Sometimes as citizens of the U.S., we understand that there is a deep amount of poverty found throughout the world, especially in what we may refer to as developing nations or the now more politically correct, the Global South. As I venture through my Peace Corps service to live in one of the poorest countries in South America according to GDP (Gross Development Product), I learn more about how poverty affects people throughout the country and how the U.S. defines poverty in comparison to the poverty within that nation. With this said, I will go into my refurbished view of countries that are transitioning from subsistence based living into a capitalist economy and how this effects them and my role in development work.
This past week our Environmental Education group of 12 was split into 3 different groups because we were going on our weeklong Longfield Practice. In this practice, three different volunteer sites were chosen that we could stay in to know another area with different ways of living, and how to work in the schools in another area. As our groups we re predetermined by our tech teacher, I learned that I would be going to the most campo (country/rural) site, where there were no stores, and the closest high school was a 45 minute walk away, and very few families in the town. There were only 2 other trainees in my group because there were not enough families for us to stay with if more people came. I also found out that this town, for the most part, does not have running water and exotic fruits and vegetables are nonexistent except what you have your own garden.
After an hour drive on a paved road, then 30 more minutes on a bumpy dirt road from the nearest pueblo, we had arrived in Tapytangua Guasu. As I arrived at the house I would be staying at, I quickly realized that my family barely spoke Spanish, but always spoke in Guarani. They inhabit a large piece of land with A LOT of cows, ducks, roosters, chickens, pigs, 2 dogs, a cat, many frogs, a variety of tropical fruit trees, and a large garden. Needless to say, they produce most things in their home, creating what North Americans would call a Permaculture home. I basically drank milk straight from their cow everyday in my Cocido (a traditional warm drink of yerba mate, burned sugar, and milk), fresh cheese, acerola jelly, miel negra (made from sugar cane), used a latrine and bucket bathed. Since latrines and the showers don’t have running water, they are outside away from the house and very out in the open, so you feel all wind and if people walk by, they can see all…Needless to say, an interesting experience, nice in the heat, horrid in the rain and cold. With the luck we have, as soon as we arrived in this site, it began down pouring rain with lots of wind everyday. The thing about rain here is that well, everything gets shut down, especially schools. So, basically, environmental education is put at a stand still as it rains. The first day it was sunny so we were walking to a school about 45 minutes away and about 35 minutes into our walk, the weather changed and we were caught in the storm, me in my vans, best shoes ever. After hiding out in a random house for half the day due to the severity of the rain, we walked back through rives and lots of mud…My shoes have done it all and I am proud to say they have 4x4. I really think vans should sponsor me during my Peace Corps service….haha. I wish…
So beyond this, I had a 16-year-old sister and 17 year old brother here who both went to high school. The difference between a high school student here, and basically one anywhere else, is that these kids walked an hour each way to school everyday to begin class at 7am, so they left the house at 6am. When they came home, they didn’t come to play video games or watch TV, they helped around the house to help cook, clean, or take the cows to graze. A different lifestyle. The way to cook was in an outdoor kitchen with a fire on the ground. The blender goes by turning it, no electricity required. There is literally no trash whatsoever in this area because the little that does come that is packaged is re-used throughout the house in a variety of ways from a roller pin from a glass soda bottle for rolling dough, to plastic soda bottles or old boxes to be used for growing trees or plants. Something really clicked in my mind as I saw how this subsistence family had to integrate into a capitalist system. While many kids aspire to go to college in the U.S. despite your socioeconomic status due to help from the government in the form of loans or scholarships, in Paraguay, this is not the case. My sister and brother really wanted to go to college to continue studying, but my host parents both supporting this decision also were stuck because they barely had money in their living situation, let alone the high cost to send their kids to live in a city for school. This in itself to me represented the struggle in many developing nations in how families in the transition of these different types of economic situations may struggle in many ways if they wish to pursue education. Maybe this is why it is that only about 5% of Paraguayans actually go to college, and most likely a significantly lower portion actually graduates. This realization really struck me hard as I understood the privilege we have in the U.S. and the dualities and hardships that these people face on a daily basis to survive with little to no help from the government. On a brighter note, this week gave me more of a context and understanding of the different ways people live in various regions throughout Paraguay.
This Wednesday, I receive my site assignment for the next 2 yearsssss!!!!
Oh...and I will add my pics soon, once I get the tools to do this...
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