400 Años de Fundación

Paraguay had it's big bicentennial celebration this year in May, but in a somewhat surprising twist of events my site also had it's 400 year foundation anniversary this October. In preparation for the celebration, I took part in several events and publications as a part of my Peace Corps service to my community. Through the process of collecting interviews, poems, pictures, and historical items, I have learned a lot about my town that I may have never known otherwise.

First, I learned that my town is only the center of a much larger history of the surrounding district as a whole. Our district has over 30,000 habitants while my town itself has only ~6,000. Within the district, statistics say we have 84 villages, 70 primary schools, 16 high schools, and several universities. The culture of the district is distinctly impacted by these small towns and villages as each in and of itself has a rich history and tradition. This also makes us the largest district within Departmento Caazapa and one of the most influential in the region politically and economically.

Second, the name of my town (which kinda sounds like the name "U2" in Guarani) has two possible origins. Option 1: U meaning "spine" or "needle" and 2 meaning "plant" or "vine." I hadn't realized until I took a small hike through some local forrest with a friend that this place is FULL of little prickly plants. As I understand, I you happen to get pricked and leave the spine in your skin it actually travels up your arm/leg! So I guess if we were to name a place for something, it should be what you need to look out for when your walking around. Yikes! Option 2: U meaning "sacred" and 2 meaning "together." Back before the Spanish conquest of the area, my little town was the community meeting and trading place of various Guarani indigenous tribes. So, when they were to call a meeting they would go to the "sacred together" place. Pretty neat, eh?

Third, my town has a whole lot of pride for it's history and traditions. Books have been published on the town's foundation; poetry and music recited and sung to its rolling green hills and open fields; photos taken in celebration of its train stations, bridges and people. While I am not a native, this month I feel almost as proud to simply be a part of this little town's history and development.

During the final day of our celebrations a local poet returned to Yuty for the procession of the hypothetical ashes of the town's founder around the plaza. In the cathedral, his poem was recited tearfully in tribute to a long history and love of this small Paraguayan town:

Brota en mi mente soñadora,

en un dulce “Mandu`a”,

es a Yuty al que se añora

bañado por la brisa del Yagua Rugua.-

No puedo dejarte en el olvido

recordándote desde Tarutí,

Bolaños te dejó así sentido

hoy al no verte sufro por ti.-

Acuden los recuerdos en tropeles,

de tus calles y barrios de un silencio acogedor,

la juventud pasada cubierta de oropeles

para guardar por siempre envuelta en su calor.-

Tus montes y valles embrujados

desde el Paso Guazú al Gazory rumoroso,

evocan las endechas de un pasado

y vuelcan en presente venturoso.-

Tus ríos, arroyos y nacientes

con tu ubérrimo suelo colorado,

sirven de excelentes nutrientes

para el agro trabajado y cultivado.-

Del itá carú que existe en tu subsuelo,

y del uranio que yace en tus entrañas,

surge en el yuteño el anhelo

de su producción industrial para el mañana.-

La sabia de tus hijos valerosos

nos sirven de norte, noche y día,

ellos, que cruzaron los caminos escabrosos,

nosotros los tenemos como guías.-

Hombres hechos en el sacrificio

curtidos en las luchas y los embates,

llevan en sus genes como oficio

de jamás rehuir por bravíos los combates.-

Cuna de nombres inmortales

los Ayala Velázquez, Brizuela, Caballero López y otros,

con sus memorias trascendentales,

lamentamos que ya no están entre nosotros.-

Tus mujeres de estirpe heroicas

su hermosura por doquier ostentan

son en el sufrimiento estoicas

y en su trato con el amor nos tientan.-

¡Cómo dejarte en el olvido!

recordándote desde Tarutí

Bolaños te dejó así sentido

hoy el no verte lloró por ti.-

~Dr. Manuel Ángel Bachero Macchi

Happy Anniversary- from your friendly Peace Corps Volunteer...

