Hey all! It's looking more and more like my blog has evolved from a weekly thing (my original intention) to a more monthly check-in. This is probably for the best, because it means most of the time I'm staying very busy, or at least preoccupied with my thoughts about the next meeting, project, or terere session with my neighbors (sometimes these are all the same thing). Regardless, this last month has been a busy one, and I'm excited to share it with everyone!
As you may have noticed, the title of the post is in Guarani. Basically translated, it means "we are the future," and was the name of our sector-wide leadership camp I talked about in my last post. That camp was by far the most incredibly experience I've had here so far. I find this rather ironic, considering I was originally nonplussed about the whole thing to begin with. Let me explain a bit how the camp functions:
The first step is identifying 2-3 youth in each volunteer's respective community to attend the initial camp.
Then you explain the camp to the youth, having them come up with some idea to pay for their bus fare to and from the camp (no small feat considering Paraguay is the size of California and we have volunteers that live very far away)
The youth attend the initial camp, where they are charged up and challenged to complete a project in their own communities (more on this later)
Each group of youth works together in their community to do projects and complete a minimum of 10 hours of service within this context
As a reward for their hard work in their communities, the youth are invited to attend a "reconnect" camp in 6 months where they get to see all the friends they made at the last camp, while at the same time sharing their experiences with projects
While in training, we had the opportunity to attend the camp "reconnect." However because of a number of factors, it didn't seem like a great project to most of us. We were in the middle of training, frustrated with language, and didn't know any of the youth because we had not attended the original camp. However I can safely say that these reasons blinded me to what this camp really is and really can be.
The week leading up to the camp was nothing less than chaotic for me. I had invited my youth rather late (I wanted to be sure that I was bringing kids that would really benefit from the experience, and like I said I was still unsure about the true benefits of the camp myself), I was working with the Cooperative on projects as well as teaching my English class, not to mention hosting visiting friends from Australia (an epic unto it's own; I'll share this side story at the end of this post). In addition I was trying to figure out how to give a brief talk about the importance of forming social networks and using tools such as text messages, facebook, and email to keep in touch and share ideas. Needless to say, the camp was upon me before I even knew what was happening.
The camp went on almost without a hitch. Every day the kids seemed to get closer and closer, sharing stories of frustration, building friendships, and learning how to be leaders. Many campers also approached the volunteers; they seemed genuinely interested in our role here in Paraguay, and how we had come to be interested in something as crazy as the Peace Corps. On the last night, we had the opportunity to tour the Itaipu dam, the largest operating hydroelectric facility in the world. While we were waiting outside the visitor's center, something incredible happened. The kids from the camp organized a dance routine together. Then they started chanting together. Then they started acting out ice-breakers that we had taught them, fun activities that emphasized teamwork and problem solving! They continued to chant, alternating between "Paraguay, Paraguay, Paraguay!" and "Cuerpo de Paz, Cuerpo de Paz!" (Peace Corps in Spanish). Everyone at the visitor's center looked at us like we were crazy; here were 50 odd Paraguayans, who rarely get this charged up for a game of soccer, chanting about the Peace Corps and how incredible it was to have participated in our camp! It was an inspirational experience. We gave these young leaders the tools they need, and in turn they took them, made them their own, amplified them, and emerged from our camp with the power to enact change. I know it might sound a little cliche, but if you had been standing outside the visitor's center that night, you would know that these kids will be the ones changing this country for the better in the next 10 years.
After an experience such as this, it was hard not to come back to site and see everything with the same charged optimism. This was both a benefit and a curse to working in my site. The entire month of January seemed to be everything I had wanted to get out of my Peace Corps service. It made dealing with those little bumps in the road that much easier. And more importantly, it renewed my hope in our mission here.
