Hoy es Diá de Practica numero tres

Today is Dia de Practica number 3. We have 5. During these days, we are meant to go out in Itá and talk with people and possibly work on a small project with someone in the community as a way to practice what our days and work will be like in our placements later. Kimberly and I were matched together and we went two weeks ago to talk with the Director of the Technical High School. Today, we meet with him to finalize the charlas (talks) we will give on self esteem (autoestima) and the importance of being a hard worker (importancia del trabajo duro o ser guapo/a) (NB: guapo and guapa here mean "hard working" intead of "cute/goodlooking"--este es muy interesante.)

Because our project was so easy to put together - the director had worked with the Peace Corps women who were in Itá - I went this morning to interview the Secretaria de Mujer (Secretary of Women) at the Municipality in Itá. It was an interesting conversation. The office was opened only 2 years ago and deals will all issues relating to women. She created a women´s interest group and deals with domestic violence problems. She is pretty dynamic. We talked for about 45 minutes and since I´m still only getting about 80% of what anyone says to me, it was even more interesting. Hee hee.

We go tomorrow for one night to a place called San Juan Bautista in the Department of Misiones for our Technical Overnight. We will spend time with the Volunteer who lives there and learn more about Muni work. Not next week, but the week after, we go for 5 days for Long Field Practice. There are two sites for that, the 7 of us are split. We again spend time with a volunteer and learn even more.

On July 28, I find out my site. I´m getting excited and worried at the same time. I remember so clearly that when Becky and I were travelling in Asia, I would not want whatever transport journey we were on to end (like the 20 hour train ride or the 15 hour bus ride) because even though it was exciting to be in a new place, it meant having to walk around finding somewhere to stay and reacclimating all over again. Training is like one of those journeys. It´s been long and will be longer, but at the same time, there´s so many challenges that come with its ending. Leaving my family here, who I´ve grown to really like (and they me, they keep asking if I can be placed in Itá) and leaving the safe little bubble of my cohort, and going somewhere alone and having to figure out the work every day. But, I don´t have as much fear about this than I did about leaving in the first place from the US, so I must be fine. I know wherever I go in Paraguay, I will be able to do good work there, helping people be more in order to help themselves have more.

Here is a list that Jenny and I (the volunteer I went to visit my second or third week) and I made called: What is development work? I share it so you have more idea what I will be doing for these two years and what I want to do in the US when I get home.

--We are here to help people be more, not just to have more. Working on the being more is best. The having more often overshadows and can sometimes undermine the being more.

--Our work is a process. Our work can´t be known before we get somewhere. Our work will be grounded in relationships. Our work, therefore, might not become completely clear for some time, and once we think it has, it might change.

--What does "sustainability" really mean and look like? How do we check for it? We need to engage in constant self-assessment: do our actions create sustainability and independence or dependence on the part of Paraguayans (or whoever we are working with)?

--We should recognize that we will be tempted to "take charge" and have "successful" projects that ultimately lead to more dependence. We should recognize that fostering independence and sustainability is more ardous, more time-consuming, and often less clear (in its outcomes).

--Development work is an inherently long process. Sustainable development cannot be anything but a long process.

--Most of us want to be able to see and touch the results of hard work. Sometimes we just don´t get to....

--We will be uncomfortable. We will engage in action that takes us outside our comfort zones. PC Volunteers need to be willing to engage in real relationships, be wrong and therefore re-assess, admit what we don´t know, and put ourselves in work situations we might not be able to control.

--Our nature as humans is to want answers: the "correct path" is either "one" (black) or the "other" (white). This is our nature because feeling lost makes us uncomfortable and we want to believe we have done good. In development work, we must be prepared to LIVE IN THE GRAY.

--The little things (small changes) need to be enough.

Until next time, Love and missing.