Ingenio y Creatividad

When one thinks of Peace Corps from the comfort of one's own sofa in the glory that is an American dream home, one's thought process frequently jumps to the challenges of basic living that comprises the life of a Peace Corps Volunteer. Whether that be lack of water and electricity, to growing one's own food, or to walking long distances in ankle-deep mud; the physical differences between life in the developed versus developing world are often what we consider to be one of the biggest challenges in Peace Corps. All that said, from an insider's point of view these physical differences are not actually that big of a deal. In large part, this is because in my service in Paraguay- ingenuity and creativity have resolved a lot of the struggle that one imagines.

Let me give you some neat examples:
Running water-
So, not all of us are as lucky as I am to have running water in our homes. That said, the utility of latrines is not all that terrible when you get into the details. For example, many latrines come with a nice little boxed in seat, they are much easier to care for than a modern bathroom, and if you are really guapa your latrine can actually be a great source of compost if treated with ash from your wood-burning ta'ta'cua. And while it may seem like a real pain to be left without a sink to wash your hands, PCVs often use recycled 2-liter soda bottles to make portable hand-washers with a little soap-holder and all. Good for the environment and you in so many ways: 1) recycled, 2) less water usage, and 3) your hands still get clean! Finally, just because the water isn't running to your kitchen sink and washing machine doesn't mean that you don't have some really tasty water to rehydrate with some terere after a long day in the sun. In my case, just dig a hole in your back yard, find a bucket and some rope, and there you have all the water you could need for a bucket bath, dish washing, and your garden.

Electricity-
Well, the majority of PCVs in my country do have electricity in their homes. But for those days when the lightning strikes or the wind is too strong and your power goes out, you still have plenty of candles to light up the house. It's always much more romantic to read and journal write in candlelight anyway, right?

Limited Access to Processed Foods-
In the good ole' USofA we are pretty used to the idea that food comes in cans and boxes. We have everything from soups to pancake mix to just-add-milk mac & cheese. While these meals are pretty tasty and convenient, it is really not that much more difficult to do all this and more in a humble Paraguayan kitchen. I mean... call me crazy or just way too American... but did you realize that pancake mix is pretty much just flour and baking soda/powder? I guess they may mix it up a bit from time to time, but we are actually paying something like 5USD for that?!? I find that making things from scratch in Paraguay serves many a purpose: A) Helps to calm the mind after a long day of practicing Guarani (and often failing at the most inopportune moments). B) My mom always used to say if you know how to cook then you'll never starve... and cooking from scratch should really be cooking 101. So don't worry mom- I'm good from here on out. C) All those preservatives in boxed and canned foods really do a number on your health. Now that my food is pretty much all fresh from the corner store or my own back yard, I can feel the difference in my vitamin in-take. And, the food tastes sooo much better too! I will never look at supermarket milk the same again... how can I drink that when I don't know the cow personally? D) There are a lot of movements in the developed world about getting back to locally-grown organic foods, but in the Peace Corps this is not a movement so much as a way of life. My eggs come from my neighbors' chickens, my chicken (conveniently) from those very same chickens, my pork/steak from yet another neighbor, my veggies from my garden, my fruit (avocados included) from my back yard, my yerba mate from the suburbs around my town, my rice/corn/beans from local farmers, etc. In fact, at this stage it is actually kinda' a hassle to buy imports... so I don't think that a fair-trade mark is going to go too far out here.

Rough Travel Conditions-
I was certainly one of the first, and for sure not the last to be astounded and outraged by travel conditions in Paraguay. 7+ hours in an old bus without air-conditioning (or heat- take your pick) on dirt roads with rickety old wooden bridges over Amazonian rivers is not exactly my idea of a relaxing travel experience. However, one really grows to appreciate all that time to get to know people from your departamento (you'll never be short of a conversationalist on that long of a ride), taking extra long naps, reading those books you never had time for back in the States, considering and then re-considering your life plan, calling friends you haven't seen in a while, or simply enjoying the scenery. If all that isn't good enough, even the former frustrations with travel limitations due to a combo of bad weather/road conditions have become more of an entertainment factor than anything else. If I happen to be stuck out of site, I can always visit a fellow PCV in another part of the country and learn all about a new town. If I get stuck in site, it's a great reason to throw caution to the wind and cancel all my important meetings in the capital or avoid that really terrible workshop I really didn't want to go to anyway. I mean, who really needed to travel anyhow?

