Paraguay 2014, Day 4 – Rain, Roads, and Red Tape

Today took an unexpected turn when the torrential rain, which started last night, continued for most of the day. The plan was to meet at Hannah’s house at 7:30am, but the rain changed these plans. Hannah contacted all of the host parents and told them that we would be picked up by the vans. There were streams running down each side of the road and some mini waterfalls coming from the higher land. We made our way up the hills to Monte Alto where we met up with the other vans and went to a house used by a local women’s committee, Kuña Rory, who wanted to prepare a meal for us. The government works by people in the little towns forming committees and asking the government for support. In order to receive the support, the women need to fill out forms and go through many loopholes. The first success that this committee achieved was getting cows for all of their families. The women served us lunch, which included rice, beans, chicken, and sopa paraguaya.

After lunch we had an ice breaking activity in which we had to pass a ring down the line using pens that were in our mouths. After this activity the women taught us about the medicinal plants in Paraguay. Most of the plants are used to help stomachaches. After the plant display the
women taught us how to make chipa. We were able to form the chipa into different shapes before it went into the oven. Kai Lin made a snail out of his chipa.

Although today did not go as planned, it was interesting to see how the food was prepared and how some of the plants were used for medicinal purposes. It amazes me how much the rain can affect a day in Paraguay. If it rains, school is canceled and hardly anyone is outside their houses. The roads are a huge part of the rain being able to play such a big role in people’s lives. The roads are dirt and get destroyed when it rains. When it rains the bus does not come and the teachers who live outside the town are unable to make the trek into the town. Although this area is not affected by flooding, the lives of people are certainly affected by the rain.

I also found it interesting to see how the government functions. The work of the federal government is not very visible in the town. Everything that comes from the government comes from the committees in each of the towns. The members of the committees work among themselves to find out what is needed most and prioritize their needs. Once they know what they want, they go through the “red tape” in order to accomplish their goal. I have become more flexible because there is no other option. This experience is different from what I expected because I did not expect this much rain and Bryan W. said that this is rare. I did not expect to have to keep changing the plans and not having to wear sunscreen.

Robert, 16, Bethesda Chevy Chase High School