At the end of our camp, we formed a social network. We now have texting trees, an Excel spreadsheet listing everyone's talents and interests, as well as Facebook and Orkut (similar to Facebook) pages. Here in my site, my youth set out to work immediately. Together, we formed a youth group made up of local youth here in my site; so far we have about 14 kids. Since formation, we've had two (almost three; one got rained out) meetings with the kids where we've identified areas of opportunity for volunteerism and leadership in the community. I've largely tried to hang back, acting as a facilitator; encouraging the kids themselves to take ownership of projects. So far they have identified that they need to seek formal recognition from the mayor's office, as well as outlining three basic project ideas, all incredible! The first idea is for a city-wide competition, sponsored by city hall, in order to clean local neighborhoods. The would be competing against one another for the title of "Cleanest Neighborhood in Eusebio Ayala," as well as some potential prize, possibly a barbecue for anyone who helps. The second idea was for a lecture/activity series where we tour around to all the local high schools teaching civic education and leadership. I feel this is better than doing it myself, because not only is it an easy early success for the youth group to have, it also encourages continuous learning between Paraguayans. These ideas will sound much more convincing coming from peers. It's also probably the most likely to succeed here in my site..The third and final project idea we came up with is a mini-camp to teach civic education and leadership locally. It basically would mimic the larger country-wide camp, only on a more regional scale. I've already talked to several other volunteers who live nearby, and there's a general interest to do this project altogether. I'm really excited as to where this might go as well.
Other than that, school will be starting soon here, which means I will have A LOT more on my plate. I'm already committed to teaching some basic accounting in a local post-high school institute, leadership and civic education in the high schools, family finance via an hour long radio show, and a course on how to start your own small business (either with the Cooperative or with the institute). This may sound like a lot, but all of these would only be one day a week. I'm just really excited to get things rolling! A lot of the kids in my site already call me "profe" or "teacher." Hopefully I'll have a bit more to share about my projects the next post..
The Australian Epic:
One day, three Australian backpackers decided to visit their American friend who's serving as a Peace Corps volunteer in Paraguay. Since they will already be traveling on the west side of the continent, and want to finish in Buenos Aires on the east side, it seems like an obvious pit stop to rest a bit on the way.
Having prepared all their things, they headed for the border between Bolivia and Paraguay. Thinking that surely Australia has excellent relations with almost every country in South America, and not having required a visa to enter any other country, they proceeded to the border, prepared to pass through without incident. However, they probably should have read their travel guidebook a little more closely.
At the border, the backpackers (now with 4 other Australians) are denied entry, informed that they do, in fact, require a visa. Only one of the three really speaks Spanish, so he acts as the interpreter. The other Australians, only understanding basic Spanish, become frustrated. One decides to take matters into his own hands, and yells at the border guard "NO NECESITO UN VISA" (I don't need a visa). One might imagine that the border guard is nonplussed with this behavior; in fact the Australians are consequently detained at the border for 8 hours, until which point the interpreter goes to apologize and all Australians are issued 48hour "travel-through" visas. They then make it as far as Filadelfia, located in the middle of nowhere in the Chaco desert.
At the bus terminal, I was very confused why the Australians didn't show up in Asuncion on time. With no way to contact them, I returned to my site to await some word. Finally, the Australians call and explain their plight, informing me that they will be arriving the next day. I then gave them very explicit directions, making them write down exactly how they should go about changing buses, and where to go once they arrive in my site, Eusebio Ayala.
The next day, knowing exactly how long it takes to get from Filadelfia to my site, I wait. And wait. And wait. Knowing that the last bus should pass around 10pm, I began to become concerned as 10 came and passed. Finally, a little past 11pm, I received a phone call from a number I didn't recognize.
"Hello, this is the police chief. I have your friends here with me."
"Oh god. What did they do?! Are they alright?"
"They're fine, they just are a little lost, and very confused. You live here, right? Can you come and collect them?"
"Of course. I'll be right there. Thank you so much officer."
Washed with relief, I set out immediately for the police station.
Bursting into the police station, I set about asking a very confused night officer about Australians. I knew something was wrong, as the officer looked at me more and more like I was insane. The officer had never in his life come across three backpacking Australians. Filling with fear yet again, I called back the unknown number.