No Malls or (God-forbid!) Super WalMarts-
A Peace Corps Volunteer budget topped with a major lack of shopping malls in the campo can really put a damper on your materialistic spending habits. Every so often a traveling sales-man comes through with new season offers, but it is just not the same as a one-stop-shop for everything. That said, there is a lot you can do with 30.000Guaranis and ingenious local resources. For example, if you happen to lose around 40 pounds (because of all the healthy food and great opportunities to walk long distances in 40 degree C weather), you do NOT have to go shopping. Actually, there is a really nice lady down the street that knows how to take in your jeans and even make you a matching tailored shirt for a tenth of the cost. Another example, if your boot ends up with a hole in it (probably due to the rough cobblestone roads day in and out), you can just head to the shoe tailor's house and he'll get you re-soled and on your way. Or, if you are really in a bind and running low on cash my neighborhood kids can show you have to fix a flip-flop with some fencing wire. Not super comfortable, but kinda fashionable... you'd be surprised. Finally, for all those housewares that we've come up with from the toilet paper holder to the picture frames, all that can be done pretty simply with some wire, nails, scrap wood, and recycled trash. For an extra flourish, buy some paint next time you're in the city and you've got at least a 10USD Walmart sales offer. :-)

At the end of the day, the Peace Corps life... well, life in general in the developing world... is really not all that bad. Once you get past some of the conveniences and get to chisme circles, terere, living from the land, and just plain being tranquilo, you see that what is really important in life never changes... and the rest can be solved with a little creativity.

Un Año

It is hard to believe... and perhaps even harder to swallow: I am at my one year service mark in Paraguay.

A year ago today, I swore in as an official Peace Corps Volunteer to serve in Departmento Caazapá for the following 2 years and begin an adventure that many call "the toughest job you'll ever love." I came in feeling a bit nervous, tired, fat, and at least 7 dusty hours on the road unbathed. My first real conversation in my site was with my host dad regarding whether or not girls should be allowed to have short hair as they may be mistaken for men (I had short hair). As I look back, I really can't fathom all that I have been through and learned this year. Beyond the basics of Spanish/Guarani, the project cycle and community mapping, and the wonders of PACA/PRA (participatory rural analysis) tools- I have learned to love and appreciate a culture so very different from my own in ways I never imagined I could. I've met a variety of families that have taken me in as their own, friends that have been there for me, and colleagues that are inspiring beyond many I've ever known.

Wow.

I am still, however, only touching the tip of the iceberg. There is much yet to learn about Latin America and the developing world, more Spanish to get into, much more Guarani, more times in which I will grow through my faults and struggles more than my successes. That said, welcome to my 2nd year in Peace Corps Paraguay.

It's not been the best, nor been the worst- and THANK YOU.

La Copa América

Fútbol (soccer) season is back now at the mid-point of my Peace Corps service. This year, rather than the World Cup we were all about the Copa América. Once again decked out in my Paraguay fútbol jersey, I sat excitedly in a friend's house glued to the TV for the semi-finals against Venezuela. The boys were already cheering and yelling at the screen before the game even started. I giggled inside a little, but couldn't hold back my own occasional yelp as the game went on. Two hours later, score was still 0-0 and we were in for penalty shots. Whew- because this is where Paraguay shines. Every game in the Copa this year that they've won has been in the penalty shots. Their goalie is outstanding, so it's no wonder we love the penalty rounds. Indeed, this time around we were still in an ideal position. One- two- three goals in and then... the Paraguayan goalie stops the ball! The crowd goes wild, the house is shaking with my friends' jumping around. We made it to the finals of the Copa América!!!

