location, making invitations, visiting practically every institution in town to deliver invitations, etc. and nearly didn't happen at all due to one of the largest hail/wind storms Paraguay has seen in some time (knocked the power out for over 12 hours and devastated both homes and cities)- but the extra effort on the part of all parties was certainly worth the effort. Around 40-50 people were present for the event representing the various projects that I am currently working on in town as well as the escuelas (primary schools), colegios (high schools), and governmental institutions. My primary contact group the Constructores de la Sociedad brought bocaditos y bebidos (appetizers and drinks) as well as a big "Bienvenidos" ("Welcome!") sign hung on the wall and I whipped up a cake to share around. The Community Economic Development sector APCD Assistant prepared an hour-long description of the history of Peace Corps, the CED sector, contact support, safety/security, etc. and I developed a 5 minute overview of my life in photos and a few words to present. Even after the big storm, even after starting over 45 minutes late waiting for my contact to arrive (la hora Paraguaya)- it was great! People were truly tuned-in to the presentations, sharing thoughts and reflections about our projects so far over appetizers, and even my APCD was impressed as to the massive organization that the community took on to get the whole thing together. I'm soooo proud of my site and my groups!

So now, officially, I have been welcomed to the community. As my boss joked, "Great! Now you can finally start to work!"

NVAC & Asuncion

I officially made it one month in site before my first trip to Asuncion this weekend. As I understand from past volunteers and current friends, this makes me just about insane. And, to be fair, I was feeling a bit on the verge of cracking before the wee descanso. Thank the big man (or woman) up there for NVAC (not actually sure what that stands for now that I think of it... but it's a bit like student government for Peace Corps Volunteers- one rep from each geographical area). For my region in Departamento Caazapa, I am the NVAC representative. Which could sound important, until I say that I'm one of only three people I actually represent. :-P Yep, impressive! (Sense the sarcasm) Actually though, what that does say is that just about nobody is out here- so in a way it is impressive to be one of the few. Hmm... makes me smile inside.

Due to several days of rain prior to my trip, it was a bit difficult to get out of town originally. Luckily one of my closest neighbors to the south and I put our contacts together to find a night bus leaving my town for Asuncion that would get us there just in time to have dinner with our host families in the greater Asuncion area. What luck! If it hadn't of been for that bus we may never have made it at all- apparently all day buses had been cancelled. After a record-setting shortest-trip-I-will-ever-make-to-the-capital, I woke up in the same clothes as the day before at 5am at the terminal just in time to catch the very first bus of the day back out of town. Another 45 minute ride and I made it "home" just in time for breakfast with my host sister before school. It was so nice to go back to a familiar town. I can only hope it feels the same way returning to my site after several months. Nothing overtly special about the experience, just a shared mate, nap, terere, and casual conversation. I don't need much.

The Peace Corps committee meetings kicked off in a hurry at 1pm on Friday. First, the CoCoMu meeting with programs Ahendu (translation- "I hear") an American/Paraguayan concert series and Ahecha (translation- "I see") a photography class and exhibition of youth photos from around the country. If any of you readers ever make your way down here, I hope you have time to check out these super events! Second, popping around running errands such as getting my mail, picking up vitamins at the med office, finally getting my Paraguayan ID, helping out on the new civic ed manual another PCV has been putting together, etc. Third, Library Committee where I got to share my reads for the month (my personal goal is to read at least 2 books a month while I'm here- one for fun and one academically inclined- which may not sound like much, but it helps to keep me on track) and learn all about just how very involved PCVs are in community libraries. If there is one lasting legacy of Peace Corps Paraguay- libraries I feel will definitely be it. My site's library, in fact, was started by a PCV. Case-in-point.

By 6pm I was pretty much dead. Time for a sleep in the hotel- the first time I'd slept alone in my own room for quite some time. There's something to be said for all the personal space we get in the States- you just never realize how nice it is until it's gone.

The big celebration, wine with dinner and the lot, started around 9pm. We found a wonderful bookstore/coffee shop near the hotel to relax and collect our thoughts. I was out cold by 1am- finally a real rest for the weary.

The next day I woke to a stellar continental breakfast- yes a real breakfast with toast and fruit and yogurt and coffee and all the wonderful things breakfast can be. For those of you that know me well, you may be awestruck that I am actually enjoying breakfast here, but I guess I finally decided that I like to eat in the morning. Yes, I'm growing up and out of my adolescence. Por fin! My breakfast binge carried on into my first ever NVAC meeting at 10am with bottomless juice and even a bagel with lochs for brunch. This was indeed the day of food (later on I also had a salad and an amazing veggie fajita plate at the PCV favorite Mexican place) and it was amazing. Anyhow- I learned a ton during the NVAC meeting from the happenings of every committee from the Seed Bank to Gender and Development to Thanksgiving. I also was briefed on security, comings and goings of PC staff, an up-and-coming Peace Corps University for sharing the wealth of resources out there amongst volunteers, and new potential site assignments for G-34. All that knowledge flowing through my veins- how great to feel informed and inspired once again. Everyone says that meetings are quite boring things, but I rarely find that to be the case. There is always something to be gained from throwing around ideas, voting, debating, laughing. I left with so many more ideas and plans then when I came.

