Mucho Trabajo...

Hello people! Yet another update on what is going on with me in this tiny town of Yegros in Paraguay…

So lately I have been a bit stressed with the amount of work that I have. How is this possible-- you might be wondering considering that I am in an ultra tranquilo country??? Well, through the expectations of my cooperative and my community, I have taken on the role of being a teacher. I teach about 19 hours a week—mostly individual computer classes and just 1 English class. Even though this might be part-time work back in the States, it’s a ton of work over here! The part that worries me is how unsustainable it is. Because even though I enjoy having my students and mostly all are progressing well (and I’m proud of them), once I leave nobody will continue to teach computers…Sooo I though of piloting my next classes, so I will teach a student, but beforehand he needs to agree that once he is done with the course, he needs to teach another student. I am hoping this will work; I just have to invest more time in each student, so that they feel ready enough to teach what they just learned. I figure this way, more people can benefit from the computer classes and I will be less stressed and it’s much more sustainable…But we’ll see if this idea works out or not…

So my cooperative submitted a project to Itaipu (since Paraguay has co-ownership of a huge hydroelectric dam, it sells electricity to Brazil and money basically rolls into Paraguay through this and so it spends it however it pleases…). So this project asked for 190 million of guaranies (roughly $38,000-which is over here is a fortune!) to buy new land and to build a new modern locale for my coop. So guess what? With the local elections came a new mayor that is helping us push for our project. So in an ideal world there would be no corruption and my coop would get all that money, but this Paraguay! I would bet anything that we will see only a fraction of that money. In spite of this, I am excited that my coop benefits from whatever money we end up getting through this project. But truthfully I also have mixed feelings…Organizations come to my site and more often than not donate money without thinking about the actual needs of the people in my site. For example, health access in my site and Paraguay is a disgrace…So why is there no one donating towards better medical facilities for all regardless of social status? Because nobody thinks about the long term effects and sustainability of donating money to a project that may work now, but fails in the future. This may not make any sense at all, but I must say that my view of development and the role that money plays in it has significantly changed since I have arrived in Paraguay. Ok so I will keep you updated on how things go with this whole ordeal…

On a brighter side, I am part of a 1 hour a week show with 3 other volunteers. Our first show went well :) Luckily! Except there was this one part called Conspiracy Theory, where we each say why we think Pres. Bush’s daughter came to visit Paraguay. So I accidentally said off the top of my head that she was being bad in the U.S. so Pres. Bush sent her here as a form of punishment…haha!! I’m so scandalous! My neighbors teased me and asked if I was being punished and that´s why I was sent here!!Hehe!! Yeah I need to be more careful of what I say on future shows!

So I must take off, but do take care of yourself and a huge hug for caring enough to read this :)