The next day, I make my way to national Expo to check out the business stands and celebrities. It had been raining for several days, so I'd been stuck in Asuncion due to poor road conditions. The event was good fun, complete with models, the most famous guitar player in Paraguay, a mini-pyramid from the Louvre, and carnaval rides. All that said, my favorite spectacle of the evening was actually my bus ride home. At nearly midnight we were standing on the roadside waiting for a bus to pass that would go to Ypane where I was staying with a family. Traffic packed, we were finally able to find a direct bus (amazing as usually they don't run at that hour) and piled in with loads of Ypane locals. As we waited for the bus to fill-up, people were cramming in like sardines in the aisle and three to a seat. I snuggled up with my friends for what would be a very fun ride. The back of the bus started it all: PARAGUAY//! PARAGUAY//! The front of the bus then chimed in with a stomping/clapping response. Soon we were all singing the Paraguayan fight song and shouting to onlookers outside to join in. "There's still more space! Hop on and join the party," they yelled. More people piled in, more singing and chanting ensued. An hour later, I was finally home and now dreaming the Copa América.

The final game took place today against Uruguay. Paraguayans as a rule were hesitantly hopeful. Many simply said, "Clearly, Paraguay will win." Others talked about burning the victory into the memories of their ancestors for years to come. To be fair, Paraguay hasn't won the Copa América for 32 years. Not too bad then, making it to the finals. As I settled down at my friend's house in site (the rain finally stopped long enough for me to make it back), I pulled anxiously at my Paraguay jersey as the game got started. Within the first few minutes, Uruguay makes their first goal... by the end of the first half they've gotten two past our defenses. It is not looking good for Paraguay, but there is still hope as we send out the boys for a beer and potatoes (for french fries/chips/freedom fries- whatever you call them). The second half seems to be improving, at least they are making more aggressive plays, but to no avail. Sadly, Paraguay goes into history at 0-3 against Uruguay in the 2011 Copa América. Maybe next time. For now, Paraguay is awarded best goalie and heck- number two ain't a bad place to be.

WAY TO GO PARAGUAY! 

FUERZA

Revisiones del Comedor Comunitario

If we were at an all-time low for the last couple of months- this month is making up for all that, and then some- on our local comedor (soup kitchen) project. After a difficult pollada sale and little progress made on infrastructural changes, this month we decided to approach our work and support of the community from several new and promising angles.

First off, our approach thus far to food security assistance has been very limited. While we have been successful in providing food to over 300 local children (approximately 130 attend regularly), we are only really looking at the tip of a larger flame. When addressing any issue such as the cycle of poverty, it is necessary to look beyond the obvious problem to its deeper causes. In our case, this means looking not just at hunger but also home infrastructure insufficiencies, lack of work opportunities, and poor capacity. So, this month I took one of our administrators to a conference on Project Design and Management with the Peace Corps to discuss community needs assessment and the project cycle so as to kick-start a new intervention plan. At this workshop, we laid the foundation for starting weekend capacity-building classes which can help families address poverty and hunger within the home. After a couple more meetings in site, we were ready for our first family gardening lesson which involved the parents of the comedor in training on composting, garden prep, seed saving, veggie cultivation, and cooking with veggies. This first event was so successful we had over 150 in attendance at the comedor for lunch and 20+ parents participating in the workshop. We are now preparing for workshops on sewing and crochet, fogón (brick oven) construction, cleaning techniques, and CV writing. Beyond this capacitation assistance, we have been completing interviews with all of our comedor families to determine their health, work, and home needs. Home visits and interviews should be completed this week and within the next few weeks we will be inviting parents to a health day with local physicians. Finally, we are able to look beyond hunger to its root cause- and do something about it.

