Paraguay

Paraguay is a place of great physical beauty and considerable environmental diversity. Surrounded by Argentina, Bolivia, and Brazil, it is linked to the Atlantic through the Paraná-Paraguay River system, which flows south through Argentina.

The Peace Corps has been working in Paraguay since 1967, and is one of the oldest continuously operating Peace Corps posts in the world. The first Volunteers arrived in country in 1967 to work in agriculture extension in rural areas, and programs were soon established to work in the health and education sectors as well.

Nearly 3,000 Peace Corps Volunteers have served in Paraguay since 1967, and about 90 Volunteers arrive each year. Today, approximately 200 Volunteers are working in the six major sectors of agriculture, education, environment, health, small business development, and urban youth development.

Peace Corps Volunteers have always been warmly welcomed throughout Paraguay. Contributing to this receptivity are the efforts that Peace Corps/Paraguay has made to foster cultural sensitivity in its Volunteers, to place them directly in the communities to live at the level of the people with whom they work, and to stress the importance of communication in the indigenous language, Guaraní, as well as Spanish.

Last updated Sep 27 2008