It has been an interesting past month or so in the campo. To summarize briefly: My dog died, the heat came, I spent wayyyyy too much money I didn’t have, I hung with friends, I made new friends, I isolated myself, some projects failed, others flourished, the rain came, the power and water went, and in the end… It was a great month. It was the perfect example of the rollercoaster ride the Peace Corps is. For every good day, there was a frustrating one. I’m happy to say, however, I am passing the ¼ mark of my service on a high note.
Time to give brief descriptions of my 2 successful projects this month!
HIV/AIDS taller: Oct 13-14, an HIV/AIDS workshop was held in a nearby pueblo and was organized by two of my volunteer friends. I went to help out with a couple of short lectures. One was myths/facts regarding HIV/AIDS (and sex in general), and the other was a condom demonstration. There were about 10 volunteers in attendance, 20+ high school students, a nurse, and a man came from Asuncion who is HIV positive. I think all the high school kids had a great time, and hopefully they learned a little too! I am hoping to do something similar in my town with the high school next school year.
Gotta love Peace Corps ice breakers :)
All the youth who attended with their certificates
The volunteers who put it on!
Chicken Commission: I think I may have mentioned once before, but I have been working with a group of 12 women on acquiring chickens. We asked the government for 25 chickens for each woman, as well as the food that will help them live healthy lives. I really lucked out with this commission, in that they organized themselves, and were very hardworking even without me pushing them (every volunteer’s dream!). This month ended with them receiving their chickens (although only 20 each), and I am so happy for them! I didn’t think we would get them so soon, so it was a pleasant surprise. We have decided that we are going to continue to meet every 15 days or so, and I will talk about nutrition and/or cook with them to try out healthier versions of their foods.
Also, last Friday my neighbor Andrea had an awesome Halloween party in her site that she and her girls youth group organized. I went to help put on the thing, and it was a blast! The kids thought bobbing for apples was the greatest thing ever, and the face painting station was a hit!
Halloween costume fail
My parents are arriving in Asuncion around midnight tonight, and I am super excited! The first week is going to be spent here in Paraguay. A couple days of the city life in Asuncion, where they will get to meet some of my volunteer friends and see the sights. Afterwards, we’re off to my site where we will visit with neighbors, drink tereré, and they will get to see what my life these days is all about. After that, we will spend a week cruising Peru and visiting Machu Picchu. Having spent almost 9 months in country, I am definitely ready for this break and a bit of home to come to Paraguay.
Until next time!
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