Second, we decided to make a big push on local business contributions by distributing pedidos for everything from meat and soy to veggies and cleaning supplies. Meanwhile, we started a community outreach campaign via the radio first with two radio shows promoting the mere existence of the comedor and the progress we've made after our first 6 months of operation. By discussing the project on the local mass media channels, we were able to invite visitors from the community, more kids, and even individual assistance. We then gave ourselves two weeks for business petitions, visitor tours, and municipality lobbying. Finally we were ready to launch our largest campaign yet: a radio marathon which would take over all local radio frequencies for one Sunday morning. And boy did it ever work! In addition to raising several hundred dollars worth of funds, we also raised over a hundred donations of food (mandioca, rice, pasta, beans, meat, veggies), building supplies (cement, bricks, paint), and furniture (100 chairs, tables, kitchen cabinets, freezer). AMAZING! The community was so excited about the project, we were even rushed with volunteer offers to cook and operate the comedor an additional day per week. With all this support, we are secure for another several months and have the resources necessary to start our building remodel for winter. Additionally, we were successful in receiving an extension on support from Emergencia Nacional with dry food donations for the next three months. Following an audit last weekend, we were also offered the possibility of permanent service extensions in return for the continuation of our capacity-building and developed recreation activities. EVEN MORE AMAZING!

So, here I am on cloud-nine and happier than ever with this project. The other day, as we reviewed our donations and planned our first construction day I couldn't help but want to give one big hug to my guapo community commission. They have come so far. Now they are not only known as having achieved a community goal, but as experts in local mobilization and project management. Isn't that what grassroots development is all about? You bet!

En Mi Bolsa Internacional

It has been exactly one year now since I formally quit my job to become a Peace Corps Volunteer. To help out those that are currently packing for their own personal adventure- here's my packing list and some suggestions looking back after a year's worth of service.

Equipment
Large Suit Case
Backpack (medium sized & backpacking)
Large and Small Purse
Sleeping Bag
Travel Pillow
Queen Sheets/Pillow case
Plastic Bags/Space Bags (travel not vacuum seal)

Duct Tape

Clothes
Pants/Jeans

Shorts- cargo/exercise
Shirts
Thermals
Camis/Tank tops
Sweaters
Underwear (15)/Bras (10)
Socks (15+)- cotton and wool
Shoes- waterproof boots, sandals, flipflops, dress shoes, dark color sneakers
Business Casual Wear
Dress
Coat- medium and large, waterproof if possible

Hat/Gloves/Scarf
Bandanas x2
Swimsuit

PJs (conservative)

Toiletries
Contacts/Liquid
Glasses (2 pairs)

Sun Glasses
Towel/Washcloth
Shampoo/Conditioner
Soap
Razors
Shave Gel
Gel
Hairbrush
Toothbrush/Paste/Floss
Deodorant
Qtips
Tampons/Pads
Make-up
Hand Sanitizer
Baby wipes
Tweezers/Nail Clippers/Nail File

Electronics

Camera
Ipod
Speakers
USB Flash Drive
External Hard-drive
Travel Alarm Clock- battery operated & small
Computer/Charger
Power Adaptors
Batteries
Flashlight


Documents
Money Belt
Passport/Visa
ATM Card/Credit Cards
International Insurance Card
Voter Registration Card (to vote overseas- ask for absentee ballot)
Peace Corps Folder & Paperwork
Copy of all prescriptions, passport, visa, vaccinations, power of attorney, etc.
Folder of important phone #s, travel docs, tickets
Wallet w/ID
Foreign and US Currency
Checkbook (to pay taxes)

Personal
Medications (Vitamins, Allergy Meds, Ibuprofen, Tums/GasX)
Mini First Aid Kit
Water Bottle/Thermos
Swiss Army Knife with Scissors/Bottle Opener/Cork Screw
Sunscreen
Lip Balm/Carmex
Lotion
Bug Spray with DEET
Sewing Kit
Permanent Markers
Journal
Gifts for Host Family/Friends/Colleagues
Photos of Family/Friends
Favorite Foods/Spices
Books
Games for Travel/Cards

Some suggestions:
1) Not all of this will fit. I suggest cutting back on clothing items as they are actually pretty cheap here. That said, they aren't great quality. So, what you do bring should be quality so that it lasts your service.

