Paraguarí, Paraguay
Briefing Report

Mba’eichapa!  Saludos from Paraguay.  Volunteers safely arrived on Paraguay’s red soil Wednesday, June 20.  They quickly headed north of Asunción to the Briefing site at the Escuela Agrícola San Francisco. 

The school, which trains Paraguayan teenagers to be entrepreneurs of sustainable agriculture, is one of the many programs run by one of AMIGOS’ partnering agencies in Paraguay, Fundación Paraguaya. The Volunteers spent a morning shadowing these students the day after they arrived.  They helped in the fields, tended to newborn piglets and learned about ways to make rich fertilizer.

This was a great first introduction to youth in Paraguay! The Volunteers were able to practice their Spanish with the students in the morning, and later in the day the Escuela’s own students lead classes on Guarani, Paraguay’s other official language. Volunteers and Project Staff had fun trying their hand at this unique and beautiful language. 

Project Staff continued to prepare Volunteers for the summer, and on Friday the project’s two partnering agencies, Plan International and SENASA, came to train Volunteers.  Youth-to-Youth Community Development Volunteers learned about exciting youth partnerships and programs in their communities, and Healthy Household Volunteers learned about the importance of community sanitation efforts, and how to build latrines! 

Later that day the Volunteers sat tight for a captivating talk on Paraguay’s rich history.  The Volunteers arrived to Paraguay just in time to celebrate the festival of San Juan.  The students of the school’s cultural group shared beautiful Paraguayan dances, music and theater with Volunteers and Project Staff.  Although the AMIGOS Volunteers had to say goodbye to their new Paraguayan friends at the school, many will meet again in mid-July, when 15 of the Escuela’s students will join Volunteers in their communities during their winter break.  The five-day training flew by, and by Monday afternoon the Volunteers were meeting their Paraguayan families and exploring their new communities!