Country Welcome for Paraguay

Welcome to Peace Corps/Paraguay!

If you are thinking about applying to Peace Corps/Paraguay, or if you have already been invited to serve here, you will be excited to hear what might be in store for you in this beautiful, landlocked republic straddling the Paraguay and Paraná Rivers, deep in the heart of South America.

Full disclosure: I may be more than a little biased, given that I served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Paraguay some 35 years ago. It is the honor of my career to be able to return to serve again, this time with my family, as country director.

The more things change

Some things have changed over the years, particularly in Asunción. It's now a modern capital with good internet, imposing high rises, and a white sand beach, situated on the Paraguay River next to Argentina. But outside the capital—in the mid-size cities, small towns and remote villages scattered across the red plains and green forests of rural Paraguay—the essence of this country, its people and their unique story in South American history remains unchanged.

This is a place where community still matters; neighbors know each other; family is everything; Guaraní continues to thrive as an official language alongside Spanish; and a nation has been forged from one of the most intriguing and endearing histories of the continent. That legacy includes historically close relations with the United States, and a warm welcome to generations of Peace Corps Volunteers since 1967. Indeed, Peace Corps Paraguay is one of two longest, continually operating Peace Corps programs anywhere in the world!

Service is challenging

That said, Peace Corps service is hard! It doesn't happen in a beige cubicle on the third floor of an office park, somewhere in the suburbs. Anytime you leave your home country and seek to integrate into a new community, culture, and language, you step out of your comfort zone and your lived experience. Indeed, that’s why you should do it! This is life in a developing country, one with an awakening economy and people eager to harness growth to improve their quality of life and create opportunities for their children.

In Paraguay, you may end up living in a rural community hours from the capital. All Volunteers have cell coverage, electricity and potable water. However, rural internet is not the most reliable. Likewise, you may have to make do with an occasional bucket bath or candle-lit dinner when the power goes out in your community. It may take time to get used to life moving at a slower pace than you’re accustomed to or having to spend more time with yourself (and a book) as you get to know people in your new community. You will become an expert on public buses in and out of your site, and you will learn to walk early in the morning or late in the afternoon to avoid the mid-day heat of Paraguayan summer.

Above all, you will be challenged to reach deep inside to find your own practical hacks, your own personal wins, and the self-confidence to meet everyday challenges head-on. And you will thrive doing it!

You are not alone

Our commitment at the Peace Corps is that you will not be doing this alone. We will accompany you from the night you arrive at Asunción International Airport. Our world-class language teachers and cultural facilitators will work with you shoulder-to-shoulder during your 10 weeks of pre-service training. Our programming staff will get to know you one-on-one and will strive to match you with a community that can fully take advantage of your unique skills and life experience. And our medical and security teams will provide ongoing training and support for your safety, health and well-being throughout your two years of service. Peace Corps Paraguay is a team sport!

Our ask of you

The Peace Corps is a government agency and, as such, has its fair share of policies and procedures. But, when all is said and done, our ask of Volunteers (and staff) here in Paraguay is simple. It’s three things:

Service: We ask that you come to serve the people of Paraguay; that you give generously of your time and talents; and that you do your best to contribute your own piece to Peace Corps’ mission of world peace and friendship.

Patience: We ask that you do all the research, pondering and imagining that you can about “life in Paraguay” before you leave the U.S. … and then set that aside after you get off the plane in Asuncion. Things won’t be exactly as you imagined, and events won’t unfold precisely as you planned. Life happens! No matter, your service will be meaningful in both your life and that of your community. Patience, flexibility and adaptability will help you get there.

Humility: You know a lot … but not everything! If a successful candidate, you will be invited to serve as a Volunteer because you have a unique set of professional skills and life experiences that can make a real contribution to human development in Paraguay. However, even our staff (after nearly 60 years in-country) are learning every day from Paraguay and its people how to be true partners in development. We ask the same humility and curiosity of you. Above all, we ask that you learn as much—if not more—than you teach and that you take those learnings back to share in the U.S. when you return.

Why it matters

The reward of Peace Corps service is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to do something you never thought you could!

If you are just starting your career, Peace Corps service may very well confirm your chosen career path, but with new conviction and a compelling story of why. Or service may bend that career path toward an unexpected destination, perhaps toward graduate school or launching a career in business, environment, global policy or human development.

Whatever happens, you will not close service two years later as the same person. How could you? Rather, I believe you will look back on your time in Paraguay as a personal and professional milestone on your life journey.

Curious to learn more? To talk with a current Volunteer or Peace Corps staff in Paraguay, message or call us on WhatsApp M +595.983.470.615.

If you’re ready to apply, you can start your Peace Corps application here. If you’ve already received an invitation to serve, give us a call to learn more!

Country Director Terry Nelidov

Returned Peace Corps Volunteer, Paraguay (1989-91)