I can't believe I leave in two weeks! I have been pulling stuff together for a while now, but it still doesn't seem quite real. Really, I'm avoiding the whole countdown thing though, trying to enjoy the time I have here at home. :) I'm very excited to begin this adventure, but also scared to leave my family and friends for so long. Ahhh so conflicting.
Here I've answered some frequently asked questions about my Peace Corps service and visiting and such. Check it out and if there's anything else in particular you're wondering about, just let me know! My new address in Paraguay is below as well (hint, hint.)
How long will you be in Paraguay?
My Peace Corps commitment in Paraguay is for three months of training and then two years of service. Altogether it’s 27 months. However, we do get two vacation days for every month served. While I am sure that I will use some of these days to travel in and around Paraguay, I am also planning on coming home to Michigan for a visit sometime in the middle of my two years.
Can I come visit?
YES! I would love to have you visit. Peace Corps does give us some restrictions as to when we can have visitors, mostly to ensure that we are well acclimated into our communities before we bring our friends and families in as well. This means that I can’t travel/have visitors for the first six months of service (December 2009 – May 2010) or for the last three months of service (September – December 2011). Anytime in between there would be fantastic!!
Where will you be living?
While I’m in training for the first three months, I will be living with a host family in the town of Guarambaré. It’s about an hour outside the capital of Asuncion. After that, I will move to my own site. Where exactly will that be, I hear you ask? The truth is, I have no idea at this point. I will visit there for about a week before I actually move however, so don’t worry that I’ll be walking in blindly. Based on my assignment as a Crop Extension Volunteer, I will most likely be living in a small village in a rural area. Most likely I’ll have some electricity, but I probably will have a shared well for water. Usually there is another Peace Corps Volunteer living within an hour’s travel distance.
How will you communicate with people back home?
I know that around the capital, Internet will be available in cafes and such, so I’m looking forward to Skyping and keeping up my blog on periodic visits. At this point, I really have no idea about the availability of Internet once I’m in site – it’ll depend on where I am. On the other hand, I’m sure I’ll be able to call home with calling cards from wherever I am in the country. Peace Corps Paraguay also provides us with cell phones and plans so that we can call the office, other Peace Corps Volunteers, and anyone else in country. I can also receive international calls on my cell phone, although that may be pretty expensive for you guys. Anyway, I’ll let you know the phone number when I get it.
The best way to keep in touch will be snail mail. Yep, real letters! It is best to send them airmail, which should take about 2-3 weeks, as opposed to ground mail, which can take months. Although the Paraguay mail service is considered relatively reliable for a developing country, it is still estimated that only about 80% of letters make it to their intended destinations. So if I haven’t responded, it’s most likely because I didn’t receive the letter. But please, don’t let this deter you! I promise to respond to all correspondence sent my way. J One method of keeping track of letters is to number them. This way, you know if one has gotten lost if it’s missing out of the sequence.
My address is:
Amanda Baranowski, PCT*
Cuerpo de Paz
162 Chaco Boreal c/Mcal. López
Asunción 1580, Paraguay
South America
*PCT stands for Peace Corps Trainee. At the end of my three months of training, (around December 11, 2009) I will “swear in” and become a full-fledged Peace Corps Volunteer, which is abbreviated as PCV.
What are you planning on doing after Peace Corps?
To be honest, I don’t know at this point. I am going to try and focus on the experience at hand, and see where life takes me. I will be back in the United States in a few short years. Heck, who knows? Maybe they’ll be some jobs around by then (kidding!...but serious). So please, give me some time to live in the present and I’ll try to do the same for you.
What will you be doing?
I will be a Crop Extension Volunteer. As far as I know, this means that I will be working with small-scale farmers, most of whom only own about 5 to 10 acres of land. My job description is “to assist farmers in implementing new agricultural practices related to vegetable production, soil conservation, pest management, small animal husbandry, and the marketing of new products.” The goal is to increase farm productivity and crop diversification while ensuring sustained food crop availability for families.
Soy is the largest Paraguayan expert, but reliance on this one crop can have terrible effects when the world price drops. If farmers cannot sell their crop for a reasonable amount of money, they do not have means of feeding their families, in part because soy is a cash crop, not a food crop, in Paraguay. This is how sustainable farming becomes a food security issue, in addition to a social, political, and environmental issue. I will be learning a lot about different farming methods during training so that I can become a mini-expert myself, before I go educate others about them.
This doesn’t mean that I’m limited to working in the agriculture sector, however. Peace Corps encourages us to get involved in other projects, based on what’s most beneficial for the community. For example, I may teach an English class, join or start a Women’s Club, or organize a summer camp for kids. The possibilities are endless!
