All dates and information are tentative. Please check back regularly for updates. Overarching Goal and Objectives:Goal:to build leadership and life skills of youth in the Americas through exchange, civic engagement, and collaborative community development Objectives:
Project Specific Activities:In collaboration with a Plan Paraguay youth group, Volunteers will plan and implement Community-Based Initiatives that benefit the entire community. This activity aims to develop the leadership capacity of youth as they brainstorm ways to take an active leadership role in the development of their community. Examples of initiatives from 2007 include tree planting, plaza and playground restoration and painting community murals. In terms of education, Volunteers will run day camps for children during the two week Paraguayan winter break, which includes extracurricular activities on health and environment. When school is in session, Volunteers will co-facilitate educational activities several times a week with the Plan Paraguay youth groups for school children. Educational activities will focus on health and the environment, but will also include components of creative expression, youth leadership, and team building Example educational topics from 2007 include nutrition, cultural exchange, physical education, and dental hygiene. Another aspect of the program is that when Volunteers are in community, they may have the opportunity to partner with a student from the Fundación Paraguaya’s agricultural school for 10 days. The agricultural school students bring an expertise in organic agriculture and entrepreneurship to communities to share with interested community members. Project Area:Paraguarí is located in southern Paraguay, roughly an hour and a half southwest of the country’s capital, Asunción. Paraguarí is made up of fertile forested lowlands, with hills in the northeastern area, and the Tebicuary River along the southern border. The land is flat and rolling, with small plateaus and hills spread out in the distance. The economy of Paraguarí is based primarily on the harvesting of lumber and agricultural production. Not only will Volunteers have the chance to improve their Spanish skills in Paraguay, but they will also be assured of picking up some Guaraní, an indigenous language used in social settings in host communities. Project History:AMIGOS initiated its work in Paraguay in 1972 in partnership with the Ministry of Health. For a number of years the project included a combination of human immunizations and community sanitation efforts. In 1993, AMIGOS expanded its work in the country and divided into two projects, one focused on human immunizations based in Asunción, and another focused on Community Sanitation based in a nearby region. Eight years ago, AMIGOS discontinued the human immunizations project, redirecting efforts towards community sanitation, health and environmental education. In 2005 AMIGOS' projects directed an increasingly significant portion of their focus towards youth leadership development and extracurricular education with children within communities. This will continue to be our focus. 2008 will also mark our fifth year of collaboration with Junior Achievement. Partner Agencies:Fundación Paraguaya/Junior Achievement Further Actions: |
“I saw through my work with AMIGOS that there were so many ways to influence the world. I realized that if I studied what interested me, there would be opportunities to use whatever skills I learned to better my environment, from the neighborhood where I grew up to a little town on the other side of the world.” –Roanne Sharp, Student, UCLA |