An Australian answers, "We're waiting in the police station, where are you?"
"The police station in Eusebio Ayala?" I asked fearfully.
"I don't know. We just got on a bus, asking if it went to your site. The bus driver said 'Si' and we got on."
"Please, is there a Paraguayan standing nearby? Can I talk to him?" I asked pleadingly.
After talking to the police chief yet again, I found out that (surprise) the Australians had gotten on the wrong bus. They were currently waiting in the police station of a city about an hour and a half's drive away. They weren't even on the right highway. Thinking fast, I asked the officer if there was any way they could possibly get to my site. After negotiating a bit, he agreed to give them a ride to where they could catch a bus, given that they reimbursed him for the gas money. I said of course, and got the Australians on their way. They finally arrived in my site at 3am.
While they were here, we had an absolute blast. I took them on a tour of my city, they helped out in my English class, and we had an EPIC barbecue. It was great to catch up with them, and also to share my experience with some from an outside culture. I really enjoyed their visit, even if they had quite the time of it actually getting here.
Friday, February 11, 2011
Friday, January 7, 2011
The Holiday Edition
Hey all, it's blog time again! This one I'm going to go over the adventurous activities of the holidays here in Paraguay!
My first time being outside of the US for Christmas was certainly an interesting experience! When I was living in Finland the lead-up to the holidays was very similar, with lots of snow, shopping, and holiday activities. Here in Paraguay, things could not be more different. As Paraguay is situated in the Southern Hemisphere, all of our seasons are switched from the US. Which means that while there were epic snowstorms and airport closures in the US, we've been trying to manage the tropical heat, complete with ridiculous humidity! People here don't really go all-out for Christmas the way we know it; most people only have a few strings of Christmas lights up and seeing a Christmas Tree would be rare (though I did see a few!). In the Spanish tradition, most gifts are given on January 6th-La Dia de los Tres Reyes (Three Kings Day)-which marks the date the three wise-men arrived at Christ's manger to present gold, frankincense and myrrh. But even so, the gift giving is much more focused on children and toys.
As far as the holiday traditions go, Christmas here resembles something closer to a mix between the 4th of July and New Years. Every hangs out in their family's or neighbor's house on Christmas Eve (rather than Christmas Day). They have a huge barbecue, light off fireworks, drink A TON, and then have a countdown til midnight, at which point they drunkenly and dangerously light off a fireworks finale and give each other hugs, wishing them a Feliz Navidad (at least this was my experience; several other volunteers have confirmed it's a fairly accurate representation of the celebration as a whole). After the fireworks finale, all the young people (generally 35 or younger) then leave around 12:30 to go out to parties and dances, which last most of the night. The return home in the wee hours of the morning, and everyone takes Christmas Day off to sleep and eat leftovers. Absolutely NOTHING is open on Christmas, with maybe the exception of a local corner store.
For my Christmas Eve celebration I was fortunate to have a fellow volunteer visit (his plans fell through in his site) and we spent time in my host family's house, as well as watching the debaucherous fireworks finale presented by their crazy neighbor. He's usually a lot of fun, and tells great stories, but I couldn't get over the feeling that we might have to visit the hospital at some point in the evening. Thankfully, we didn't.
Christmas Day I spent opening some presents from the States, talking to the family on the phone, and receiving my Christmas Basket from the Cooperative. This basket was very comical, as it included some things you would normally associate with Christmas, as well as some fairly random items. Per normal, there were several loaves of fruitcake, cookies, and candy, some bottles of wine and sparkling cider, and snack crackers. Some of the more interesting items included a can of peaches, a container of sweet potato paste, and sweetened condensed milk. I would have to say that my favorite item was the card they included, not for the message-a typical holiday biblical blessing-but for the name they addressed it to: "Brett Mycrosoft." The story goes that my co-workers in the Cooperative had some trouble pronouncing my last name. After telling them I was from Washington state, I explained that they might know some of our more well-known companies: Boeing, Starbucks, and Microsoft (actually Boeing has moved their headquarters out of WA, but that's besides the point). Because of this story, one of the guys who works in the Credit department decided that my last name sounded like Microsoft, and the joke just grew from there.
