Paraguay, Asuncion – Volunteer Coordinator

Location: Habitat National Office in Asuncion, Paraguay
Term of Service: 9-12 months, beginning in summer 2008

Summary: This volunteer is a member of the resource development team and plans, coordinates, and manages the trip logistics and details for Global Village (GV) teams (pre-trip, in-country and post/trip). Global Village is a Habitat program which organizes 1-3 week “working vacations” for groups who wish to help construct Habitat houses abroad. The volunteer acts as a liaison between international volunteers and host nationals and seeks to provide a meaningful, intercultural exchange for all involved. The volunteer also plans and coordinates local volunteer work teams, mainly school groups. Finally, he/she is the main contact for individual international volunteers and coordinates logistical arrangements for these individual volunteers.

The volunteer will help Habitat for Humanity Paraguay to:
*Coordinate the Global Village program and local volunteer work teams
*Communicate promptly with GV team leaders, project coordinators and GV sending coordinators, as well as all other staff members involved with Global Village in-country (mainly via e-mail)
*Meet GV teams at the airport
*Give in-country orientation to GV teams (1st or 2nd day in-country)
*Travel with Global Village teams to project location in Paraguay
*Stay and work with Global Village team for first and last 3 days of their time with Habitat Paraguay and help with translation
*Obtain and manage proposals, contracts and agreements with service providers of Global Village teams (transportation, lodging, food)
*Make hotel, transport and restaurant reservations and arrangements for Global Village teams
*Help arrange lunches, snacks and water for work site
*Create and manage the teams’ budgets and complete final budget reports
*Carry-out an evaluation with team leader, team members and Habitat staff after each GV team
*Translate and summarize evaluations and send to stakeholders
*Coordinate and assist in planning local volunteer work teams, with the resource development coordinator and other staff members
*Facilitate logistical arrangements for individual international volunteers
*Update the GV team leader manual (in English) and the in-country GV manual (in Spanish)
*Create and update project descriptions in English
*Update website in English

The volunteer will frequently lead the travel with Global Village teams to the projects and must feel comfortable leading and travelling independently.

Requirements: The volunteer requires a high level of problem solving skills, especially with the Global Village teams in-country. Must be a self-starter and able to work independently. Advanced written/oral skills in English and Spanish, must have excellent time and organizational skills, excellent and detail-oriented communication skills, moderate experience with Microsoft Office, experience working in multi-cultural environments.

Preferred Skills: We would like you to have website design experience, experience managing volunteers, a college degree, and basic experience with Habitat on a construction site.

Support from Host Organization:
HFH will provide: office space; computer; Habitat will provide a $250/month small expense allowance for the volunteer; Habitat will cover the basic expenses while the volunteer is traveling with the GV teams
HFH will help arrange, but not pay for: housing

Volunteer Budget: Volunteers will be responsible for all costs associated with living in the host country. An estimate for a single individual is given below. (All figures in U.S. dollars.)

*Contact the nearest Paraguayan consulate for specific information regarding visas. Be sure to clarify what type of visa you will need (tourist/business, single or multiple entry), length of stay and what to do about visa extensions, if necessary.
** Utilities are often included in the cost of a home stay.

Description of Assignment Location: The city of Asuncion has a population of about one million. As far as attractions go, nothing is very far in Paraguay, so it's easy to see different parts of the country. Also, Buenos Aires is about an 18-hour bus ride and Iguazu Falls is about 6 hours from Asuncion, on the Brazilian or Argentinean side.

It is easy to get a cell phone and the cheapest way to communicate in-country. It is expensive to call internationally, but there are computer programs, such as Skype, that are free and many internet cafes have this option. There are many internet cafes all over the city. These usually cost about $1/hour.

A home stay is an option for accommodation. Living in an apartment is another option, but the volunteer would need to mostly find this on his/her own; if the volunteer chooses the apartment option, he/she would be responsible for getting their own furniture. Both a home stay and apartment will probably be a half hour bus ride to the office.

The National Office has eight staff members. The volunteer would have her/his own office space, computer, printer, etc. The dress is relatively casual at the office. Long pants and skirts are fine, but shorts and t-shirts are not appropriate. Most shoes are appropriate, with the exception of tennis shoes and flip flops (unless they are nice flip flops). Most clothes are appropriate outside of work. Not many women wear shorts, but it is not inappropriate.

Housing need: Housing needs in Paraguay have increased in the same proportion as the demographic growth. From 1992 to 2002, the population increased by 71 percent.

Out of the 1,098,820 houses identified in the 2002 census, 116,240 are inadequate structures, with their inhabitants living in deficient conditions.

Forty-seven percent of the population has no water service, and in rural zones the percentage drops down to 22.6 percent. Only 10 percent of the houses with toilets are connected to the public sewage network.

In the main cities, such as the capital Asuncion, one out of three families rents a house or lives in a borrowed one. This situation forces families with low economic resources to pay a 50 percent security deposit, plus two months in advance.