2) Things that ended up being important which may not have seemed so originally include travel pillow (great for long bus rides), thermals (it's not that cold, but you have no escape from it even in your bed at night), dark colored shoes (Paraguayan's judge highly one's appearance- the "lindo factor"- so you need shoes that don't get dirty looking too quickly or you'll always have your shoes in a bucket), tampons/shave gel (not really sold here), hand sanitizer (when you find a bathroom with soap, please call me), batteries (US batteries can't be beat), sewing kit (when your clothes are washed by hand and then hung to dry on barbed-wire this becomes really necessary), permanent markers (not available and really useful sometimes), spices (unknown uses in many households).

3) Things that ended up not being so important include books (there is a huge library here, no need to haul your own- don’t bother with dictionaries as you’ll get one here), most toiletries (heavy to bring down and mostly all available here anyway), medications/first aid kit (you get them ALL upon arrival so really only bring what you need prescriptions for), bug spray (also given to you here).

4) If I had to pack again, this time I would have brought more shorts, a heavy wool sweater, hair ties, Spanish kids books (if any), beach ball & frisbee, non-stick frying pan, chocolate chips.

5) If you are a CED volunteer- BRING YOUR COMPUTER!!! I know they say over and over that you should consider leaving it at home, but virtually all CED volunteers rely heavily on computer usage in their work. Part of our sector is computer training, for example. Plus, excel spreadsheets and internet are invaluable when your organization and networking skills are called upon. Those that did not bring them originally have either bought or had them shipped, so think again.

Una Semana en la Vida

It’s been a while since I’ve given an example of typical life as a Peace Corps Volunteer. This time, to mix it up a bit, I’d like to talk a bit about my past week- which has been a whirlwind of activity mixed with fiesta, siesta, and descansa.

Sunday started off the week well with a restful morning during which my weekly youth group meeting was cancelled due to “Día del Trabajador” (Day of the Worker), as such there were several parties throughout the town. Being that many of my youth are part-time employed, many were out and about eating asado. Meanwhile, I caught up with friends and family on Skype from the convenience of my newly purchased sofa (as internet is one of the perks of service in Latin America- if you like to see globalization in this way as a perk- but I’m not getting on that soapbox today). That afternoon, it was off to Barrio Santo Domingo to kick off their neighborhood Fiesta Patronal with a hot chocolate party for the kids at the local chapel. About 50+ kids showed up and we went through two huge pots of hot chocolate and several cakes. Yum! My job? To be there for moral support, take pictures, and try to help with any last minute decision-making (like moving indoors when it started to sprinkle). Upon my return home, it was time to make up a big vat of guacamole for my birthday party. Yep- I am now 25 years old- half a century already speeding by. Guacamole has become my signature potluck dish ever since my avocado tree came into season. Avocados are typically eaten with milk and sugar in Paraguay, so this salty Mexican party dip is out of the ordinary but highly enjoyed if one can get past the virtual disgust at thinking a fruit can be eaten with salt, pepper, onion, tomato, lime, and cilantro. “Guacala!” they say- translation “Ew! Gross!” However, most everyone so far has changed his/her mind after the first homemade chip. Thus the choice party dish for the evening. By around 7pm, my friends and neighbors started to filter in. We played a bit of UNO, drank red wine mixed with coke, and chatted about everything from underwear to the cycle of poverty. Happy birthday was chorused in three languages (Spanish, Guarani, and yes… I did sing my own version in English which got a good laugh), the candles were blown-out, wishes were made. What was the night before a rather sad tribute to 25 years now felt just right. It’s wonderful to have such great friends and neighbors to remind me. By midnight my friend/coworker and I had cleaned everything up and went to sleep for an early start the next morning.

