(The contents of this website are mine personally and do not reflect any position of the U.S. government or the Peace Corps.)

This is my way of taking action to make my words speak a little louder. My method is transparency in what I am doing and reporting about my service to the Peace Corps, which is a branch of the U.S. government.

TO CLARIFY: The Peace Corps is a non-partisan agency within the executive branch of the U.S. government. It has presidentially appointed directors, is supervised by the senate and house’s foreign relations/affairs committees, and is funded from the foreign operations budget (as per PeaceCorps.gov). With all these governmental connections it’s hard to defend the accusations that volunteers aren’t governmental spies to an audience who wonders why on earth someone from a first-world country would move to a less developed land just to lend a hand.


Volunteer Reporting Form:

How integrated do you feel in your community?

Somewhat Integrated

Did your cross-cultural and language training prepare you to effectively manage cultural differences in both social and professional contexts?

Please explain:

The language training and cross-cultural training I received during Pre-Service Training from June to mid-August, 2013 are very distinct topics. On one hand, through no fault of the excellent language teachers, language training was insufficient. On the other hand, the cultural training was excessive. To be specific, I am referring to the security portion and the hours-n-hours spent on moto-muggings, rapes, and robberies, to acting out scenes about, “how to detect whether someone wants to have sex with you,” to Peace Corps Volunteers contracting AIDS during service, which fortunately has never happened here in Paraguay. The results of training left volunteers with insufficient language skills and, for the less-traveled, a fear of integrating into such a “lawless” culture.

Overall, as has been consensus with all the volunteers I have spoken with; and yes, the superlative “all” was intended, training was generally a “waste of time.” (Please note that while this sounds harsh, they are not my words and have been used by multiple volunteers reflecting on a difficult time). In addition, almost no one uses the charts and intricate project planning paperwork taught and the expression, “just get through it” has become synonymous with any talk on the subject of training.

To sum up, no, training was not directly effective in preparing volunteers for community service and/or integration here in Paraguay.

How could cross-cultural language training be improved to support effective cultural integration?

Again, language training and cross-cultural training were separate categories during Pre-Service Training. However, they could, and should be merged. Just like any immersive second-language course, it needs to be taught in the language. Training should be taught in Spanish and segmented by different levels. For example, teachers can explain what a “pedido” is and when a volunteer needs to submit one to the municipality in Spanish and on many levels; from beginner to advanced. Now this is “cross-cultural language training.”

As for Guaraní, very, very few Community Economic Development volunteers use it. The training staff needs to get up on their game on “real life” use as to focus Pre-Service Training on what is actually applicable. From talking to volunteers from different sectors, it seems like whether Spanish and/or Guaraní should be taught in training, should be dependent on the sector.


What challenges have you faced in your project or in other areas of your Peace Corps experience?

This same question was asked and answered in detail the last Volunteer Reporting Form (Oct2013-Jan 2014). And, the same cultural and, from the mouths of locals, “departmental,” challenges apply:

1) Lying to appease or avoid admitting they don’t know
2) Polychronic time, aka, “Hora Paraguaya”
3) Social phobia – basing self-esteem and life choices on the opinions of others
4) Resignation – assuming and accepting something can’t be accomplished and in turn doing nothing

When I wrote above, “from the mouths of the locals,” I want to explain that I have heard numerous observations and complaints from locals, and of locals, about a culture that is more “resigned” to live in the “así no más” way here in the “Department” of San Pedro than elsewhere in Paraguay. The reason given has been because it is the poorest and worse educated department in Paraguay.


What lessons have you learned from your project, your community or yourself?

To add to my previous answer to this question, where I commented on cultural expectations in the Oct2013-Jan 2014 VRF, I’ll add that here in Santaní, even “change for the better” takes more time and more reinforcement among a culture where being “pushed” to progress economically or educationally is only a couple decades old [post-dictator, followed by a slow evolution into international trade and capitalism]. A repetitive excuse for the “why not change” answer is “así es la costumbre.” In fact, I just received this justification today when mentioning that the majority of Santanianos, both youth and adults, don’t wear eye protection when riding motorcycles; “así es la costumbre.” And since I was told this by a 20-something clerk in my buddy’s kiosk at the bus terminal, who just offered me a free pair of sunglasses, I can tell you that affordability is not an issue. So, because something is “the custom” there is no need to improve, from simple things like eye protection to more serious and impactful issues like nutrition, toxic chemical disposal, to a lack of discipline in child rearing; where there is little, if any, exposure to educational hobbies or responsibilities.

On a positive note, I have experienced some great successes with two completed projects, and can say that the “diamonds in the rough” who dare to be different and want to better themselves and their communities, do exist. And for me these diamonds, or achievements, have made a tremendous amount of difference.