Saturday night I spent with old and new PCV friends to celebrate the Coordinator for Community Economic Development's birthday. What fun! While I am always partial to the dancing portions of any night out, I had a lovely time talking to volunteers at all stages of their service- on the way out, mid-point, brand-new -it's certainly a ride unlike any other. I've been here for nearly 4 months and yet I feel so very fresh to the experience, not yet hardened by the crusty red mud, a mixture of failure, mis-trust, and loneliness. Will I look and feel the same as them after my first year? The second?

The long bus ride home (during the day this time), I couldn't bring myself to sleep. Flying by town after town, comparing the scenery of one departmento to the next, I wondered what my place is here. Some cities with park benches, sidewalks, and paved roads... others with little more than wooden shacks along the highway. All of it rolling on by. How should I start again in my town? Where to pick up after a weekend such as this? A call from my new host family broke the pensive humming of the micro- I've got dinner tonight with Pa'i and a meeting with the cooperativa tomorrow. So much for the wonder of it all. Back in Caazapa, back online.

Asfalta

As I have mentioned before, my site is pretty well removed from the nearest paved road. Several
hours to the north and south, I am surrounded by a sea of red dirt (or mud when it rains) and expansive grassy fields. However, I recently discovered a 12km stretch of asphalt just south of the city on what will someday be a paved international Ruta 8 through the county connecting Argentina to Bolivia and Brazil. So, why this one stretch of asphalt without any connections to any other paved roads? Although I can't really say at this point one way or the other, it looks like there are 2 predominant theories.

1) Politics- Paraguay does not have the best track record for political transparency. Transparency International ranks Paraguay at 150/180 countries (2.1), and was considered the most corrupt country in South America for several years in the running (2nd in all of the Americas only after Haiti). While things are certainly improving, political corruption continues to be a struggle. Thus Peace Corps' focus on civic education and public participation as part of Community Economic Development. Also explaining the reason why many people in town feel that the small stretch of asphalt south of my site was installed without a connection to any larger town (including my town). Apparently, so says the chisme, it has something to do with a political favor from the past. Who knows?!?!

2) This road has been under construction for at least the last 5 years (I've got Peace Corps Volunteer reports from several years back talking about this process back when they were here on service), and they've decided in that time to have the paved highway go around the city rather than through the city to maintain the tranquilo atmosphere and safety in town. The with start of a new international highway, it could really ruin the environment! So, the pavement stopped to be redirected at some future date. Eventually they'll finish it up, but probably not for another several years.

Long and short of the story, lack of asphalt has been a point of contention in this town for decades and continues to be central to many discussions of development today. The challenge- get the job of development done with or without it.

Fiesta Patronal

Paraguay is a predominately Catholic country with approximately 96% of the population identified as such. That being said, many of the holidays in Paraguay relate to religious events, saints, etc. Fiesta Patronal is celebrated in every city when the day for the city's patron saint comes about. In my site, we've been gearing up for Fiesta Patronal celebrating the Virgen de la Natividad for the last 10 days with misa (mass) every night, cultural celebrations, and the like. Check out the activities I've attended in this last couple of weeks:

Monday-Wednesday- Nightly Misas with Noches Culturales

Saturday- Festejo de Fiesta Patronal

Monday- Visit from various Paraguayan Pa'ikuera

Tuesday- Torin y Massive Concert with Famosas Cachacas!

Wednesday- Procesion de la Virgen

In short an amazing couple of weeks! Lots of singing, dancing, eating, and celebrating. I can only hope that we have more fun times like this in the future!

Humo y Lluvia

It's 2pm in southern Paraguay, but it very much feels like 6pm and nearing dusk anywhere else. The weather forecast for the last week: SMOKE. The weather forecast today: ACID RAIN. The sky outside it eerily orange, the rain awkwardly black. This is my first lesson (of what will likely be many) in Paraguay's struggle with pollution.

For the last week now, throughout the country, Paraguay has been covered in a dusty, smokey haze. On travel to my site from Asuncion, there was no stretch of land without a visible cloudy mixture hanging in the air. Often, especially once south of Villarrica, the culprit fires could be seen off in the distance.

Why? Two reasons:

1) Lack of Waste Management Systems- Most towns in Paraguay do not have organized waste disposal sites if any waste management system at all. Thus, once a family has collected a sufficient amount of trash to warrant action, they will burn the trash right in their back yards or out in the street- food waste, paper, plastic, etc. As one might imagine, the toxins released in such burns are terrible for the environment as well as local health. When I first arrived in Paraguay, I became ill with respiratory infections almost any time I walked by one of these burning trash heaps. Now, after several weeks without rain, all the of smoke is simply hanging in the air- heavy and unmoving.