With Christmas over, I spoke to some other volunteers about potential New Years plans. According to volunteers who had been here for one holiday season already, New Years was basically a repeat of Christmas: barbecue, fireworks, booze, countdown, and "felicidades." The only difference is that they say "Feliz Año Nuevo" rather than "Feliz Navidad." While Christmas was a phenomenal cultural experience, and I had a lot of fun, I wasn't keen on repeating the experience so soon. Thus we decided to meet up in Asuncion and have an American-style New Years: we would get dressed up really nice, go out to a fancy dinner, and then go out to a club and toast at midnight. This was a great plan, but we vastly underestimated how much the Paraguayan culture permeates every corner of this country, even the capitol.
We arrived in Asuncion on New Years Eve and grabbed a quick lunch with plans to see a movie afterward. We were very disappointed to find that all the movies had been canceled for the day. Returning to the hotel we all took a siesta with the intention of meeting up around 9 for dinner (it is very common in Latin America to eat dinner much later, around 9 or 10). Looking very dressed up, we left the hotel and headed to a nearby Korean restaurant. When we got there, we were disappointed to find it closed. So we defaulted to another, more Paraguayan, restaurant. But it too was closed. We began to realize that EVERYTHING was closed. We were devastated. As a last minute decision, we decided to take a taxi over to the more Americanized part of town, which looks like a mini-Miami, complete with an Irish Pub, a Hooters, and a TGI Fridays. We concluded that since it was so American, it HAD to be open. Again, we were disappointed. Everything was closed. Hungry, and a little desperate, we finally asked some security guards if they knew of anywhere at all that was open. They thought about it for a minute, and then informed us that two blocks away there was a Karaoke Bar that they thought was open. They told us we weren't the first Americans they had seen wandering, and were curious why we didn't know better. "Everyone passes the New Year in their house, and then goes out after that. That's why nothing opens until midnight." It seems that even in Asuncion the Paraguayan traditions stand firm.
Finally, we had a small stroke of luck. The Karaoke Bar, called Melody, was indeed open. And the other Americans the security guards had spoken of were some Peace Corps friends of ours, from our same group, that we hadn't know were going to be in Asuncion for New Years! Aside from our Peace Corps group, the only other people who were there were a group of Brazilians, who were also on vacation. After eating some pizza, we had A BLAST with the Brazilians! We ended up having very comical and VERY broken conversations in a mix between English, Spanish, and Portuguese. These conversations led to an informal Karaoke battle, with the songs going back and fourth between English and Portuguese. We honestly only noticed it was New Years two minutes before, and then we gave each other and the Brazilians hugs, wishing each other Happy New Year. It seems as though Paraguayan culture caught up with us, like it or not.
Around 1am, we took a taxi back to the city center near our hotel, and found out that most of the other Peace Corps volunteers from other groups were at a bar that had opened up at midnight. We went there and stayed out until very late, having drinks and celebrating the completion of a very interesting and eventful year for all of us.
Getting up around noon the next day, my friend and I headed to the mall to grab some pasta or maybe McDonalds (we really hadn't decided how American we wanted to be). However, we were defeated by Paraguayan culture yet again. Just like Christmas, New Years was a day of rest, where EVERYTHING is closed and Paraguayans sleep all day. Downtrodden, we found a Chinese restaurant open, and then figured out that at least the movies were playing again. We saw the new Tron movie, and then headed back to the hotel to siesta yet again. Thus (more or less) ends my holiday experience here in Paraguay.
Back in my site, Peace Corps life continues as usual. My English class has absorbed my life, and I hardly have time to do anything else! Now that the first few weeks are over, the committed students have been weeded out, and I really have a great group! My students are very eager to come to class and learn more, play games, and just generally ask me questions about why the heck I'm here! They were crestfallen when I told them we would have to cancel class next week (due to a leadership camp). One student even went so far as to ask me, "But teacher, can't we just make the class up on Friday?!" I had to explain to him that the camp ran through Saturday.
