Huerta Escolar
For the past two years I’ve been working with my school contact, Profe Vilma, to teach a gardening class. My first year I was assisting, this year I was the Profe.
Ahecha National Competition
I had so much fun teaching Ahecha last year that I wanted to do again. This time I had five students. It was just like last time, teaching the basics of camera usage, but most importantly trying to get them to see the world a little bit differently.
Paraguay Verde V
Last month we had our big environmental summer camp where we, through a variety of means, try to inspire youth to be more conscientious about the environment. This was my second time, but it was a whole different experience as it was my G’s turn to run it. Everyone had their part and I decided to help the media team with documenting the camp. I also brought along my youth contact Nery, whom I shadowed to film his experience.
Wild Things
One of my new volunteer cohorts, Nick Gengler, works in wildlife monitoring, and brought some specialized cameras to Paraguay to study the local biodiversity. After visiting my site during PCT he proposed bringing out his cameras to Capilla Cué for a test run.
Ahecha In Capilla Cué
For the past three months I’ve been working with six students, teaching them what I can about photography.
Photo by Araceli Torres González
Inspiring Through Art
Incorporating art into my English class
Adding some artistic flair to a task can make work into something fun, and help you get things done.
Friendly Fires
Back in Colorado fire is seen as a destructive force, one that wrecks havoc on the landscape every year. At home its use was limited to campfires, barbecues and birthday candles. But here in Paraguay its an integral part of the culture.
Ahecha, I See
I’ve not been posting consistently in the past few months because a lot of my attention has been diverted into something else. After getting into photography I realized that it can significantly change the way you perceive the world, and it’s something that I want to share with others.
Planting Trees
Every few months all the environmental volunteers meet up to get additional training. José, my youth contact, came with me to a Peace Corps Project Design Management meeting in Atyra.
Semana Santa
Holy Week is a time when many Paraguayans come together to celebrate. If you take a stroll along Pirebebuy’s streets after dark you’ll encounter a procession of priests, choir members, and youth role-playing biblical stories complete with torches and crucifixions.
Simple Things
The autonomy we have, combined with worries that are so unlike those back in the states.. things that I hardly noticed before really stand out here. These are some of the creatures that I encounter daily –minus the chickens.
On Assignment
Christmas Eve in Paraguay is a night filled with smoke and flames. Every kid on the block has a stockpile of firecrackers, roman candles, and sparklers to set off at midnight, and the whole show repeats a week later on New Years Eve..