It's hard for me not to compare Paraguay to the Dominican Republic or Argentina, where I have spent a majority of my time abroad. My first impression of Paraguay was that it was a run-down version of a small town in Argentina, maybe Cordoba. As I have walked through the streets of the Banado (the neighborhood where I will be working), I have lamented the absence of some things that I really enjoyed in the DR (motoconchos, jugos naturales, loud bachata and merengue playing and people laughing) while also commenting on the things that are different and would have made life infinitely different for me if I had them in the DR (24 hour water and electricity, a community based organization that is dedicated and truly interested in my work, dulce de leche).
But it's not fair for me to compare this experience to my others. It is a different country, with it's own culture and history. I will also be here a short time with a very specific purpose: to conduct research, which is an experience I did not have in Argentina or the DR and will probably influence my perspective on PY. For those of you interested, I am in Paraguay because a professor of mine has worked here for the past 5 years helping to develop an MPH program (the first in the country). She has an amazing amount of contacts and at one point met a priest who runs a youth development organization in a marginalized neighborhood on the outskirts of town. The previous two years Emory students have gone down to that neighborhood to do research, and this year another public health student, Vanessa, and I have come down to do our own research. I will be implementing and evaluating a pregnancy prevention program which targets mothers of teenagers and gives them skills so they can talk to their children about sex and pregnancy prevention. The program itself is short, and most of my time will be spent administering surveys and conducting focus groups regarding the program and the idea of parent-teen communication.
Vanessa and I will be living in the neighborhood (the Banado) during the week and spending our weekends in Asuncion in dorms that are on the property of the Paraguayan National Institute of Health. This will give us a break from the Banado and allow us to reflect on our experience and work on our projects. Last week, we went out the the Banado and stayed for three days. I had gone out preparing to just visit people, chat, and wander arond (in PCVDR talk, "compartir"). I was not prepared for what actually happened: the day we arrived the administration at Mil Solidarios (the youth development organization) was already asking us for our timelines, research summaries, and when we would begin. That was my first clue that I was not in the DR as a Peace Corps Volunteer any more! So we got to work, meeting with different employees of the organization who are in charge of the after school programs, explaining our research and getting feedback on the best way to go about it. After a hectic six weeks in Atlanta, I had expected to come to Paraguay and slowly work my way back into academic thinking and preparation for my project. Those first three days were a bit overwhelming because I realized that I had a lot to do and not a lot of time. But with the support of the Mil Solidarios team, I think I will be able to have a successful project and hopefully be able to contribute to their work.
More to come later on the Banado...
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