Aside from my English class, I also have been spending a lot of time getting to know my community, drinking terere or having lunch and/or dinner with my neighbors. It has been a blast, and when you are invited over for food it really makes you feel welcome in your community. My language skills are coming along fantastically, and I no longer am afraid to go up to someone and start chatting with them. Sure, there are still things I don't understand, and I am nowhere even near to speaking Guarani (though it is one of my New Years resolutions), but for the most part I feel great about my Spanish.
I continue to work at the accounting office in my cooperative, a task that makes everyone here think that I am incredibly hard working even though half the time I just hang out and drink terere or work on preparing my English class. It is convenient to have an air conditioned office space I can use, however. At my meetings for the Education Committee at the Cooperative, we have entered a phase where we are planning this years activities. On the agenda are my Business and Family Finance classes, as well as an environmental project where we will be working with a local NGO to plant trees and pick up garbage in the city. I'm really excited about all of these, as well as other potential activities we will be promoting in the area.
Thinking on a bit larger scale, we also have two events coming up that are "sector-wide," meaning that they involve all volunteers in our "Community Economic Development" sector. The first is the Leadership Camp, which takes place next week from the 12-15 of January. Each volunteer has the opportunity to bring 2-3 youth from their site to attend a four day camp on leadership, civic education, and volunteerism. The goal is that after the camp, the youth will bring these skills back to their respective sites and assist each volunteer with similar activities on a smaller, more localized scale. Some projects in the past have included the collection of secondhand clothes to distribute to the less fortunate, food drives, and mini-lectures on the importance of active participation in government. At the Leadership Camp I will be leading a small talk about the formation of social networks between the youth, and the importance of maintaining contact and working together to improve individual projects.
The second activity that we have been planning and has taken up quite a bit of time is the Business Workshop, which will take place the 4-6 of March. Each volunteer will have the option to bring 2-3 members of their community, who have some basic business background, to attend conferences on empowerment, innovation, and social responsibility, among other themes. The goal is that they will then return to their communities and share what they have learned, energizing their respective economies. This is the first time we have organized anything like this, and it is still in it's infancy. I have been on the planning committee, and we are really excited about this project's potential. Some ideas that have been tossed around include a business plan competition, regional workshops, and cooperation with local large businesses, all of which would go a long way towards encouraging sustainable economic development here in Paraguay.
Anyways, I hope you all had a great time over the holidays, got some rest, and ate some great food! Until the next post!
My first time being outside of the US for Christmas was certainly an interesting experience! When I was living in Finland the lead-up to the holidays was very similar, with lots of snow, shopping, and holiday activities. Here in Paraguay, things could not be more different. As Paraguay is situated in the Southern Hemisphere, all of our seasons are switched from the US. Which means that while there were epic snowstorms and airport closures in the US, we've been trying to manage the tropical heat, complete with ridiculous humidity! People here don't really go all-out for Christmas the way we know it; most people only have a few strings of Christmas lights up and seeing a Christmas Tree would be rare (though I did see a few!). In the Spanish tradition, most gifts are given on January 6th-La Dia de los Tres Reyes (Three Kings Day)-which marks the date the three wise-men arrived at Christ's manger to present gold, frankincense and myrrh. But even so, the gift giving is much more focused on children and toys.
As far as the holiday traditions go, Christmas here resembles something closer to a mix between the 4th of July and New Years. Every hangs out in their family's or neighbor's house on Christmas Eve (rather than Christmas Day). They have a huge barbecue, light off fireworks, drink A TON, and then have a countdown til midnight, at which point they drunkenly and dangerously light off a fireworks finale and give each other hugs, wishing them a Feliz Navidad (at least this was my experience; several other volunteers have confirmed it's a fairly accurate representation of the celebration as a whole). After the fireworks finale, all the young people (generally 35 or younger) then leave around 12:30 to go out to parties and dances, which last most of the night. The return home in the wee hours of the morning, and everyone takes Christmas Day off to sleep and eat leftovers. Absolutely NOTHING is open on Christmas, with maybe the exception of a local corner store.