4am and the alarm sounds for our early Monday start. Today, I am bringing the secretary of our new soup kitchen to a 3-day workshop on project planning and management. She does not live in my town, rather in a compania just outside the pueblo limits- thus the spending the night. We feed the cat, pack up our mate/thermo, and start the walk to the terminal. It’s freezing outside for the first time this year. We arrive just on time. I call in my trip in to the Whereabouts Line (anytime I leave site I have to call it in to the PC office), and within minutes have fallen asleep for the bumpy ride. About 2 hours late I wake up to a completely packed bus, several young men are hovering in the aisle and leaning on the backs of the seats. Claustrophobia has never been a problem for me, but this sardine-like situation can get you feeling pretty darn cramped. I pull up my hood on my winter jacket (it’s still freezing especially since some of the windows won’t close) and pretend I never woke up. “We’ll get to the pavement soon,” I hope. Finally, we reach the world of asphalt and development and the bus clears a bit- with breathing room and a smooth ride, my contact and I decide to eat some chipa for breakfast and enjoy the view. Finally, by 11am we arrive at our destination. A short trip off Ruta 2, and we are at registration. A quick shower, lunch, and the introductions begin.

The workshop focuses on the project cycle of community projects. Step 1: Needs Analysis and Identification. Step 2: Prioritization. Step 3: Planning. Step 4: Execution and Monitoring. Step 5: Evaluation. From there we start all over again. Over the first day we only make it through step one, but we focus heavily on the “why?” behind each project. Frequently in Paraguay, events are started and planned but the “why?” is never asked. So, what are the real needs in our community? My contact and I identify several needs that the Constructores de la Sociedad are attempting to address with our work. First, the need for public debate and community solidarity. Thus the formation of barrio volunteer projects and youth groups. Second, environmental contamination and deforestation. Thus our projects on city clean-up, trashcan installations, and tree planting. Third, poverty. Thus our soup kitchen and attempts to bring the impoverished medical services and capacity building to escape the cycle. By the end of day two, we have worked through prioritization and tried to focus our investigation and project planning on the root of the problems we see. We realize that our work with the soup kitchen is only meeting a superficial need- we need to dig deeper and aim our intervention strategies at the real struggles these families face: lack of work and education. Day three, we start to plan a new intervention strategy focused on inviting parents to the soup kitchen for small capacity building days culminating with a CV writing session. We leave the session pumped- maybe we can actually get this soup kitchen idea off the ground and really making an impact. We listen to stories from contacts and PCVs around the country, and we see that the struggle is not just our own. On the ride home, we start to think of how to present our new findings to our fellow peers. There-in lies the challenge.

I arrive home at 11pm on Wednesday night. My cat is waiting on the doorstep clearly displeased. I perk him up with some food, eat an apple, and crawl into bed. I’m exhausted; it’s not everyday that I wake at 6am and sleep at midnight in my site. The workshop has me excited but drained. I sleep-in Thursday, relax around the house, buy some groceries. I’ve started keeping a meticulous budget of all purchases, as my PC living allowance seems to be cutting it closer every month. I recently learned that every “hot” electrical shower I take costs me 1.000Gs. Great… winter electric bills are going to be high. After a veggie lunch, I put on my smile for an environmental charla (presentation) at a high school in one of the companias. It goes fairly well, although most of the kids have to stand as we don’t have sufficient chairs. We end the 1.5-hour event with a tree-planting lesson. We have donated 250 trees to this high school, one per student. The trees were received from Todos Pulmon Paraguay Respira. Our aim is to plant 4,000 trees by August. With each set, we also try to educate the recipients- why is this important? How can you take care of your trees? Etc. I make it home by 4pm, have a terere chat with a neighborhood contact, and head home to clean-up for the next event. Tonight I have the highlight of the Fiesta Partronal in Barrio Santo Domingo- an artist showcase and bake sale. I hop on my bike and head over to set-up. When I arrive they announce a problem: a larger event has been rescheduled to this evening as well in the plaza. We decide to sell as much food as we can while two of our artists play- they were the only ones left as all of the others were invited to play at the plaza show. We finish our event just in time for the fireworks at the plaza. Riding my bike, I see the glow breaking over the trees. I get to my porch and watch until the last sparks fade into the night.