2) Deforestation- Paraguay was once home to a beautiful, tropical forest. However, over the last several decades the trees have been coming down leaving vast, barren stretches of land. Online reports say that Paraguay has now lost 90% of its forests in the last 50 years. In order to clean and maintain the land, campesinos have taken to burning the fields. Sometimes these burns can get a bit out of control, as has been the case in the last week. Without an infrastructure to stop the burns, lack of bomberos, agua, etc. there is little to stop the spread and subsequent pollution.

The result: the recent crazy weather.

What can we do about it? Well, this is the Peace Corps- so I'll keep you updated!

Juramento

Whohooo!!!! This morning at 10am at the US Embassy in Asuncion, Paraguay I took the oath to become an official Peace Corps Volunteer.  Yes this last three months was just a teaser- now for the real thing. 

It's kind of a crazy thing to think about: I am swearing-in as a Peace Corps Volunteer. I have been working towards this so long, but the challenge has yet to begin. On Tuesday, I will arrive at my site and begin working toward the Community Economic Development of a small Latin American pueblo. I don't speak either language (Spanish or Guarani) like it's my own, I don't know anyone there, and I hardly have a clue where I'm going to begin. That being said, this is the life I have signed up for... and despite all the challenges I'm stoked!

So...

I do solemnly affirm that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foriegn and domestic, that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same, that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion, and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about the enter.

First Impressions

My first visit and first week at my site in Departmento Caazapa presented many new opportunities and experiences. The most obvious and striking impression when one first arrives, is that I am quite removed in Caazapa. From my town it is 96km to the north (most common route) and 60km to the south (only one bus per day this way) from a paved road. Which translates into a very very long bus ride to the capital- it took me 8.5 hours to get to my training site in the Asuncion area! This makes for quite an adventurous bus ride- tiny bridges of wood over large rivers, skidding buses in the tierra roja, etc. It also means that when it rains, there is no going anywhere due to flooded roads. The landscape in this patch of Paraguay is quite beautiful- large flat valleys with scattered small hills much like the mid-west of the United States or much of England in the UK. The red dirt roads really stick out in contrast to all the green. :-) 

The town has about 5000 people in the center with a total of 35,000 in the surrounding area. It's very clean and quiet for Paraguay... much more so than my training site for sure. Bring so small, it appears to be a pretty tight-knit community. While the primary livelihood is definitely agriculture for the local population, there is also a huge focus on education. Quite unlike other pueblos I’ve visited, they have two universities and a teacher-training institute in town- a lot of education centers per capita. The result is lots and lots of teachers around; for example, my host family members are virtually all profes.

My main project is working with a group called the "Constructores de la Soceidad.” Basically, they want to increase civic participation in the area and help support their fellow neighbors. My group is comprised of about 70-80 members which appear to have joined through the local Catholic church, most from my town but representatives from the compañias also have a strong standing. My main contact is a very influential Catholic priest who has been a key motivator in the creation of the group. They are brand new (started up less than 6 months ago) and still have a lot to organize and consider as a new-formed team. Currently, there are no existing NGOs in my town, so starting this organization for the purpose of general community support is definitely a learning curb. My job, as such, is to help them get organized as a team so that they can start working to achieve their goals. Some projects they are looking into include opening a comedor comunitario (soup kitchen) and developing viviendas economicas (economic housing for the poor and elderly). I’m thrilled to be working with such a motivated and unique group in my community!

Side projects are plentiful, thanks to a long history of Peace Corps volunteers in the area. Some activities that seem to be of interest to the community include basic finance classes at the local cooperativa, presentations or charlas/talleres at the colegios on project management and community integration/civic participation, and English classes at the Instituto de Docentes. Clearly, there is no lack of work for my next 2 years.

All that being said- my first job in site is just getting to know people and making connections. I started the process during my short stay last week, but I have a long way to go. There are many more schools, government organizations, and businesses I have yet to visit and interview for my estudio comunitario required by Peace Corps. Naturally, I also have tons more people to meet and friends to make.

A final and very important lesson I took from my visit is a keen awareness of the language barrier and implications thereof. Although I've been studying Guarani for virtually all of training and practicing Spanish daily with my host family, I still cannot express complex concepts or feelings in Spanish nor can I understand pretty much anything people are saying in Guarani. In large part, this is because the accent is hugely different between the Asuncion area and Caazapa... so I hope that with more adjustment time it will get better. However, I also realized that the Guarani I am learning is professional in training, but the people don't really use professional Guarani where I live. Guarani is a language of complex expression and therefore is used for jokes, stories, songs, and social settings. So, It looks like I’ve got a lot more learning to do in my last 2 weeks of training.

For now, please send me luck and patience! Swear-in is rapidly approaching: August 20^th I will become a REAL Volunteer!