For my Christmas Eve celebration I was fortunate to have a fellow volunteer visit (his plans fell through in his site) and we spent time in my host family's house, as well as watching the debaucherous fireworks finale presented by their crazy neighbor. He's usually a lot of fun, and tells great stories, but I couldn't get over the feeling that we might have to visit the hospital at some point in the evening. Thankfully, we didn't.
Christmas Day I spent opening some presents from the States, talking to the family on the phone, and receiving my Christmas Basket from the Cooperative. This basket was very comical, as it included some things you would normally associate with Christmas, as well as some fairly random items. Per normal, there were several loaves of fruitcake, cookies, and candy, some bottles of wine and sparkling cider, and snack crackers. Some of the more interesting items included a can of peaches, a container of sweet potato paste, and sweetened condensed milk. I would have to say that my favorite item was the card they included, not for the message-a typical holiday biblical blessing-but for the name they addressed it to: "Brett Mycrosoft." The story goes that my co-workers in the Cooperative had some trouble pronouncing my last name. After telling them I was from Washington state, I explained that they might know some of our more well-known companies: Boeing, Starbucks, and Microsoft (actually Boeing has moved their headquarters out of WA, but that's besides the point). Because of this story, one of the guys who works in the Credit department decided that my last name sounded like Microsoft, and the joke just grew from there.
With Christmas over, I spoke to some other volunteers about potential New Years plans. According to volunteers who had been here for one holiday season already, New Years was basically a repeat of Christmas: barbecue, fireworks, booze, countdown, and "felicidades." The only difference is that they say "Feliz Año Nuevo" rather than "Feliz Navidad." While Christmas was a phenomenal cultural experience, and I had a lot of fun, I wasn't keen on repeating the experience so soon. Thus we decided to meet up in Asuncion and have an American-style New Years: we would get dressed up really nice, go out to a fancy dinner, and then go out to a club and toast at midnight. This was a great plan, but we vastly underestimated how much the Paraguayan culture permeates every corner of this country, even the capitol.
We arrived in Asuncion on New Years Eve and grabbed a quick lunch with plans to see a movie afterward. We were very disappointed to find that all the movies had been canceled for the day. Returning to the hotel we all took a siesta with the intention of meeting up around 9 for dinner (it is very common in Latin America to eat dinner much later, around 9 or 10). Looking very dressed up, we left the hotel and headed to a nearby Korean restaurant. When we got there, we were disappointed to find it closed. So we defaulted to another, more Paraguayan, restaurant. But it too was closed. We began to realize that EVERYTHING was closed. We were devastated. As a last minute decision, we decided to take a taxi over to the more Americanized part of town, which looks like a mini-Miami, complete with an Irish Pub, a Hooters, and a TGI Fridays. We concluded that since it was so American, it HAD to be open. Again, we were disappointed. Everything was closed. Hungry, and a little desperate, we finally asked some security guards if they knew of anywhere at all that was open. They thought about it for a minute, and then informed us that two blocks away there was a Karaoke Bar that they thought was open. They told us we weren't the first Americans they had seen wandering, and were curious why we didn't know better. "Everyone passes the New Year in their house, and then goes out after that. That's why nothing opens until midnight." It seems that even in Asuncion the Paraguayan traditions stand firm.
Finally, we had a small stroke of luck. The Karaoke Bar, called Melody, was indeed open. And the other Americans the security guards had spoken of were some Peace Corps friends of ours, from our same group, that we hadn't know were going to be in Asuncion for New Years! Aside from our Peace Corps group, the only other people who were there were a group of Brazilians, who were also on vacation. After eating some pizza, we had A BLAST with the Brazilians! We ended up having very comical and VERY broken conversations in a mix between English, Spanish, and Portuguese. These conversations led to an informal Karaoke battle, with the songs going back and fourth between English and Portuguese. We honestly only noticed it was New Years two minutes before, and then we gave each other and the Brazilians hugs, wishing each other Happy New Year. It seems as though Paraguayan culture caught up with us, like it or not.
