Hace muchoooo tiempo

I can’t recall the last time I updated my blog, and for those who thought I might have died… well, I’m still kickin’. My life living on the ex-communicado circuit has been quite an experience. 

Time has passed quickly here in southeast Paraguay and I have enjoyed about 88% of it. The other twelve come from bouts of food poisoning, waiting for buses, biking in the rain, awkward silences in conversation, etc.

Though it may have been a rocky start to begin with, my community is now fully receptive of my work and me. My Guarani language skills have progressed considerably, but there are still times I that I have no idea what people are talking about.

I mix my time working in the primary school, agricultural high school, with community members, and by myself at my house.

The World Map project at the school is taking some time to complete, but when it is finished it will look really nice. The background ocean blue is painted and I am placing a grid system onto the wall. I wish I could work more in the school garden but very few of the students show interest in this topic. One of my favorite things about the school is being able to make kids laugh and smile. That itself is a good day.

I work two days a week in the agricultural high school down the road from my house. I’m still working with third-year students and their graduation projects, but I recently began working with first-year students on the implementation of a one-hectare agroecology field. Mba’epiko ha’e (what is) agroecology? Agroecology is the use of various conservation agriculture techniques to improve soil quality, control erosion, and conserve water in the fields. So far, I’ve given a lecture to the students about water conservation and soil erosion, and the field is ready to be planted. Paraguay is nearing the end of winter (we didn’t really have much of that) and I plan to plant the field in September. So far, we plan to plant corn, beans, sunflower, and green manure crops. The volunteers in my group participated in a training event in April in which we learned about marking contour lines in a field, and my group has begun to implement this practice. Contour lines are trenches in a field to help conserve and navigate rainfall water on a given slope. 

My house has come along way since I first started working on it. No more structural problems, and I now have a nice patio to sit outside and enjoy the day or eat a meal. I added a new little closet to store my books and tools. Last thing to do is paint, maybe a nice PSU theme? I really enjoy working in my garden, and here’s a picture of the result:

Finally, my work with members of the community has been mixed. Some are receptive to visits and working together, but others have little knowledge or misconceptions about my work and that has made it tough. For those who are responsive, I continue to assist in soil recuperation  efforts in the fields, mostly through green manures and cover crops. With summer approaching, I have been coordinating with farmers their interest in planting these crops and learning of proper ways to store these seeds for future use. I recently received a loan of one-half hectare to grow my own field crops and create a new demonstration plot for community members to view and learn. Around September I plan to get some chickens at my place so having a crop of corn and beans to feed the chickens will be nice.

Running water? Well… projects in developing countries, especially in rural areas, take a long time to complete. Nearly all the piping has been placed and workers have been throughout the community constructing black-water tanks at each house. In addition, each house will receive a shower and toilet stall to use. I believe a total of 20 kilometers (12 miles) of piping will be placed by the time everything is said and done. Maybe, just maybe, I will have running water by the time I finish my service next year.

Days can seem incredibly long and boring but the weeks and months fly by. No single day is the exact same, and that’s why I enjoy this job. Peace Corps Paraguay encourages volunteers to seek out work opportunities instead of handing out projects on a platter. I have come to realize the incredible amount of self-motivation needed from volunteers to complete this task. Peace Corps has been in the news a fair amount recently, not under the best circumstances, but I have also come to realize how great the staff is here in Paraguay and their willingness to assist you in any way needed for a project.

Here are some of my favorite recent photos for your viewing: