I just returned from 5 busy days surveying the communities that will fall under my responsibility this summer. I am sitting now in the bus station in Asuncion; moments ago I was wearing hat, gloves, and a warm coat - a necessity in 40-degree weather both indoors and out - but I accidentally deleted another draft of this entry and, due to the flush of frustration, I was warm enough to take off my coat and gloves... sigh. How I dislike paying for internet by the minute.
But wait! I should have started this entry with an upper, not a downer. I just had a great 5 days! Survey - the most nerve-wracking week of the summer - is over, and I have four great communities with plenty of projects to keep the volunteers busy all summer.
My route took me northwest of Asuncion, first to the city of Caacupe, which is where the latrine project is based with a governmental body called SENASA. From there, I will be traveling by bus each week to Jhugua Guazu - a 20 minute ride outside of town on rock-paved thoroughfares, followed by a 3-4 km walk down a dirt road lined with fields of sugar cane and bananas. This week I got a ride with one of the SENASA engineers and his family, off-roading through the rough and winding terrain, passing ox-drawn carts and innumerable free-roaming cows and dogs. I noted in my journal that night that it would be interesting to juxtapose the image of the 5 of us tumbling back and forth, hurtling over mounds of eroded dirt in Sr Valbuena's little car, next to that of a giant Hummer driving down the urban paved streets of Chicago.
After a productive afternoon in Jhugua Guazu, I left the following morning for Las Mercedes, walking the 3 km to the thoroughfare, then hopping the bus at 7:30am. One thing about buses in the countryside (besides the fact that they only pass by every 3 hours or so) is that everyone on the bus knows each other and there is always someone on the bus who will know the house or town you might be looking for. When I got on, I asked if the bus would be going to Las Mercedes, got the nod, and paid my fare. As we approached the community, the driver asked which house I would like to be dropped at. Later that day, I took the bus back to Caraguatay to visit the health clinic, and I had the same driver. There was something nice about knowing that all these folks are going to recognize me each week when I get on and off the bus. It makes the whole trek seem so much safer.
After a day-long adventure in visiting health clinics (I also went to another town, San Jose Obrero, which is closer to the other communities), I spend a laid-back evening drinking mate and chatting with the host-brother and his cousin in Las Mercedes. Despite getting eaten alive by mosquitos, and then spending a restless night of sleep tying and re-tying my mosquito netting and scratching all my bites, I felt good the next day heading for Barrio Libertad.
Unfortunately, the host family was gone all day in Asuncion - but this meant I got to spend the morning and part of the afternoon with the family of another one of the SENASA engineers. We drank mate and terere (which is essentially iced mate) all day long, and I chatted with la Senora about the program, my job, Joe, etc. She was a wonderful lady, and insisted that I continue coming over for mate each week, even though they don´t live in the community. We made plans to have breakfast at her house every Thursday morning. Another lovely comfort along my Route each week.
In the last community, I was met by another wonderful strong woman - the head of the host family household. We spent the afternoon talking about her efforts to organize her fellow community members to get a clinic opened in their village. She has worked really hard, called government employees, gotten people together for meetings, and so on - as it stands, the clinic has been constructed, but lacks supplies, equipment, and a doctor. Its been two months since she heard anything from the government, and she cried with frustration telling me about the whole ordeal. I know its not something the volunteers can really help with, but it was amazing to see how sincerely she wants improvement for the health of her community. I think she is going to be a big help to the volunteers with their other little projects.
There was no end to my journaling this week - so many things ocurred to me with regards to community organization, globalization, and other 'big ideas'. Hopefully I'll have time at some point to write something more pointed about it all, but for now the wheels are just turning and turning. I am heading back to the staff house now. Happy fathers day to all, and I hope to write again soon.
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