Around 1am, we took a taxi back to the city center near our hotel, and found out that most of the other Peace Corps volunteers from other groups were at a bar that had opened up at midnight. We went there and stayed out until very late, having drinks and celebrating the completion of a very interesting and eventful year for all of us.
Getting up around noon the next day, my friend and I headed to the mall to grab some pasta or maybe McDonalds (we really hadn't decided how American we wanted to be). However, we were defeated by Paraguayan culture yet again. Just like Christmas, New Years was a day of rest, where EVERYTHING is closed and Paraguayans sleep all day. Downtrodden, we found a Chinese restaurant open, and then figured out that at least the movies were playing again. We saw the new Tron movie, and then headed back to the hotel to siesta yet again. Thus (more or less) ends my holiday experience here in Paraguay.
Back in my site, Peace Corps life continues as usual. My English class has absorbed my life, and I hardly have time to do anything else! Now that the first few weeks are over, the committed students have been weeded out, and I really have a great group! My students are very eager to come to class and learn more, play games, and just generally ask me questions about why the heck I'm here! They were crestfallen when I told them we would have to cancel class next week (due to a leadership camp). One student even went so far as to ask me, "But teacher, can't we just make the class up on Friday?!" I had to explain to him that the camp ran through Saturday.
Aside from my English class, I also have been spending a lot of time getting to know my community, drinking terere or having lunch and/or dinner with my neighbors. It has been a blast, and when you are invited over for food it really makes you feel welcome in your community. My language skills are coming along fantastically, and I no longer am afraid to go up to someone and start chatting with them. Sure, there are still things I don't understand, and I am nowhere even near to speaking Guarani (though it is one of my New Years resolutions), but for the most part I feel great about my Spanish.
I continue to work at the accounting office in my cooperative, a task that makes everyone here think that I am incredibly hard working even though half the time I just hang out and drink terere or work on preparing my English class. It is convenient to have an air conditioned office space I can use, however. At my meetings for the Education Committee at the Cooperative, we have entered a phase where we are planning this years activities. On the agenda are my Business and Family Finance classes, as well as an environmental project where we will be working with a local NGO to plant trees and pick up garbage in the city. I'm really excited about all of these, as well as other potential activities we will be promoting in the area.
Thinking on a bit larger scale, we also have two events coming up that are "sector-wide," meaning that they involve all volunteers in our "Community Economic Development" sector. The first is the Leadership Camp, which takes place next week from the 12-15 of January. Each volunteer has the opportunity to bring 2-3 youth from their site to attend a four day camp on leadership, civic education, and volunteerism. The goal is that after the camp, the youth will bring these skills back to their respective sites and assist each volunteer with similar activities on a smaller, more localized scale. Some projects in the past have included the collection of secondhand clothes to distribute to the less fortunate, food drives, and mini-lectures on the importance of active participation in government. At the Leadership Camp I will be leading a small talk about the formation of social networks between the youth, and the importance of maintaining contact and working together to improve individual projects.
The second activity that we have been planning and has taken up quite a bit of time is the Business Workshop, which will take place the 4-6 of March. Each volunteer will have the option to bring 2-3 members of their community, who have some basic business background, to attend conferences on empowerment, innovation, and social responsibility, among other themes. The goal is that they will then return to their communities and share what they have learned, energizing their respective economies. This is the first time we have organized anything like this, and it is still in it's infancy. I have been on the planning committee, and we are really excited about this project's potential. Some ideas that have been tossed around include a business plan competition, regional workshops, and cooperation with local large businesses, all of which would go a long way towards encouraging sustainable economic development here in Paraguay.
Anyways, I hope you all had a great time over the holidays, got some rest, and ate some great food! Until the next post!
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