Un Techo Para Mi Pais.

A few weeks ago I read an article in Ultima Hora (a Paraguayan newspaper) about an organization called Un Techo Para Mi Pais. I learned from the article that Un Techo Para Mi Pais is an organization that recruits volunteers to build houses for families-in-need around the nation. Sound familiar? Yes, it is the Latin American version of Habitat for Humanity. The families are chosen based on who has the greatest need and who can complete the requirements. The families must complete a course - financial maybe? It didn't say.. - and contribute 300,000 Guaranis (about $75 US Dollars) to their new home.

If you have worked with Habitat before you will know that before the volunteers begin with the construction the foundation is set-down and then a team of people trained in electricity and other areas and volunteers set to work (generally for about a week). In Habitat, the team builds the house, puts in counters and cabinets, completes a bathroom, paints each room, etc. It is quite the production. In Un Techo, the houses are much more basic. When I say basic, I mean we used pre-fabricated walls that had holes in them, wood posts and rocks for the foundation and sheets of metal for the roof.

Both organizations are based on giving families-in-need a basic and a humane place to live. Humane is different from country-to-country. Because the standard of living is lower in Paraguay, the homes that the organization builds are not the same as they would be in the U.S. Still it is amazing to see the reaction of the people that receive this humble home. The family (of 6 people) for who we built the house was living in a "house" that had plastic covering holes in the ceiling and walls. The floors were dirt. The first room had a stove and a cabinets and the second room had three beds.

I would have to say that I was not surprised by the poverty. I had previously seen homes in these conditions in Costa Rica and Panama. However, even before I saw those homes, I knew that this kind of poverty existed in the world. The other volunteers that I worked with were local Paraguayan university students. Obviously, they were from a different financial situation than their fellow Paraguayans. AND even though we live 20 minutes from this area, many of these Paraguayans did not know that poverty like this existed in their area.

So my question is...how can you get through high school and years of college and not know that extreme poverty exists? That it exists in your area? Although I know that I am being hard on them, I was completely annoyed when a few people cried and said they did not know that people lived that way...How can you be in your late-teens or early 20s and not know that? Por lo menos (at least) they now better understand the realities of the world, but understanding is not enough. If we all truly believe that poverty is a cruel thing, then we must do something more to combat it. Building a few houses and then leaving the community will not solve the bigger problems. Yes, it is great that 20 families in the state of Itapua received better homes this weekend, but what are we doing to make sure that others do not fall into this same type of situation. I hope to help others realize that one weekend's worth of work is not enough. I want to encourage more young Paraguayans to get involved in the lives of other Paraguayans to help them better develop and live better lives. The reality of it all is that I will have two years to do all that I can, but in the end, it is up to Paraguayans to change Paraguay.

I know that the majority of my work in the Peace Corps must be done in my personal community, but I plan to return to that community as well to do whatever little that I can...Camps for children? Talks on health? Workshops with teachers? We will see.

Volunteers carrying supplies to their worksites. We only had two guys in our group so I had to partake in the heavy lifting. And you better believe that I feel it today.

The then current home of our family.

The bathroom. It actually has a flushing toliet, but there is no ceiling. Also, there is a pipe for a shower in this area. There is no floor so they put down a piece of wood to stand on while they shower.

Unloading the wood that we used as the foundation.

Digging the holes for the posts. The ground was so hard.

I crushed rocks with Melissa and her brother for 3 hours. They loved wearing our work gloves!

This is where the mother of the house washes the family's clothes.

The black on the posts is oil. It is supposed to help preserve the wood.

The end of our first day of work.

Melissa wanted to take a picture of me.

Day 2. FINALLY the floor is down! The foundation was the hardest part.

 I held up the wall as another volunteer hammered.

Nailing the walls together was probably the fastest part.

The mother of the house! Almost done!

Putting the insulation.

We ate some greaaattt sopa (a type of bread similiar to cornbread) from this oven.

La vista (the view) from their new home!

Happy 200th Birthday Paraguay.

This year Paraguay (among other countries in South America) is celebrating 200 years of independence from Spain. It is obvious on every street corner. If there is not a flag, someone is wearing a pin of flag. If there is not an event in the plaza, the school is having a performance. Everyone seems to be very excited about this historical moment, and I hope their excitement continues. I believe that it is an ideal time for a Peace Corps volunteer to be in Paraguay. We should all use this renewed pride to spread ideas such as taking care of the environment, being proud of yourself, doing something to better your community/country, leading others to do positive things, etc.

Today I walked in the Bicentenario parade with my school. After practicing for a month, I believe that the students did an excellent job. I was very proud to walk with them.

 

Paulita.

Beginning to walk...(after a 2 hour wait).

My School.

The Plaza de las Armas.

Taking a Little, Yet Doing A Lot

Remember those simple card games you loved as a child? The ones you played over and over and over again? Old Maid, Memory, Go Fish...? Today I had the opportunity to introduce 10 little girls to these fun games. 

