Getting a glimpse of life as a volunteer

Last week,  I visited a volunteer named Nancy. She lives in a in a barrio named Villa Madrid near a town called Limpio.  On my way there I got a little lost because the bus driver just stopped the bus and told everyone to get out.  I didn’t know where I was, or what to do so I walked back 2km to Limpio.  There people sent me in circles until I finally figured out the I had to get on another bus to go to Villa Madrid.  I eventually found Nancy’s house.  

The barrio  there is divided into three phases in accordance with which water tank they use.  Nancy lives in the first phase across from a community center that is run by the municipality behind the community center there is a bunch of asentamientos (hut like houses made out of traps and cardboard). One of the biggest problems in the first phase is water. It comes on 3 times per day, so Nancy and I took bucket bathes everyday! There is also a school and a church in the first phase, at least I think that’s where they are.  In the third phase there is a comedor (cafeteria where the poorest children in the barrio can eat for free).

After I arrived, Nancy and I made rompe cabezas (puzzles) with some of the kids in her barrio. Then we visited a few families that she needed to talk with. The next day we went to the comedor for lunch visited and talked with a few more families. Then we went out for dinner and drinks with Luke (another PCV) and Zach (another trainee). I had shwerma.  The next day, it was raining. In Paraguay, everything stops when it rains. But, Nancy and I ventured out anyway. We went to the school and I got a chance to talk to some of the teachers and the principal. Even though was the first day of classes, less than half the students attended because of the rain.  On thursday, we went into Limpio and visited the municipalidad and a library built by some Peace Corps Volunteers.  The we did a radio show. All we really had time to do was introduce ourselves, but I talked about how I went to school near Chicago and live in CO. 

First experiences

La escuela

On Friday, I visited the school that I will be working in for the next month.  I wasn’t really surprised at how poor the the conditions were. What did surprise me was that the teachers blamed the parents for not being involved enough in their children’s education and the parents blame the teachers for not working hard enough.

One of my biggest concerns with trying to help improve the Paraguayan teaching methods is that the problems seem bigger than me. For example, the Paraguayan Ministry of Education (MECA) gave all the teachers a basic skills test last year. Only 17% of all teachers passed it. Obviously, MECA can’t fire 83% of the teachers, so 83% of teachers can’t preform basic skills. Another problem is that many Paraguayans don’t have access to books because they are really expensive so much of the reading done by Paraguayans is purely for functional purposes. In fact, my family thinks I am super intelligent because I read books page by page. 

I have to have the attitude that I will make a small difference in one town. I am ready to start helping teachers one at a time, but its all going to depend on how motivated the teachers are to create cheap resources for their students and how open they are to new teaching methodologies. 

Going to the capital

As you know, on Thursday I went to Asuncion to do a treasure hunt (tapeapovo).  It was a lot of fun. I went to the mercado de San Lorenzo. The mercado there is an outdoor market in which you can buy absolutely anything you want for a ridiculously cheap price.  I also went to the multiplaza. The multiplaza is essentially a mall. We were supposed to visit a bookstore inside it called La Guapa India (which was a trick since the bookstore doesn’t exsist anymore).  Then we went to the Peace Corps office.

My group had no trouble with the Treasure hunt at all, but the other group had some minor issues.  A couple people finished early so they went to visit the US Embassy and they took pictures of it...but, apparently you’re not allowed to take pictures of government buildings because the people taking pictures were arrested and detained for an hour.  A few other people got...thankfully, I haven’t gotten sick, 

The work begins

Things are starting to get intense. I am studying Spanish 5 hours a day 5 days a week not including time spent with my host family (I get 5 weeks of  Spanish and 5 weeks of Guarani) and during the afternoon I am getting safety, medical, and technical training.  My first assignment for tech training is the create a club.  I created a club that creates plays together. Our first meeting is on Sunday....wish me luck.  My next assignment for tech starts on friday. We get set up with a teacher and we need to observe him/her and start teaching model lessons for him or her.  

Tomorrow I am doing a tapeapovo (treasure hunt in guarani) in Asuncion!  I am really excited! I am responsible for figuring out how to get there from Guarambere and how to find the two places that I am looking for. Then I have to figure out how to get the officina de cuerpos de paz.  I am a little nervous because the other group had some problems, but I’m more excited to see the city and practice my Spanish!!!!!

First Days

I am here, safe and sound in Paraguay! It`s such a beautiful country, although, forgive the expression, ``hot as hell!``  Almost as soon as we landed in Paraguay, the work began.  I am struggling to master 2 languages, Spanissh and Guarani as well as integrate myself into Paraguayn Culture. 

The first thing I learned is how to prepare, serve, and drink Terrere.  Terrere is essentially iced tea made out of yerba mate and juyos (herbs that are said to have medicinal propety). At the risk of boring all my readers to death, I won`t describe the custom of making, serving, and drinking Terrere.    Just know that is a customary way to pass the time with others and it`s very refreshing. 

Two days ago, I moved into my host family`s house. Mom, Dad, you`ve been replaced (just kidding). My host mom is a hair stylelist and an excelent cook.  She braids my hair every morning before I go to school and says that it`s just like doing Jennifer Aniston`s hair.  I also have a host dad thaknow absolutly everything there is to know about Paraguay and South America.   I also have 3 host siblings, 2 boys (10 and 12) and a girl (9) who love it when them. The middle child says that he wants to marry someone just like me.