Provide a 2-3 paragraph success story that demonstrates a positive difference you and your counterpart(s) have made in your community. A well-written success story should cover three parts: introduction, description of the activities, and summary of the results.

I have had two tremendous triumphs that have greatly impacted my “worthwhile” of being here in San Estanislao. The first was a waste/recycling awareness campaign, “Nuestra Tierra Guaraní No Es Basurero,” or “Our Guaraní Land is Not a Trashcan,” which I also wrote an article about in the 2014 issue of Peace Corps Paraguay’s KUAT, meaning “paper that speaks” in Guaraní. The second success was the culmination of my “Construye Tus Sueňos” or “Build Your Dreams” entrepreneurial class, where one of my students won the seed-funding money after presenting her business plan at the national workshop.

I ignited the idea for the waste/recycling awareness campaign with the local youth group I work with, Rotaract, a subsidiary of Rotary International for 18 to 30-year-olds. It began with an Asunción-based NGO, Ita Enramada, coming to speak about the importance of minding our environment and the tragic impact that the lack of information or recycling programs has had on it. The culmination of the campaign was two-fold. First, we held a competition between the high-schools to design a trashcan to be installed in a popular community park with a message about proper waste disposal or caring for our environment. Second, of the seven local high-schools competing, each was assigned a material from plastic to rubber to cloth, etcetera, to design saleable recycled crafts at a “Feria de Tesoros Reciclados” for a public street fair. Overall, I have never seen such creativity and assertiveness among the youth of Santaní. I was sincerely proud of everyone involved in organizing and participating in this campaign that I left wondering how I’ll ship all of my new handicrafts back to the States.

(Details and results of the waste/recycling awareness campaign can be read in the August 2014 edition of KUAT or here on my website: http://brienne.yolasite.com/recycling-campaign-peace-corps-paraguay.php)


The second success still brings happy tears to my eyes. My one any only student who successfully completed my Construye Tus Sueňos class on how to start a small business and write a business plan, won Gs. 3.500.000 = $821.55 USD in seed funding to expand, Gricelli Recepciones, an event planning company she is working to establish formally. Mind you, the tears are a result of a ton of hard work and obstacles surmounted to accomplish this, but also because at 19, Gricelda Cristaldo is indeed one of those rare diamonds in the rough.

Gricelda, who lives in a rural community outside Santaní, Potrero Ybate, would drive her little scooter 20-kilometers in to attend my class, as well as a few other classes at the vocational school where I was teaching, Centro Tajy. She is an attentive student and used every resource she had to accomplish tasks, despite how limited they were. For example, I made her an e-mail just a month before the national “Paraguay Emprende” workshop to try a facilitate document transfer; although, I later found out that the only way she could check e-mail or read attached documents was on her little cellphone or through the one-and-only teacher in her town who had a computer WITH an internet connection. Needless-to-say our communication and ability to share edits and documents was very limited. I learned of her communication limitations when she told me how she spent two hours on her cell phone trying to open an e-mail attachment with business plan edits I sent her; she was trying to meet a deadline to submit the document.

Gricelda basically learned how to use Word in order to type up her business plan, although with such a profoundly poor public education system on the topic of writing, I must have spent 10-15 hours organizing and restructuring it. Through no fault of her own, her ability to structure sentences was extremely lacking; this however is a whole other topic on the weak educational system! What Gricelda has though, is that unique entrepreneurial spirit. If she doesn’t know how to do something, she asks or finds a way to make it happen. (Coincidentally today, as I’m typing this, she showed up at my house on the back of a friend’s motorcycle to bring me printouts of her budget, so I can turn them into Paraguay Emprende and Cooperative Universitaria to get her money. I am so proud of her!)

Back to Gricelda’s Plan de Negocios; she reviewed all of the edits I made to her business plan, and came to my house for two full days to get help on formatting and finishing her Powerpoint presentation.

Once at the taller, her spirit was apparent in her animated presentation, leaving the judges smiling. Gricelda deserves every cent she won and more to make her business a reality.

With the budget she gave me, we are currently working on collecting the money to purchase plastic tables and chairs and durable cutlery so she can cut out the variable costs of the middleman, who she currently has to rent from to host her events. I will continue working with her to set up a more dynamic event-to-event administrative document for Gricelli Recepciones.



What primary or secondary activities do you plan to do in the next few months?

Waste Awareness/Action Campaign: Nuestra Tierra Guaraní No Es Basurero = success

Information Board: In a city of 50-55,000 people we have no published press (in print or online), which means no employment section, no classified (items for sale or services offered), no event calendar, no place to easily find public service information or a city map. With my Rotaract youth group I am working to establish this in the town’s main plaza.

Construye Tus Sueños entrepreneurial class: Gricelli Recepciones = success

Aerobics Class: I am still teaching the aerobics class at a local dance studio and have a local who will be starting a second class on Thursdays… this means sustainability!