(Source: General Statistics, Surveys and Census Division, 2002.)

Additional Information: Must provide proof of valid MEDEX medical insurance, visa, passport, work permit (if necessary) and plane ticket for return trip home. Passport must be valid for at least six months past the return date. Each volunteer is responsible for obtaining visa entry information, although some assistance may be provided by national office.

Additional items to pack: you should bring all prescription medication and emergency contact phone/fax numbers in your home country. It is VERY hot here in the summer and then can get pretty cold in the winter. You should bring clothes for both types of weather. In addition, it does rain pretty hard as well, so you should be prepared for rain as well. Clothes can get pretty dirty here quickly, so it's best not to bring your favorite clothing. One can buy most things in Asuncion (toiletries, towels, sheets, clothing, shoes, over-the-counter medicines, etc.), if you need these things. There are few English book stores, so it's a good idea to bring books, if you want to read in English. Jump drives are also very expensive here and are hard to come by, but essential for work.

Life in Paraguay:

Geography: Paraguay is mainly flat, with some rolling hills, plains and swampy areas.

Available Services: There are banks and ATMs scattered throughout Asuncion. Traveler's checks are not recommended. Most places charge 10% extra for credit cards; grocery stores are an exception. There are a number of private hospitals in Asuncion. There are also a large amount of pharmacies which are open 24 hours/day. Buses are the most common form of transportation, both in Asuncion and for longer distances within the country. Taxis are also common in the city, but are much more expensive.

Safety and Security: Armed robbery, car theft, and burglary occur. Street and other petty crimes such as pick pocketing are prevalent in cities and on public buses. Checked luggage has been pilfered at airports. Do not show signs of affluence. Ensure personal belongings and travel documents are secure at all times. If attacked, do not resist. Weapons are carried by many locals and could be used by criminals.

In Asunción, be cautious in public markets, particularly the Mercado Cuatro and, at night, in the neighbourhoods of Chacarita, Nemby, San Lorenzo and Tacumbú.

Violent crime has increased in recent years. Incidents of kidnapping for ransom have been reported, especially in the Department of Alto Parana. Although foreigners are not specifically targeted, travellers are advised to exercise extreme caution at all times, particularly in cities at night.

Exercise caution when travelling to the Departments of San Pedro, Canindeyú and Amambay, as well as to the border towns of Pedro Juan Caballero in the northeast and Ciudad del Este near the borders with Brazil and Argentina. These regions are known for drug trafficking and criminal gang activity. There have been carjackings by armed bandits along secluded parts of the road, from the junction at Mbutuy in Caaguazú Department, travelling east across San Pedro Department and through Canindeyú Department to Salto del Guaira at the Brazilian border. Travel to outlying areas should be with a supervised tour group.

There have been incidents of drugs being used (including scopolamine) to incapacitate travellers in order to rob or attack them. Scopolamine can be administered through aerosols, cigarettes, gum, or in powder form. As scopolamine can cause prolonged unconsciousness and serious medical problems, exercise caution when offered food or drinks from strangers or new acquaintances.
(http://www.voyage.gc.ca/dest/report-en.asp?country=236000)

Cultural Insights: "Machismo" is part of the culture here. Sometimes men will whistle or try to get a woman's attention, but this behavior is not as common as in many other countries in Latin America. The general attitude and lifestyle is VERY laidback and things do not always start on time. Paraguayans are very friendly and usually willing to answer questions and help you out. There is a lot of emphasis and time spent with family. Sundays are usually the day for an "asado" or barbeque with family and friends. The Paraguayans drink yerba matte in the form of "terere" in the summer (iced) and matte in the winter (hot) and this is prevalent throughout the country. It is more typical for men to go out drinking and less typical for women to do so, although it's more acceptable/common for women to do this in the city.

The main Paraguayan staples are meat and yucca. Many foods are fried. Many vegetables and fruits are available in the grocery stores, but they are not "typical" Paraguayan food. There are also lots of pastas. Beer is the most common alcoholic beverage consumed. Paraguayans also drink red wine with Coca Cola. The local liquor is called "caña" and is made from distilled sugar cane.

Women wear long pants and skirts and tend to wear tight-fitting clothing. Tank tops that are not too revealing are acceptable and Paraguayan women wear them. Men wear long pants and button down shirts. Men also wear shorts, t-shirts and flip flops frequently.

Paraguay is a democracy, with a democratic election every five years for president. It is reported that there is a general sentiment and acceptance of widespread corruption within politics in Paraguay. Paraguay had a dictatorship until 1989 and there are still remnants of this throughout Paraguayan culture and politics.

National holidays:
January 1 - New Year’s Day
March 1 - Heroes Day
Holy Thursday and Good Friday
May 1 - Labor Day
May 15 - Independence Day
June 12 - Peace of the Chaco War
August 15 - Foundation of Asunción
December 8 - Virgin of Caacupé
December 25 - Christmas Day

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