Before leaving for Peace Corps my experience with foreign countries was pretty limited. It included a couple of high school excursions to Toronto and a cruise that included stops in touristy Costa Maya and Cozumel in Mexico. Hardly diverse, nor developing. Although I had never been to a developing nation, I had formulated several ideas about how to work with the ever growing urban youth population, which would be my main focus as a volunteer. In the information sent to me by the Peace Corps, in a futile attempt to prepare future volunteers for their immersion in Paraguay, I read that the problems facing urban youth include unemployment, low self-esteem, lack of recreation, as well as several others. In my mind I was going to go to my community and resolve these problems leading the Paraguayans into a better life.
Foolishly thinking that I would be going into a impoverished area like you see in the movies I followed the Peace Corps packing list and consulted volunteer's blogs when deciding just what would I would include in my precious 50 pounds of luggage that would have to last me for the next two years. I packed Chaco sandals, super-plain understated clothing, a headlamp, and a sleeping bag. I included very little make-up and even less jewelry. Little did I know that within weeks of arriving in Paraguay, I would be yearning for a nice pair of shoes and some dressier clothes just to fit in with the locals.
During the three month training period I learned I would not be doing any saving. Really there is no saving to be done, besides I am not a missionary. Paraguayans may live in an under-developed country where not everyone has running water and electricity. Where corruption runs rampant and nepotism reigns free. But they live here happily. The most popular word heard when describing Paraguay is tranquilo, which means tranquil and is by far the best way to describe Paraguay. The Paraguayans may not be the most efficient when it comes to doing a project, but they've got lots of time. As a Peace Corps volunteer rather than saving people I would be teaching them to tweak what they've already got. Helping to make them more efficient. Use different teaching techniques. Pay attention to individuals and make each and every one know that he or she is special. Volunteers don't make miracles happen, but they can definitely make a difference in the lives of some. That is, if they can get the language down, convince the host country nationals they are trustworthy and then motivate them to participate to work on and complete projects.
During training we lived with host families, therefore we were immediately confronted with the fact that while Paraguayans existed as a population in a far off developing country while we were preparing for service, they are individuals. Each one has a name, or is supposed to, they have an identity, likes, dislikes, hobbies and passions. They not one being, but individual people. Recently a group of Canadians came down to give out gifts through the Operation Christmas Child program and I was asked to translate. Great, I thought, another group of self-righteous rich people, coming to “save” the poor Paraguayans so they can feel good about themselves. Although it seems eerily similar to my initial thoughts before coming to the Peace Corps I felt that I had moved past that stage, plus I had already devoted two years of my life to living and working with Paraguayans, I am an Ameriguaya now.
Of course I was wrong about the group. I was amazed as I watched their faces take in all of the things that no longer phase me. They took pictures of grapefruit trees full of fruit and cows in the streets. They were baffled by Guarani and complained about the heat when it was barely 85 degrees, good thing they didn't come in the summer. The best part about being with the group was to watch their reactions when they too came to know the Paraguayans as individuals. One little girl had the same name as someone's daughter. Another woman gave her shoe box gift to a girl from an extremely impoverished family. They met mothers who had nine children but were smiling and seemed to be carefree and children who suffered from diseases that afflicted their fellow Canadians. It is amazing to see as the Paraguayans changed from being some population in a far off place to individuals who have wants and needs and hopes and dreams. I was wrong to judge to Canadians before they got here, but the Paraguayans have become my family and friends and not just some population in need of saving.
Some photos from my experience with the Canadians:
Some of the kids awaiting their gifts, tickets in hand.
Canadians hard at work prepping the gifts to hand out.
At each of the places where gifts were handed out there were 100s and often 1000s of kids.
We had a crazy ride down the side of a mountain on the back of this truck!
