The beginning of the end...

This month I celebrate my two year anniversary with Paraguay. It seems like only last week that I was opening my acceptance letter and panicking about how to make my parents understand that this was something I really wanted to do. That may seem silly to some of you, especially since I was 22 at the time, but 27 months is a long time to be away from home. It has been hard enough for with with the support of my family and I am fairly positive I wouldn't have been able to do it without them. Enough about that, if you know me at all (and hopefully you do since you're reading my blog) then you know I love my family so on to my life in Paraguay! 

My women's group is doing well! I have been thrilled with their work on their chicken coops! 7 out of the 8 have been finished! I gave them 30 days to finish and they still have 10 days left so hopefully the last family can finish this week and we can purchase the chicks. I have not been thrilled with their attitude towards homemade chicken feed. All members agreed to plant crops and make their own feed in order to make the project sustainable; however, due to weather and lack of support from male counterparts we do not have the crops we need. The plan is to use the money we have raised to purchase corn and soy to be supplemented with crops they do have, such as yuka (mandioca) and sweet potato. Here are some photos of the coops that have been built:

Ezekiel showing of ña Marina's chicken coop (now completed but partially done in the photo)

Ña Ramona's chicken coop! 

Copper and I in Lourdes' chicken coop!

Lourdes' again, without copper and I blocking the shot 

Ña Eugenia's chicken coop!

Ña Artemia is converting part if her kitchen into the chicken coop. At 80 she is our oldest member and decided to make a brick floor.

Ña Elisa's sister has a chicken coop that will share a wall with her new coop! 

I also am trying to be realistic about how the project will progress without me. I am requesting a follow up volunteer so that hopefully they can continue to work with the group. Paraguayans generally only give their chickens a few handfuls of corn, this means the chickens lack protein. While talking with the agriculture program specialist I learned about using larvae to supplement the chickens protein supply. The idea is that the women create 3 different spaces, About 1.5m by 2m and 10cm deep. They fill them with green waste and cow poop. The spaces are then covered and watered 2 times a day. The goal is to attract a black fly to lay their eggs. Then 3 or 4 days later you have a great protein source! If you have 3 at once you stagger their development, this ensures that you have fresh larvae to feed the chickens every 2 days. How awesomely gross is that! 

My larvae growing spot! 

These are what I am trying to grow! Let's hope it works out!

I am trying not to think about how rapidly my close of service date is approaching and just enjoy Paraguay. It has been hard since I have come to love Paraguay and the people. I am extremely ready to live in America but I am not ready at all to leave all of these people behind. I am off to a birthday lunch, until next time!