Workshop: With the Volunteer Advisory Committee (VAC) of the San Pedro Department I am still attempting to organize the self-esteem, gender and domestic abuse workshop with the San Pedro VAC that was missed months ago due to rain. But recently, other VAC council members have reached out to assist with reorganizing this.

Centro Cultural Paraguayo Americano (CCPA): Through a lead from Miss Elisa Echagüe, the Peace Corps Paraguay Community Economic Development Coordinator, I have become a middleman, connecting local English teachers with CCPA administrators to open a branch here in San Estanislao in order to satisfy the local demand for English as a Second Language… and we are on the move! Every teacher I connected, four in total, will be attending training in Asuncion next week in order to launch the local branch. As a result of the organizational efforts here, a connection between the CCPA and Cooperativa Universitaria has formed and just may create a national bond and expand the amount of English teaching facilities nationwide!
 

Finish this sentence: The one thing I wish Americans knew about my country of service is...

Since I answered this same question on the Oct2013-Jan 2014 Volunteer Reporting Form, I will say:

Another thing I wish Americans knew about my country of service is...

Paraguay is a fairly virgin market and is ripe for “impact investing.” There are resources available for biofuels and wind energy and, obviously, hydroelectric power, as well as a young labor force looking for work. And while foreign companies are here exploiting the labor force and low-low taxes they are paying, I’m suggesting that “philanthropic investing,” can, if managed correctly, be a win-win for a foreign company and the locals alike.

Report any challenges or success carrying out your Community Needs Assessment (CNA)

I have decided to do a very in-depth Community Needs Assessment addressing the topics of the economy, communications, and the government. The objective is to incite action in the community; whether it be through thought, the ability to feel more secure with one’s opinion through recognizing that others feel the same, or through physical action by improving some of the unfulfilled needs the community has. This study involves an introduction, questionnaire, and anonymous recorded interviews of local participants and can be found at: http://brienne.yolasite.com/estudio-de-la-comunidad-san-estanislao.php

The “needs” objective of this study is two-fold. The first objective is to provide the community with local “voices” and perspectives to encourage freedom of expression, thought and hopefully press. The press is very limited in San Estanislao, especially considering how large the city is by Paraguayan standards (urban and rural inhabitants within radio/TV range are approximately 70,000).

The second objective of this study is to pinpoint gaps in both the economy and government services to, ideally, attract the attention of those that have the power to focus energy and investment at filling the gaps.

My main challenge in completing and publishing the Community Needs Assessment for San Estanislao is getting the approval of the local Peace Corps coordinators who see potentially provocative topics from the perspective of being challenges to safety and reputation versus community eye-openers. News is never without controversy.

Did your community or hosting agency/organization provide you with housing, furniture, building supplies, utilities, or permanent work space in your site? If yes, please indicate what type and estimate the value of this contribution.

No. But a beautiful family I came to live with assisted me in furnishing their studio, where I now rent-n-live. I am using their table, bed, 6 chairs, some dishes, a skillet and cooking pot.


Volunteer Activities

 1.       Día de los Niños Article for Plan Paraguay, Rotaract and the Secretaría Nacional de los Derechos Humanos de las Personas con Discapacidad (SENADIS)

·         English: http://brienne.yolasite.com/childrens-day-santan%C3%AD-paraguay.php
·         Español: http://brienne.yolasite.com/d%C3%ADa-de-los-ni%C3%B1os-santan%C3%AD-paraguay.php

2.       Weekly Rotaract meetings: I meet weekly with the Rotaract youth group to discuss plans and organize events. Currently in the works one idea I recommended based on community desires and youth group interest.

·       Tablón de Información: The project we are now, and still, working on is an Information Board that will be built in the main town plaza, in order  to post information that the community lacks. Without a printed press, online presence, telephone/service guide, classifieds, employment postings, event calendar, community map or emergency information, etcetera, this board is step one in the hopes that this city of 50-55,000 urbanites will eventually have its own press.

3.       Aerobics Class: I teach a free aerobics class to promote fitness and nutrition and to meet new community contacts. I have also detailed the structure of my class in a document in Spanish that is available for other PCV to use. NOTE: There are a lot of slang terms and unique names for exercises here in Paraguay, so the Spanish version can be very helpful for incoming volunteers.

4.       Volunteer Advisory Committee (VAC) Health Workshop: This Health Workshop on the topics of AIDS, STDs, Myths of Condoms, and locating Body Parts was compiled by San Pedro Volunteer Advisory Committee member Karen Sierra and given at three rural high schools in the southern part of the Department of San Pedro.

