Relocation Project

The municipality plans to consolidate neighborhoods in which a low standard of living exists. PPP had been in contact with the mayor of Asuncion with the hopes to develop a relationship to create a partnership to relocate the PPP sponsored families. After evaluation of the municipality's relocation plan, housing blueprints, area of relocation, and financial concerns, PPP decided to research and develop its own relocation plan. PPP's main concerns with the municipality's project are that the homes were too small to accommodate some of the large families and the relocation property is already very congested with existing marginal homes.

In August of 1997 a former Habitat for Humanity worker suggested PPP contact Habitat for Humanity International. PPP discovered the international program had a representative already in Paraguay securing in-country approval. During the fall and winter months PPP and Habitat for Humanity discussed at length the possibilities of a partnership. In May 1998 PPP was successful in developing the partnership with Habitat for Humanity International. Now the wheels are in motion to begin the next stage of the PPP relocation and housing plan.

PPP is researching land possibilities in Puerto Pabla, Lambare, which is a suburb of Asuncion. This community offers job opportunities for our families while at the same time is close to Asuncion for parents who have existing jobs in Asuncion. This property will offer the families a larger parcel of land for their house while removing themselves and their children from the negative atmosphere of the dangerous and cramped slums they were living.

The structured community for our sponsored families will include:

All of this construction will be done in phases with the building of the homes being the top priority. Now with the habitat involvement PPP will be able to build a home for $3,500 instead of the previous estimate of $10,000!

PPP staff are extremely excited about the opportunities this partnership offers to our families. If there ever was a time that we need your generosity it Is now.

We Need:

As of July we have $40,000.

I would like to donate to the Relcation Fund.

I would like to volunteer to help build houses. 

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Habitat for Humanity

Habitat for Humanity is an ecumenical Christian non-profit organization. We are located in over 54 countries around the world and in the past 20 years have built over 60,000 homes for more than 300,000 people. Now we are in Paraguay. We have recently established ourselves as a non-profit here and are looking to begin the building of the first houses January. As Sheri Bitzan, director of The Project for the People of Paraguay (PPP), and I began to talk about PPP's goals and the goals of Habitat for Humanity in Paraguay, we started to realize that many of them coincide. What we hope to do is to begin building in January of 1999 with several PPP sponsored families from either the Puerto Pabla or Chacarita areas.

Habitat has a selection process, which all the families must pass to be accepted in the program. This process tries to find the families with the greatest need for an adequate house, and at the same time able to make the monthly payments without taking away from their family income for food, school, etc. Therefore, as with all other families who apply to Habitat, the PPP sponsored families must also pass through this process. In the case that some families are rejected or, more likely, postponed to the next group, PPP would take on those families under their own program. Habitat will provide all the plans and advise as necessary so that these families too will have a new house.

The houses are built by the families in groups of between 3 to 5 families and the materials, plans, any technical advice and payment plan are provided by Habitat. Once they have finished building the houses for all the families in the group, the families begin making the monthly payment of $25 for a period of 25 years. These payments enter into the Fund for Humanity, which uses them to build more houses.

Habitat for Humanity looks forward to working in partnership with PPP to reach more families in Asuncion that do not have a decent place to rest their heads.

Peace and many smiles Paz y muchas sonrisas, Evan Covington, Habitat for Humanity International

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Volunteer Update

PPP Volunteer Deb Anderson:

Flexibility, the ability to "go with the flow", and a love for children are traits I was glad to have in my possession as I traveled to Asuncion, Paraguay as a PPP volunteer in May. I joined Sheri Bitzan, PPP director, on one of her many visits to the country and learned just how difficult as well as rewarding work for the People for the Project of Paraguay can be. We each had several goals for the trip. Sheri wanted to look at land for the relocation project, meet with Habitat for Humanity staff in Asuncion, work with the shoe distribution, receive a shipment of beauty equipment and supplies and set up a beauty salon for the women trained last year. Amazingly, in the 13 days we spent in Paraguay she was able to accomplish most of those goals! My agenda was a bit different. My husband and I and our two children plan to move to Paraguay with the next couple of years to become long term volunteers with PPP and missionaries with a mission organization. So I came with a desire to visit schools within the city and to generally get reacquainted with the city. I am pleased to report that I was able to accomplish many of my goals as well.

