Lomitos

Speaking of food, one of the most memorable meals was at a lomito shop. Usually made with beef or pork, it is a popular sandwich in South America. Argentina and Chile have their own version as well. Raising cattle is a huge part of the economy, and my taste buds certainly appreciate it.

At this particular shop, we ordered lomitos with a Middle Eastern twist. Maybe it became my favorite because it reminded me of street food in downtown LA, maybe it was because of the superb garlic sauce, or maybe it was because it was the perfect hand-held meal. In any case, I'll definitely be searching for more on my next trip to Paraguay!

Lomito Árabe, the Middle-Eastern inspired version of this popular sandwich

Frying it up!

My favorite coffee shop

My favorite coffee shop was one we found in Curuguaty, which didn't have any signage beyond a friendly 'Bienvenidos'. It wasn't until we were inside admiring the lampshades made of old copper tea kettles and ooh-ing and ahh-ing over the delicious pastries that we realized what we had stumbled upon. 

Beautiful cappucino, empañada, and guava tart

Pizza-inspired empañada

The owner, Graciela, was incredibly friendly. She was asking about where we were from and wanted us to tell everyone what a great place Paraguay is. She let me keep one of the books lining her shelves, which was about Paraguayan folklore. I was delighted, and even more so when I realized that it had sheet music in the back! We stopped in three days in a row, and enjoyed having her breakfast much more than the offerings back at the hotel.

Our group getting caffeinated

Ñanduti

Ñanduti, meaning spiderweb in the Guarani language, is the name of Paraguay's famous lace-craft. It first made an appearance in the late 16th century after the Spaniards introduced it, and made an appearance at just about every little market we stumbled upon.

Working on a new project

Various designs...too bad my suitcase wasn't larger

This shop specialized in ñanduti designs...from tiny earrings, to embroidered shirts, to hats, decorative wall hangings, and more. I love how colorful and intricate each one was! For as many products as were in that shop, there were unique variations in each item and it was so difficult to choose which ones I wanted to buy (or rather, which ones to leave behind)!!

Should I buy it off the mannequin??

Befriending the Potter

During one of our excursion days we wandered in to the shop of a ceramic artist named Gregoria. Her shop is an extension of her family's home, and she invited us behind the scenes to see her workspace.

Gregoria posing with our girls

It was really special to be able to not only see projects still in progress, but to be told about how they made their own brick kiln and their own red glaze from the earth in their own backyard. What a special touch! Even the smoke from the kiln can end up staining the pottery and adding another artistic layer.

Demonstrating how to add color with a glaze made from the dirt in their own backyard

The handmade kiln in the workshop

Chickens were a recurring motif. There were many tiny little chicken figurines in black or white, one for good luck and one for love. Many of her ceramics involved animals...one of my favorites was the large vase in the center with a snake winding around the spout and frogs clinging to the sides. I settled for bringing home an armadillo-shaped bowl.

Some of the items in the ceramics shop

Meeting Guayaki and the Ache

During the beginning of our second week in Paraguay, we traveled to Curuguaty. It is a rural town of about 65,000 people and is an agricultural hub. We stayed at a hotel in Curuguaty, but drove every day to the Ache community of Koe Tuvy, where about 60 indigenous families live on a reservation.

Our contact, Katie, has worked stateside for the company Guayaki for 10 years. In case you aren't familiar with Guayaki, they sell yerba mate drinks as well as loose leaf yerba mate. I admire their commitment to sustainability and social impact. Here are a few excerpts from their website to illustrate their mindset:

"Guayakí stands for a new model of regenerative business that reaches deep and wide across our supply web to regenerate the life, health and future prosperity of the social and ecological systems that we touch."

"Guayakí’s 2020 mission is to steward and restore 200,000 acres of South American Atlantic rainforest and create over 1,000 living wage jobs. To accomplish this, we take a co-participatory approach to working with approximately 1,100 families in three nations to grow yerba mate. This approach allows for the redistribution of wealth and avoids concentration of power."

 The Ache are traditionally hunter-gatherers, and are deeply in tune with the forest. They have only been living on this reservation since the mid-70's because of a series of land-grabs and nasty development. Guayaki partners with them to cultivate yerba mate among all the other plants in the forest. This method produces a superior shade-grown product as well as promotes preservation of the rainforest by maintaining biodiversity.

 


As it turns out, the name Guayaki is actually the indigenous tribe name of these native people (Ache is what others have called them). The company has set up a fund for all the royalties associated with this name, and the community meets to decide how their needs should be met. Last year, a yurt was built as a school. In fact, a previous Whole Foods Market Team Member Volunteer Program group got to participate in building it. This year, we did several other small community service projects.

Fundación Paraguaya

Fundación Paraguaya is a micro-finance organization based in Asunción, Paraguay, but it is also much more...they have a huge focus on social development and their vision is "that it is possible to eliminate, and not just lessen, poverty." Not only do they provide loans to low-income families working in the informal sector, but they also follow up with opportunities for training and advisement.