5.       Health Workshop in Centro Tajy: This Health Workshop on the topics of AIDS, STDs, Myths of Condoms, and locating Body Parts was compiled by San Pedro Volunteer Advisory Committee member Karen Sierra and given at three rural high schools in the southern part of the Department of San Pedro. Due to demand and the importance of the topics, I organized another workshop with fellow PCV, Andrea Novosad, in Centro Tajy, a continuing education/vocational school in my site, Santaní.

6.       Construye Tus Sueňos UTCD: Construye Tus Sueños course taught at the Universidad Técnica de Comercialización y Desarrollo (UTCD) in San Estanislao, the development of Powerpoint presentations for the course and to share with other teachers; both Peace Corps Volunteers and Paraguayan professors, and the development of a Construye Tus Sueňos Introductory Class to promote the course

7.       Safarí, Inter-High School Tournament: Safarí was an inter-high school tournament organized by my youth group, Rotaract, with three categories of competition: 1. Group work/timed community scavenger hunt, 2. Athletic/physical activities, 3. Intelligence/quiz show questions. My role was the photographer and as an organizational assistant.

8.       Desafío al Emprendedor Taller: The "Desafío al Emprendedor Taller" or Entrepreneurial Challenge Workshop, was quite a task as the in-site PCV. My tasks included:

·        
Securing the space with the municipality and ensuring it was clean and unlocked
·         Radio promotion, which I organized with some of my then current Construye Tus Sueňos students
·         Distributing flyers to local universities and speaking in university business classes to promote the workshop
·         Working with the local Cooperativa Universitaria to organize a budget and responsibilities; chair/table rental, CU pens/folders distribution
·         Locating a balcony across the street to use for the egg-drop exercise
·         Printing materials since the CU’s machine wouldn’t accept a pen drive
·         Organizing catering
·         Downloading digital materials and using my computer, speakers and projector for the workshop
·         Organizing the Asociación de Jóvenes Empresarios de Paraguay speaker, Katrina Benitez
·         Organizing other PCV to assist and provide a place for them to stay
·         Taking photos of the event and posting them on Facebook and Google Drives for the Paraguay Emprende team
·         Follow-up with attendees with information about my Construye Tus Sueňos class that began just over a week after the workshop

9.       Construye Tus Sueňos Centro Tajy: Construye Tus Sueños course taught at the continuing education/vocational school, Centro Tajy in San Estanislao, beginning with promotion in the form of flyer distribution, organizing an Introductory Class with students and the school staff to promote the course and confirm a schedule, registration, etc.

10.  Promotional Meeting for Entrepreneurial Activities and Skill Development: This Promotional Meeting for Entrepreneurial Activities and Skill Development involved Plan Paraguay, the local representative from the National Ministry of Youth and members of Centro Tajy. The goal was to invite youth from San Estanislao and the surrounding communities to inquire about the skills needed in their communities to fill gaps in the demand and to provide them with a questionnaire of courses that could be provided by the Ministry of Education. My role was to talk about the need for youth to create business instead of leaving the city and/or country to find jobs and to promote my Construye Tus Sueňos course.

11.  Waste/Recycling Awareness Campaign: I ignited the idea for the waste/recycling awareness campaign, “Nuestra Tierra Guaraní No Es Basurero,” or “Our Guaraní Land is Not a Trashcan,” with the local youth group I work with, Rotaract, a subsidiary of Rotary International for 18 to 30-year-olds. It began with an Asunción-based NGO, Ita Enramada, coming to speak about the importance of minding our environment and the tragic impact that the lack of information or recycling programs has had on it. The culmination of the campaign was two-fold. First, we held a competition between the high-schools to design a trashcan to be installed in a popular community park with a message about proper waste disposal or caring for our environment. Second, of the seven local high-schools competing, each was assigned a material from plastic to rubber to cloth, etcetera, to design saleable recycled crafts at a “Feria de Tesoros Reciclados;” r a public street fair. Overall, this campaign spawned some of the greatest creativity and innovation I have never seen from the youth of San Estanislao.

12.  KUAT Article, “Nuestra Tierra Guaraní no es Basurero: The Wrapper that Unfolded a Campaign:” I wrote an article about the Waste/recycling awareness campaign that was published in the 2014 issue of Peace Corps Paraguay’s newsletter, KUAT: http://brienne.yolasite.com/recycling-campaign-peace-corps-paraguay.php

13.  Paraguay Emprende National Taller: I attended the workshop, which was the culmination of my “Construye Tus Sueňos” or “Build Your Dreams” entrepreneurial class, with two students. One of my students won the seed-funding money after presenting her business plan at the national workshop and another of my students led the participants in a presentation of Elevator Speeches.

14.     Community Study: I have been working to write, design and publish a dynamic Community Study that includes an introduction about San Estanislao, including significant moments and perspectives I’ve experienced and heard within the community, the survey questions and anonymous interviews I’ve recorded with locals. It can be found here: http://brienne.yolasite.com/estudio-de-la-comunidad-san-estanislao.php