Friday is another busy day, my first meeting of the day is at 9am with a women’s group from another compania at the municipality. We have the municipality secretary help with any translations as the president only speaks Guarani. The conversation starts well with a request for assistance with sales of their soap products, which I’ve helped them get started. However, things start to turn south quickly when she asks me to purchase her a motorcycle to transport the soap products to other towns. I explain that this is not my function here; I cannot provide such funds. We also talk about the drawbacks to such a proposal in the first place, with a profit margin of only 25.000Gs. for every 10 liters of soap there is no way the women’s group could pay for the gas even if they had a moto. We talk about other options: collaboration with the muni to sell in their farmer’s market, door-to-door sales, requests at local stores to sell alongside other products. She leaves seemingly disappointed, but my contacts at the municipality are relieved; this group has been trying to get a free ride for some time now. Perhaps now they will come back with a better proposal. A few errands and visits around town are my next order of business. I visit with a fellow volunteer from the north purchasing a fridge after 5 months in site, another volunteer recently assigned to my town to work with the schools, and several local contacts just to catch up on the local happenings. That afternoon, I plan the workshop overview charla with my contact to talk about the results of our trip. In the evening, it’s the mass and procession for the Fiesta Patronal in Santo Domingo and then a Constructores meeting. The mass goes well and includes a reading of all the donations from the week- a good practice in transparency that is often lacking. The meeting does not go so well, the head of the Constructores did not unlock the door to our meeting space earlier that day and then arrived over 45 minutes late. There goes the charla plans we had made. Instead we decide to talk about soup kitchen promotions and conclude that we really need to let the public know more about this project. There is no use keeping it out of the public spotlight any longer. I get home at 11pm, eat dinner with a friend, and attempt to sleep soundly.

Given the promotions discussion the day before, I am up at 5am the next day for a 6am radio show to talk about our soup kitchen project. A good group of representatives shows up and we have a lovely chat about all that we are doing and need to do with this project. After an hour of questions and comments, I am off to type-up and print up the new attendance sheet for the soup kitchen kiddos. I have set up a meeting with the María Goretti youth group at 9am to talk about a gardening project the PCVs in my region would like to implement starting in the soup kitchen. Sadly, I can’t get there on time due to endless printing errors, which would be easily fixed if the photocopier shopkeeper knew a little more about excel files. I chastise myself a bit for not yet having taught a computer class- gotta get on that and resolve some of these misunderstandings. Luckily, depending on your view, the youth didn’t show up till 10:30am anyway. So, I had plenty of time to help our cooks learn about cooking with soy. We had a large quantity donated from Asuncion, and I was excited to try it out with the kids. The experiment worked out splendidly, I’m happy to report, as not one of the kids even seemed to notice a difference between this particular pasta dish and one with ground beef. In fact, it went over so well we actually ran out of food. I’ve sent the notice to our donators- we should be using much more soy (high protein, low fat) in the future. J My (albeit late) youth group meeting was also a success; we decided to install a soup kitchen veggie garden in two weeks (if the weather permits of course). From the soup kitchen I hurry over to the Cero (popular Paraguayan team) soccer fields for a pollada (chicken sale) run by several of my contacts. Back at home, I relax, eat, and chat with a fellow PCV via phone about the week. At 3pm, I head out for another youth group meeting. Sadly, after all the excitement of Fiesta Partronal, the kids are too worn out to show-up (or that’s what I tell myself so that I won’t be personally offended). Instead I visit with a neighbor and am gifted some fresh oranges. I head home for one final meeting of the day with my workshop contact to organize all of our donations and volunteer records for an official announcement at a second radio show in the morning. We finish up at 9pm after a visit from some Mormon missionaries (just around to chat in English) and a friend by for dinner. I stay up a little too late dicussing the differences between Paraguayan and American society- my friend enjoys bringing me any song that remotely implies something insulting about Americans. This time, he decided to bring over a song all about McDonalds and Donald Trump. Lovely. It’s a good thing we get along and a pleasure to have someone around to discuss such things with. At the end of the day, we come from pretty different worlds.

My week finally ends. Sunday I have some time off... well, if I don’t get any last-minute phone calls!