Lest you get the idea that Sheri and I breezed into town, accomplished our goals and left, let me tell you a few stories about our time in Asuncion. On Saturday shortly after our arrival, we walked down to the neighborhood by the river where the sponsored children and their families live. I had visited the area two years ago and was impressed with the impact PPP had made on the lives on so many. As we entered the neighborhood this time I was speechless as I saw the ravages of recent flooding. Several homes were under water and many others were under the threat of being lost to the rain-swelled river. I have no words to describe the pain I felt for those families-already the poorest of the poor, now without a dry place to call their own.

Another situation that tugged at my heart actually ended up quite well. A young mother with four sponsored children came to the PPP office asking for help. This beautiful woman was filled with sorrow and shame as she told of her husband beating her and their children. She was forced to leave all but her youngest with relatives whom, she had learned were also beating the children. I felt compassion for this woman but also anger at her situation and a government that does not protect women and children. Gladly however, Sheri and Chita (PPP director in Asuncion) were able to meet with two women counselors and they spoke with the young mother. As the days went by it became evident that she and her husband did love one another and in the end agreed to seek professional counseling for the sake of their marriage and their children.

Once again on the upside, I was fortunate enough to visit two facilities that are doing wonderful work with the street children and young boys in trouble with the law. These two programs give children a second chance at living a quality life. There is so much good happening in Asuncion but there is so much bad to overcome. PPP is doing an outstanding job in spite of many obstacles and frustrations. They are helping to empower the poor, one child at a time.

PPP Volunteer Ted Eiferman:

My wife Carol's birthday gift came to me early this year and even though I had to pay for it myself and it involved a lot of hard work, I thought it was the best gift I ever received. My gift was eight days to spend as a volunteer for PPP in Paraguay. Due to my experience in professional video production and my access to production equipment, my task was to produce a video documentary/fund raising tape for PPP.

I spent a month before the trip checking out my equipment, much of which I had never used before, to see what set up would be appropriate for the job. I was to be traveling to another country with different electrical standards than my equipment needed and was to be constantly on the move from place to place. This would have been a difficult assignment for even a crew of four. I was to be everything: producer, director, cameraperson and sound person all wrapped in one.

In Paraguay I had the time of my life. I got to practice my awful Spanish, to see some more of the country that I didn't see when I was there four years ago and have dinner with an old friend. Most importantly though, I met some of the most wonderful people.

First there were the other Project volunteers, from the U.S. and from Paraguay, committed hard working and enjoying life. Then there were the people. When in Paraguay before Carol and I described the impoverished people we saw as "poor in money, but not poor in spirit." We were correct. I saw dignified and caring individuals and families working to make the most out of what they had, to give to their children the very best they could in life. These were just good honest people.

Then there were the children. Just like any of the kids I taught in school and even my own kids, they are fun loving, inquisitive and very warm. I had the distinct privilege of taking Charlie, the seven year old boy we sponsor, his sister, his 12 year old uncle and three of his friends to a place they had never been, McDonalds. We had to walk about 5 blocks to catch a cab since the taxis don't go to the Chacarita. Then all seven of us piled in for the ride. After enjoying the "play place" for a while in a very orderly manner I told the kids to order what ever they would like to eat. They each got a hamburger, fries and a coke. While eating they asked about the display hanging above their heads. They had never seen a "Happy Meal" before. When I asked if they wanted more, they all pointed to the "Happy Meal" in unison, and that's what they got, along with an ice cream sundae. After a number of long trips to the bathroom, some good conversation and more play, we caught another cab back to the Chacarita.

I felt very bad leaving these children I had gotten to know, in a two room corrugated tin and plywood shack with dirt floors and no sanitary facilities. I wanted to take them all home with me. What helped a little was knowing that this wouldn't be forever. My work, the work of the other volunteers, and donations from other good people, would soon combine to build them a real home, with real floors, bedrooms, a kitchen and indoor plumbing. It helped to know that in the mean time the children were going to school, getting the health care they needed, and would be able to rise above their poverty with jobs that would allow them to support families for their own.

Upon getting back to the States, another phase of my work began, writing the script and assembling over 200 different video clips and sound bites into a coherent program. If you get an opportunity to see it, I hope you like the result.

Thank you, all who sponsor children and who make donations to PPP. You are truly giving directly to those who need your help and to those who can do the most with what you give.

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Child Protection Update

PPP continues to locate other non profit organizations in the surrounding area of Asuncion to help with a few of our sponsored children who come from dysfunctional families. One of those organizations is The Institute Del Manana, which offers housing and schooling as well as technical training in a variety of trades for young boys who have gotten in to trouble with the law. PPP has also developed a working relationship with Kuna Aty, a professional and legal service organization designed to meet the needs of women and children in Asuncion. Look for details about this organization in upcoming newsletters. See the following article about yet another organization PPP is partnering with to meet the needs of individual children. PPP also works with an attorney, social worker and the judge of minors to find a remedy to some of the devastating problems that some of the children are experiencing. PPP has on staff a part time psychologist whose job is to daily be in contact with the problem families. PPP currently has 5 children living in institutions where for the first time in their young lives they have a loving and structured environment.

