Empowering Poor, Rural Girls in Paraguay

 This picture depicts the typical conditions of the roads in the region of the school. After a recent storm, the already delicate roads heading out to the school and the hotel were further damaged and became simply inaccessible. As in many rural parts of Paraguay, the roads are not well maintained by the government. Most citizens accept this as their lot in life, but not the young women at the Mbaracayu Girls School. The girls from the school were highly motivated and worked hard to improve the conditions of the road. Not only do these entrepreneurial young women demonstrate how much they care about their school, but they continue to amaze everyone with how much they give to the community at large.

Today is a Paraguayan holiday called “Heroes’ Day”, which memorializes those who have died for the country, especially in the Triple Alliance War in 1870, which pitted the combined forces of Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay against Paraguay. After witnessing his army severely weakened, and moments before his death, Paraguay's leader, Marshal Francisco Solano Lopez proclaimed, "I die with my country!" This day honors heroes who have fought for freedom.

We continue to fight for freedom from the chains of poverty for our girls, by offering them an otherwise out-of-reach education, and leveling the playing field for the often overlooked, poor, rural girls of Paraguay. Thank you for being a HERO to these young women and for your continued support!

Micaela Macan is a spirited poet from a town about 5 hours away from the school. She writes poetry to process the world as she sees it and as an outlet for her feelings. She is from a single parent household, and her mother works long hours cleaning at a local company. She has an 11 year old brother, and suffered the tragic loss of a younger brother due to a venomous snake bite. Micaela is entering her junior year in the school. She remarks that the local school options from her town are limited, and she is grateful to pursue a high quality education. She hopes to go to university one day to study agronomy.

SHARE THE LOVE!  You can help Micaela and others like her complete their high school education and pursue their dreams of going on to university. Please consider making a donation to the Mbaracayú Educational Center as a gift this Valentine’s Day through GlobalGiving. Enjoy a sample of Micaela’s poetry below. Happy Valentine's Day!

TE AMO                                                                                    I LOVE YOU

Si te amo no es                                                                         If I love you it’s not

Porque te lo digo,                                                                       Because I tell you,

Es porque                                                                                 It is because

Me lo dicen.                                                                              They tell me.

Desde el primer instante                                                             From the first moment

En que te he visto                                                                      That I saw you

Me enamore de ti.                                                                      I fell in love with you

Para mi SOS                                                                             You ARE

La primavera porque                                                                   Spring because

Después que te encontré                                                            After meeting you

Mi vida floreció.                                                                         My life blossomed.

Te amo y por                                                                             I love you and

Siempre te amaré.                                                                     I will always love you.               

Alaide Micaela Macan                                                             Alaide Micaela Macan              

During her time at Mbaracayú, recent graduate Silvani Gimenez’s love for orchids prompted her to develop, oversee, and care for the school’s beautiful display of orchid species found in the Mbaracayú forest. She led an expedition of classmates into the forest and discovered 5 new species of orchids to add to the 26 already documented ones. Her work will be published in the 2012 guide to orchids native to the Mbaracayú forest. Silvani and the other students involved in the study and care of the forest's orchids work closely with Fundación Bertoni in the area of research and conservation.

Silvani comes from a family of eight siblings. Her oldest 4 brothers never had an opportunity to study, while one of her younger sisters, Venancia Gimenez, is a student at Mbaracayu’s Girls School, following in Silvani’s footsteps. Silvani hopes to begin her university studies in February, 2012.

The Aché people are traditional hunter-gatherers indigenous to the Atlantic coastal forests of eastern Paraguay, primarily in the Mbaracayú region. The Aché population is approximately 1600 people. They have had an uphill battle against human rights violations, land rights violations, and extreme poverty.

The school is fortunate to serve several students from the Aché community, and for the students to share their culture with their peers.  Among our recent graduates, there are seven young Aché women, most are the first ever to finish high school in their families. All seven of them hope to go on to university. They are: Marisa Tykuarangui, Raquel Eiragui, Pablina Myvangi, Rufina Tatugi, Adriana Yapegui, Eulalia Piragui, Yolanda Yacuchangui. The last three are young mothers who made great sacrifices in order to offer their children a better life.

The two young women featured in this photo are Raquel Eiragi, whose brother graduated recently from an affiliated school with an emphasis on agriculture, and Marisa Tykuarangi, who is the first in her family to graduate high school. They worked together on a project that values Aché artisan works, and were chosen by their community to spearhead an Aché artisan cooperative. During their time at the school they have become recognized leaders in the community. Through their initiative, they and other young people in the community have learned from their elders how to create traditional artisan works. They play a crucial role in conserving and valuing Aché cultural traditions, all the while creating income opportunities for their community.

You have the opportunity to support other young women like them in their academic endeavors so that they can be better positioned to support themselves and their families and be empowered as advocates for the community and its traditions. Please consider a recurring monthly donation, or giving a donation to this project as a gift or in honor of someone. Thank you for your continued support!