In order to get a loan, a woman must form a small group to participate with her. These are usually close friends and family. Essentially, they are all co-signers, and are each held liable for the full amount. The group decides how to divvy up the funds among themselves...perhaps the newest member in an established group gets a smaller portion at first in order to prove herself. This mentality of shared fate encourages them to overcome problems together. The loans are usually for about a year, and are due at the end of the period rather than at monthly due dates. Once paid back, the group is eligible for another loan.

We had the opportunity to visit one of these groups in their neighborhood during one of their monthly meetings. Most of these women were part of an extended family whose main business is weaving straw hats. They sell these unfinished products to a local factory, who goes on to customize and distribute them. Many of the women also had side projects as well, and we were able to see a small store that one woman had set up in her house. Another sells vegetables. This particular group has been together for 7 loan cycles, and has grown from 16 to 22 members.

At this meeting, a field officer checked in with them and discussed the theme of child education and well-being. They also recapped a recent contest based on re-purposing recycled materials. Those projects were proudly on display...ranging from decorative vases to baskets to piggy banks.

I was impressed with the initiative that these women showed. They've come up with interesting ways to provide for themselves as well as be there for each other and better their community. Something else that they thought up was using WhatsApp as a tool to document and educate about domestic violence within their community.

Fundación Paraguaya has spearheaded some other interesting concepts as well. Read more about the Poverty Stoplight and the San Francisco Agriculture School.

San Francisco Agriculture School

If you ran a school in which tuition fees only covered 4% of the budget, would you be nervous about its profitability? At the San Francisco Agriculture School, this isn't a problem in the least. In fact, this school is totally self-sustaining and profit generating.

In a rural low-income town outside of the capital city of Asunción, Fundación Paraguaya has blended the social development goals of a quality high school education with entrepreneurship and hands-on work experience. This model allows graduates to either continue their studies at college, or have the tools to create an income in their own community. Students here rotate through various sectors of agriculture operations as well as hotel operations. You can stay at the Cerrito hotel on your next vacation, or book it as a conference center if you'd like!

The main entrance and hotel lobby

The Whole Foods group getting a tour through the campus

Some friendly faces

Enjoying cheese made on-site by students

Poverty Stoplight

Fundación Paraguaya developed a really cool tool called the 'Poverty Stoplight' to use with their clients. It is both a metric and a methodology based on a self-assessment survey. It opens up conversation about where it hurts, and helps families identify specific problems to overcome. The process gives families a way to visualize their strengths, which in turn builds motivation to realize their potential.

Here is a 5 minute video describing the Poverty Stoplight in more detail:

Yerba Mate

On our first full day in Paraguay, we received a demonstration on two traditional ways to enjoy yerba mate.

Yerba mate is a tree that is native to the South American rainforest, and can grow up to 30 feet tall. Its leaves are dried, sometimes over a smoking fire, and enjoyed as an energizing tea. There is a strong social aspect to serving and sharing yerba mate.


TERERÉ

Tereré is like an iced herbal tea. You fill a mug with mate leaves, and pour cold herb-infused water over it. The flavors depend on personal preferences...mint, lemon verbena, lemongrass, boldo, and anise are popular choices. Usually the youngest person in the group is the designated server. Once the first cup has been drunk it is refilled and passed to the next person, and so on.

COCIDO

Cocido is a smoky sweet hot beverage. You start by putting the dried leaves and sugar in a pot. Using tongs, you pick up live embers with tongs and use it to stir the contents to toast and caramelize. Leaving the embers in the pot, you add water and bring it all to a boil. You strain it before serving and it becomes a delicious winter drink.

Whole Foods Market Team Member Volunteer Program Overview

What an awesome way to spend two weeks!! I'm so glad that I had the opportunity to travel to Paraguay with nine other Whole Foods Market employees as part of our company's volunteer program. It was educational and exciting! We got to see firsthand how micro-financing is put to work in communities where Whole Foods Market sources products. Here are a few other key players who were involved:

Whole Planet Foundation - A private, nonprofit organization established by Whole Foods Market® and dedicated to poverty alleviation. They aim to empower the world’s poorest people with microcredit in places where Whole Foods Market sources products.

Fundación Paraguaya - A self-sustainable, non-governmental organization. Since its foundation in 1985, it has spearheaded microfinance and entrepreneurship in Paraguay. They are not seeking to alleviate, reduce or combat poverty; they plan to eliminate it! 

Guayaki - A company that produces Yerba Mate with a focus on environmental conservation and social development.

Last Minute Preparation

I leave the country in exactly one week!! The excitement hasn't fully sunk in because my mind won't shut off and keeps running through the mental checklist. My suitcase and backpack have been living in the corner of my room, with items being tossed haphazardly in that direction as they cross my mind. I did a bunch of errands to grab last minute items like a first aid kit, probiotics, and Emergen-C and now all I should really have left is to arrange it nicely.