Seeing as school was cancelled today in celebration of "El Dia del Maestro" (The Day of the Teacher), I had some extra time on my hands. I decided that it was a perfect time to make good on my promise, so I returned to the girls' orphanage to pay them a visit. Upon entering into the home, I found the girls doing their homework and/or working on the small crafts that they sell for a little spending money. The orphanage’s Directora told the girls to pack up their notebooks and materials, and we headed upstairs to their "library". As I began to stumble through the games' instructions, I realized that I should have prepared a little bit before coming. I guess I did not think about how I would need to know the verb for "flip over" (dar la vuelta a), "deal" (repartir), etc., but thankfully the girls were very patient and after a few examples, they were playing like pros. We first played Memory all together with the homemade deck of cards that I had made out of cardboard, markers and contact paper. I told them that I was not an artist, so they would have to bear with me on the crazy little pictures that I had drawn. However, we all still had a good laugh over some of the drawings. Afterwards, we split-up into 3 groups and each group played a different game.

When I was leaving, the Directora of the orphanage asked if we could establish specific times for me to come and play/work with the girls. So, as of now I will be spending Monday afternoons with the girls that go to school during the morning shift, and I will be there on Wednesday mornings to visit with the girls that attend school in the afternoons. (Did I explain this previously? Children only go to school either for 4 hours in the morning or 4 hours in the afternoon.)

My current plan is to get to know the girls during the upcoming weeks and then possibly begin to insert self-esteem, health and other lessons into our time together. I have spent the rest of the afternoon thinking about all of the other games I loved as a child and how I cannot wait to share them with my newest friends!

P.S. Did I mention that they call me Tia (Aunt)??

Just Call Me the Miracle Worker.

Today's workload was relatively light. I got up at 8 am (versus 6 am), got ready, had some coffee and walked over to the House of English. There I met with the two owners of the language school, and we came to the agreement that I would teach a group of 5 teenagers on Tuesdays and Thursdays in the afternoon. I returned to my house for a short lunch break and then I downloaded a few free Spanish podcasts on ITunes. At about 2 pm I walked the short two blocks to my school with the intentions of observing a few classes. HOWEVER little did I know, I would be doing much more.

Without revealing too much information, I will recount the afternoon events.

I went into the Directora's office to talk to her about the lesson that we will be co-teaching together on Monday (over parental-roles, costs and work related to having a child, etc). After I brief discussion about other things (getting straight to the point is not a part of the culture), a parent entered the room. I immediately saw from the parent's facial expressions that I did NOT want to be a part of the up-coming conversation. I quickly tried to dismiss myself by saying, "Bueno, nos vemos el lunes", but the Directora was not having it. She politely, yet sternly asked me to stay. I sat.

Let's just say that by the end of the conversation (in which I did not participate), the Directora had promised this parent (actually grandparent acting as parent) that I was a specialist from the United States that would counsel her and her 4 -year-old, violent grandson. When the woman left the room, I was unsure of what I had heard. I thought to myself, “I must of heard wrong. I did not understand the words correctly. I must of spaced-out.” Yet, I had heard correctly. On Monday, I will be acting as guidance counselor. Did they cover that in Public Relations 400?

On a different note, here is a picture of me before my swear-in ceremony.

Thanks for the job JFK.

P.S. In general, Paraguays LOVE JFK. There is a neighborhood and a school named after him about 20 minutes from where I live.

We should set them Free.

In recent years I have developed a distaste for zoos in general. Animals in cages. Animals in small areas. Animals in tanks. You see where I am going with this? Bueno. When my new host family asked me if I wanted to visit the local zoo, I thought it only polite to accept their invitation. Despite my feelings of resistance and apprehension, this morning we sat off on "Destination Zoo". Upon our arrival, I knew my conscience was in trouble. The animals were kept in small areas that were muddy, dirty and nothing like their actual habitats in the wild. The only green in the entire place was the potted plants that lined the walkways. It only seems natural that monkeys should have room to swing, birds air to fly and jaguars space to run, yet no one seemed to be slightly bothered by the fact that all of this was lacking. I wanted to take a moment to talk to my family about animal rights, but I didn't want to seem unappreciative of the trip there.

So, this is defiantly a problem.

Monkeys in small cage

No water but last night's rainwater for these reptiles to swim in.

Puma sitting on top of her closed-in area. Her floor was muddy, concrete tiles.

This animal was in one of the smallest cages. It was missing fur and had open wombs.

No where to run. No where to hide. No where to go.

A chained up fox that walked back and forth and back and forth and back and.....

Is this where the King of the jungle should be?

And what about her? Does she belong here as well?

Sitting instead of swinging.

I am beginning to become speechless...

Another small cage for an animal that requires a place to stretch his arms...

You are kidding me...right?

I highly doubt that ragged plastic around monkeys is a good idea for ANYONE.

Look at the infrastructure of this cage. Does anything about it say "safe" to you?

I realize that I am not here to preach on animal rights, but even if I wanted to where would I begin?? If there are not even any [enforced] regulations to protect animals, how will things ever change?? I wish that I could say that leading by example will be enough...and maybe in some cases, it will be. Maybe.

Birthdays, Work Site and More

Birthdays. Ok, we all know that birthday celebrations are all in good fun. Sure, I would have to agree that celebrating someone’s birthday generally brings about good times, yet do I find it necessary to celebrate at length the birthdays of every person that I’ve ever met and their extended family? No. 

