Last Wednesday, around 30 foreigners from different places around the world living in Asunción joined forces to volunteer at Mil Solidarios. This organisation helps children in need in Bañado Sur and other neighbourhoods in the same part of the city. The event was organised by two local communities, the Paraguay Digital Nomads community and the Bitcoin Paraguay community. Half the foreigners were invited to come in the morning, and the other half were invited in the afternoon to interact with the children and learn more about the organisation. On that beautiful day, close to 150 children from 8 to 15 came to interact with expatriates, play some games, and have a feast.
It started with the children and the expats playing football, basketball, volleyball, and other similar activities together. After some time, the foreign nationals were invited by the animators to sit in a circle with all the kids and present themselves. This particular activity really helped the expatriates to improve their Spanish but also to practise it. After everyone presented themselves, everyone took in turns to ask a question to someone else – typical questions were about someone’s favourite movie, or favourite football player, or favourite food etc. It finished with everyone eating food from all around the world, from Asian rendang to European Karelian pies and North American pulled pork, to name a few. Everything was tasty! After the first group of children left, a second group came and participated in the same activities while also eating food from abroad.
It was an exciting activity to connect people from different backgrounds, and also important to learn more about the reality that faces some Paraguayans in the country and capital. The digital nomads and the bitcoin community are very keen to partner with community actors to build bridges between foreigners and locals. Children were super enthusiasts and happy to learn more about our world, discover more about it, and eat food they had never eaten before! As for the foreigners, they were very happy to be helping local children from deom of the more deprived areas of the city, and are ready to do it again when needed!
Mil Solidarios
The Asociación Mil Solidarios was founded in 1999 by Jesuit Priest Francisco de Paula Oliva from Spain. He chose Paraguay as his adopted homeland and with a group of men and women committed to the country’s social reality, especially the southern part of the capital. The vision of the organisation is to build a “New Paraguay” through the development of socially committed children, young people and academically prepared women in Bañado Sur. Their mission is to train and provide comprehensive care for kids and young women who become multipliers of change through their intellectual courage, honesty, solidarity and commitment to their home community.
They also own the Centro de Formación Integral Sodalidario Rape, which goal is to strengthen formal education for kids and adolescents at risk of school dropouts in Bañado Sur and other neighbourhoods in this area of Asunción. The objective is to promote the integral development of children and adolescents through equitable access to the education and educational system. The association also helps with school reinsertion of girls and adolescents in pregnancy and maternity situations while having an association for women, a family centre, and environmental work. They also have a centre in Encarnación.
Donations and Volunteering
The organisation also promotes the sale of handmade jewelry from the Cateura Accesorios brand made with recycled material by women from the community. The association can be contacted to learn how to buy these art pieces. If you feel like it, you can also send them donations via Banco Continental SAECA with the information on the poster next to this text. You can contact them via phone, email, or private social media messages.