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"El Abrigo"

"El Abrigo", translated "The House of Shelter and Care", is a wonderful facility operated by a group of Mennonites in Asuncion, Paraguay. The shelter is designed for street kids and provides a loving, predictable atmosphere in which young children thrive. Street kids are defined by El Abrigo as those children who have a family but who spend the majority of their time on the streets, away from that family. Three children from the Chacarita (poor neighborhood), who are sponsored by families in the U.S. have been placed at El Abrigo due to their very difficult family situations. These children have, in a very short time, gone from living in physically and emotionally unhealthy environments to daily exposure in a clean, loving environment rich with the sound of childrens' laughter.

El Abrigo houses boys and girls ages 6-13 in clean, well kept rooms equipped with showers, toilets, bunk beds and desks for studying. The staff at the shelter use a point system with the children to motivate appropriate behavior.

Points are given for cleanliness, cooperation with others, following rules and acceptable behavior. This system seems to work well for the children because they know what is expected of them. Consequences for compliance are rewards such as a field trip, video, time with friends, etc. Each child attends a nearby national school and is given any needed help with schoolwork in a structured setting after school hours at the shelter. The dream of the administration and staff at El Abrigo is to build a school on the existing grounds.

The three children mentioned earlier are doing very well at the shelter. They each have a new home, new friends and adults in their lives that love and respect them. El Abrigo, The House of Shelter and Care is a blessing to the community of Asuncion.

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Dental Program Update

The PPP dentist, Felipe Cespedes, has done an exceptional job organizing and implementing the dental program. To date Felipe has examined and started working on each child's dental needs. Many of the children have serious dental health problems because of poor oral hygiene, lack of available dental care and poor diet when they were very young. All this adds up to each child needing several visits to the PPP dental office.

Last August 1997, volunteer and sponsor Mary Hoffman from Madison WI, worked in the PPP dental office and assisted Dr. Cespedes. Mary had the opportunity to meet her sponsored child and assisted with some extensive dental work on her. Mary worked from morning until evening cleaning and applying sealant to approximately 50 children.

Unfortunately, before the dental program was completed, Dr. Cespedes was injured in a motorcycle accident. His left elbow was severely fractured which has left him unable to perform any dental procedures until early next year. Dr. Cespedes is working hard to locate another volunteer dental student to fill his shoes during his absence.

PPP always welcomes volunteer dental personnel to assist with our dental program. If interested please contact the PPP office. The next scheduled trip to Paraguay is September 3-15. Lodging is available at the PPP office complex.

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Another Shipment???

Yes, PPP is doing another shipment!!! PPP started receiving calls from individual donors asking if we needed clothing, medical supplies, etc. We just could not turn these wonderful donations down so PPP shipment volunteer coordinator, George Herda, has started to organize the program. A very special thanks to George and his volunteers for the many hours of hauling and packing the several tons of donated materials PPP receives.

PPP is using the opportunity of this shipment to begin collecting donated materials to assist with the building project. PPP wish list includes:

PPP needs all the donated materials at the warehouse by August 15 to pack and inventory.

Anyone that would like to volunteer at the warehouse please contact George Herda at (320) 845-4331

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Sewing Project

The sewing project continues to progress. This year the 13 mothers sewed the school uniforms for every school age sponsored child. When not sewing for their children the mothers continue the sewing classes under the direction of Anna Garcete Marales. This past May, Sheri Bitzan, PPP director,made a contact with a large clothing factory in downtown Asuncion. The owner of the factory, Anna Fadlala, was impressed with women from the sewing project and is taking their applications for jobs. This job opportunity provides ongoing sewing instructions.

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PPP Beauty Salon

During the past year 3 young women have attended the beauty academy in Asuncion. Maria del Carmen Arce, daughter of PPP Paraguay director, Maria Antonia Castillo, has graduated with honors form the academy in March 1998.

PPP will be opening INTER COIFFURE SHERI August 1,1998. The salon will be a full service salon located in downtown Asuncion. Carmen will be the manager of the salon and will supervise other young women who attend and graduate for the beauty academy. The beauty salon was developed to offer job opportunities for PPP sponsored women and also to generate funds for the job training/placement program.