Here in Paraguay birthday celebrations are on the rage. If you aren’t attending multiple birthday parties a week, then you haven’t fully adapted to the culture. 

This past week the other trainees and I all shipped out on colectivos (buses) to our future sites, which are all across the country (minus the desert part of the country AKA The Chaco). If you haven’t already heard I will be one of the few volunteers of G-35 to be working in a city. Yes, I know what you are thinking. “Isn’t the Peace Corps all about scrubbing your underwear on a rock?” My response is “Yes, in some areas.” But I’ll go into more details about my site and future work in a minute. Ok, back on topic. Where was I? Oh, yes. So I will be working in a city in the southern part of the country. Upon my arrival, I met my soon-to-be host family and got the chance to spend some time with them. Like Hermana 2 in my training town, my new sister (age 21) attends birthday parties like it is her job. She literally attended 3 birthday parties in a span of 2 days AND went out with her friends to celebrate someone else’s birthday. She invited me to tag along to these social gathering, but after I sat through a 5 hour birthday party for a 1 year old with her (that was literally decorated as elaborately as a wedding), I declined the following invites. 

Hasn’t anyone heard about “swinging-by” a party? If you are going to attend all birthday extravaganzas, why not cut some of them short? My new host mother said that sadly I would be missing two birthday parties in the coming weeks. I hate to say that I feel slightly relieved.

My birthday just recently passed and since I knew that is a nation of over doers on the birthday scene, I politely requested that my current host family keep it low key. I even went as far as to say that I wasn’t big on birthdays, which is partially true. I’m sure that my parents will be happy to hear that no birthday will ever top the ones I spent at home. Something about having your favorite meal cooked and then being chased around to receive birthday spankings is priceless.

My site and my work.

The Peace Corps has requested that we do not post our exact location on the internet. If you would like to know the name of the city simply email me or ask my family. There are a lot of pictures online of the city and it is worth doing a quick fact check on Wikipedia (this is not a promotion of Wikipedia). 

So, like I said I will be one of the few people in G-35 working in a city. When I say city, I don’t mean large city. Yes, it is one of the larger ones in Paraguay, but let us keep it in perspective seeing as there are only 6 million people in the country.  

Thus far, I have identified 3 organizations that I am interested in working for and I have heard of a few others that I plan to check out. 

My assigned organization is my school. The school has about 400 students and goes from Pre-Escolar (Kindergarten) – 9^th grade. There are 2 turnos (shifts). That means that some students come to school for the morning classes (7 am – 11 am/12pm depending on their grade), while others attend in the afternoon (1 pm – 5pm). Students only go to school for 4 hours a day??? Yes. 

There are many students at the school that have fallen very far behind the others because they cannot read. They either do not have help at home or do not get extra support from their teacher. I hope to work with the teachers to start an apoyo (help/support) program. Together we will identify the students that need extra help in reading and then I will come to the school a few days a week with the sole purpose of tutoring these students. It may not be a sustainable project (meaning after I leave it will probably not continue), but I hope to help the students advance during the time that I have. 

I was introduced by other volunteer (that lives in a neighborhood outside of the city) to some people that run an English school. They are a relatively new business, but they have already donate resources to other organizations. So, basically if I provide free labor by teaching once a week, I could possibly strike a deal to receive books and/or materials for someone else.

Lastly, I feel like I struck gold when I was introduced the director of a girl’s orphanage.  My school has a special population of children that are living in orphanages in the area. I went with the director to the girls’ home (as she calls it) and it is not what we think of as an orphanage. Of course I am sure that there are terrible orphanages out there in the world, but this one was well taken care of and only had 13 girls. I had been introduced at the school the previous day and had observed a few classes, but what came next really surprised me. Although the girls could not have heard my name more than once, when I walked into the building, I was welcomed by 5 girls yelling “ELLIEEEEE!” The director and girls showed me around the building. They were excited to show me their stuffed animals, where they slept, cooked and played. The building has a “library” with many books, but it seems to mainly consist of reference books and small children’s books. I hope to look for resources to obtain books for older ages in the near future. The director explained that the orphanage receives funds from the government, donations and fundraisers. She also told me that the girls do their own separate projects in order to have extra spending money. The girls showed me things they had sewn, beaded, etc. I promised that I would come back to play and work with them in the upcoming weeks. 

So, what now? A week and a half of training left, our swear-in ceremony and a bus ride out to begin my official work as a Peace Corps Volunteer. 

P.S. I would post pictures if my camera battery wasn´t shot. Hopefully I will find a replacement soon.

Pictures.

Paraguayan Sisters and I

Mami Paraguay and I in her mini Auto Zone shop.

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Peace Corps Volunteer Visit Numero 1. Martinez Cue.

Another Volunteer´s Home 

(about 3 Km from Martinez Cue).

As you can see, the living situation of each volunteer is unique. While some of us will be bathing under a stream of running water, others will be bucket bathing for two years. Some of us will live in towns, while others will live in the ruralest of the rural areas.