July 1, 2016 – Working at the Telecentro community center in the Viñas Cue neighborhood of Asuncion has been eye opening. The 10 students from our group and the youth at the Telecentro all have worked together as we have completed three projects: a mural, painting furniture in their library, and planning a math lesson for third graders at the local elementary school.
From day one, the teenagers at the center said that many outsiders think the worst of their neighborhood. The local youth want to change that. The message about the neighborhood that you often hear is that there is a lot of poverty. Walking around the neighborhood, you do see trash all over the ground as well as houses made only of plywood with a metal roof. Viñas Cue is actually a really nice neighborhood and community, however, even though they have struggled with the flooding and many other problems. Everyone in that community comes together, they are very friendly. It’s like a big family. The neighborhood’s bad reputation is often based on a lack of knowledge. There are a lot of hard working people trying to make the community better with the little that they have.
For the mural, we we asked these youth what they wanted the mural to represent. We also threw in our own ideas on what could be on the mural. Everyone sketched their ideas, and ultimately we all put a little bit of everyone’s ideas into the mural. For the mural we decided to have the Paraguay flag holding hands with the United States flag. Also, there is a dove that represents peace. There is a quote that says “Todo lo que has querido esta al otro lado de miedo,” which means everything you’ve been searching for is at the other side of fear.
It’s been challenging for me to accept the conditions the people live in. It’s hard knowing what reaction you should have – what’s the right reaction. I didn’t see all of this poverty coming. You don’t expect to see a three-month-old baby living in a plywood house, and you wouldn’t expect seeing people wash their heads out with water hoses in the street. It’s unbelievable. The first day we explored Paraguay, I was hurt, not just because of people’s living conditions, but because I realize I ask for so much I don’t need. Seeing others be in so much need makes me appreciate every little thing. There really are others with much more urgent needs.
Jennyfer L., Wheaton High School