LearnServe Paraguay 2016 – They All Have Each Others’ Backs

My experience here in Paraguay has been enjoyable, though it is not my first time out of the country. This tip is a great opportunity to go and learn about a country different from my own, and I think it’s a once in a lifetime experience. If this chance comes to you, you should take advantage of it.

What stood out to me most in Paraguay has been the trash everywhere. I have seen trash in the U.S., but in Paraguay, the problem is on a whole different level. When I saw the trash in the river that flows through the center of Paraguay, I thought about the pollution and the impact on the health of the people that live nearby. When I thought of the pollution, I thought about fish and the animals that depend on a clean river. Health-wise, the smell and pollution in the air is not good to inhale all day, every day without a mask. The rivers are not the only places affected by the trash. There is also trash on the sides of the roads. The housing has also been a huge problem. They have had so much flooding. The floods were so bad that most of the poor people who live near the river had to move into a wooden and even cardboard houses they constructed in nearby parks, play areas, and some streets. One area of the flood zone was so bad that it made the river look like a lake of sunken houses.

What’s surprised me is that after those disasters some of the families are strong enough to go back to their old houses and repair the damages. For me, this is a reminder that you always need people to help you to succeed in life. What I’ve noticed here is that they all have each other’s back. Everyone in the community knows each other and comes together. They work together and help each other like a family.

Jasmin F., E L Haynes Public Charter School