I do still need to treat my clothing with Permethrin to keep the mosquitos at bay. It is supposed to last for up to 6 weeks, through up to 6 washings. Seeing as how we're going to a very rural community in the middle of the rainforest, I'll take all the protection I can get.

Today one of my goals is to collect some postcards with photos of my town, which I'll give to the kids as a little souvenir to share where I'm from. It shouldn't be too difficult as I live in a touristy region. I'm also packing a Colorado wildflowers guidebook, a frisbee, and a card game.

It's pretty awesome that I have the opportunity to engage with a culture in a special way because of the relationships that others have built over many years. This week I'm going to be doing some more research about Paraguayan history in order to better understand what they've been through, and come up with questions I want to explore further.

Trip Update

Recently the group I'll be travelling with had a conference call to chat with two of the main people we'll be interacting with during our travels through Paraguay.

We were introduced to Katie, who has worked with the Guayaki company for 10 out of their 20 years. She told us about how the Montessori curriculum/technique is being used within the indigenous Ache community. Three Ache women have been training to be teachers to the 30 grade-school children. In addition, the school (which was built last year) will be getting its own kitchen and bathroom facilities. A big part of the curriculum is personal care, which includes both wellness and self-sufficiency. While the children are in school, the mothers will be able to use that uninterrupted time to work on handicrafts to sell at markets. The community garden will also continue to expand. Since it is currently their winter, I imagine not much will be growing, but I'm curious to learn more about the strategy to alleviate food scarcity. I'm looking forward to learning about how they practice agroforestry, and about the specifics of the partnership between the Ache people and the Guayaki company to grow and harvest Yerba Mate.

Maria, who will be our tour guide. Maria was born and raised in Paraguay, and went to college in the United States. She really enjoys unique food and is especially looking forward to showing us special restaurants in Asuncion. She traveled with the Whole Foods group last year as well, and was able to offer insight and helpful tips about what to bring and what to leave at home. She noted that the kids love seeing pictures of where we are from, and that postcards and maps would be perfect to bring as gifts.


I've raised 1/3 the cost of my airplane ticket! $1000 more to go (the GoFundMe account is still active if you'd like to donate in exchange for some photography prints). I was able to use my Health Savings Account to pay for vaccines. I'm going to try to order some currency from my bank ahead of time just to have on hand. Oh my goodness, I can't believe I'm leaving in only three weeks!

Reading List: Microfinancing

In preparation for my trip to Paraguay, I'm reading a book by David Roodman called "Due Diligence: An Impertinent Inquiry into Microfinance". I'm only a few chapters in, but here are some thoughts on what has stood out to me so far.

I'm sure you've heard some statistic about how many people in the developing world live on an average of $2 a day. However, that often looks like "$4 one day, $1 the next, and $0 the day after that. Or perhaps their big earnings come once a season, at harvest time". For people in that situation, it is not only a matter of getting by on a comparatively small income, but on effectively managing the uncertainties of being poor.

With all the publicity that microcredit has gotten in the last decade, many of us Americans may be holding the idea that by providing loans to the poor we are "launching them all into entrepreneurship" and out of poverty with a single loan. While creative self-employment is common by necessity, there are certainly more options than just extending credit which increases the amount of risk put on families. For the right people, the risk can pay off. But credit is just one tool, and better tools can lead to better results.

Think about the financial services you use. Many of those are to prepare for tough times. A checking account allows me to transact safely in large amounts. My savings account provides a buffer when rent is due before the next paycheck.  I have health insurance to ensure access to care. Credit cards help pay for things before I can afford them, and are especially helpful in emergencies like when a tire blows out. I have many options to fall back on.

So far, this book has emphasized how the world has shaped microfinance. It notes that because poor communities "often have scant services to choose from, they tend to use the services in ways that are not ideal. That a loan is taken in practice, for instance, does not mean that a loan is best in principle". The ultimate goal is to give families more control over their finances, and David Roodman sets out to question how they are actually impacted.

So what's this all about?

Just a few short months ago I was selected to travel with Whole Planet Foundation to Paraguay in September on a volunteer trip. It will be a unique experience that will result in connections that may not otherwise have formed. One of the main reasons I am so excited to participate is because of my desire to experience a different culture. Seeing the way others go about life and how they manage their resources and their challenges will inspire me to look at life differently. I expect travelling to surprise me and cause me to re-examine my beliefs as well as expand my comfort zone. 

I am interested in learning about both the history of Paraguay, as well as how the people of the community think and what they value. Although as consumers we get to enjoy many of the products that come from various global regions, an aspect that is lacking is the firsthand knowledge of how those products are tied to the culture from which they come.

The main way that I will share about my thoughts and experiences is through this blog. Leading up to the trip, I'll share some thoughts on the books I'm reading in preparation. Afterwards, I'll recount the highlights of each day, interviews with microfinance providers and clients, environmental and human issues, taste of place, and cultural surprises. It'll be fun to learn together!



If you're able and willing to support me in this financially, go to https://www.gofundme.com/heather-learns-in-paraguay to hear more details