The Central Chaco of Paraguay, known for its vast, dry grasslands in the heart of South America, feels like the kind of place where life remains unchanged from one generation to the next. Days here follow a familiar rhythm: the heat, the dust, the sound of children switching between Spanish and their native tongues. And yet, in the indigenous community of Yalve Sanga lives a woman whose journey reflects the strength honoured each year on September 5, the International Day of Indigenous Women. Mirta Pérez – the first indigenous Paraguayan woman to earn a master’s degree in an English-speaking country.
She once traded the Chaco for the lecture halls of Canada. Now Mirta has returned to her former classrooms of the Indigenous School Yalve Sanga, where she passes on the lessons that helped her, a once-shy Nivaclé girl, break barriers both in her community and beyond.
How did she manage to overcome her own doubts and venture abroad? And what led her to return to the Chaco after all?
Who is Mirta Pérez?
Mirta Pérez grew up in Yalve Sanga, a settlement of roughly 10,000 indigenous and Mennonite residents within the department of Boquerón,. The village is home to a mix of indigenous groups, primarily Nivaclé and Enhlet, each preserving its own language and traditions.
Nearby, Mennonite colonies such as Fernheim, Menno, and Neuland have shaped education and development across the region. Today Mirta teaches at the Indigenous School in Yalve Sanga, founded through ASCIM, a partnership between indigenous communities and Mennonite organisations. There she draws on her time abroad and her language skills to connect her students with the world beyond the Chaco.
“It is not bad to stay in the community, it is a good thing. But if you want to see more, you have the right to learn and discover new things,” Mirta says.
Her subjects – English, Bible, and cultural anthropology – equip students to respect each other, value their own culture, and engage with others. After earning her master’s degree in Educational Studies in Canada, she brought home fresh methods and adapted them for indigenous children, showing them how to chase their own dreams.
But even when dreams exist, obstacles remain. What barriers prevent many indigenous youth from following a path like hers?
The challenges facing indigenous students
For many children in the Chaco, school is both an opportunity and a struggle. In the Indigenous School of Yalve Sanga, students from more than half a dozen groups share the same classrooms. At home, most speak their native languages and often prefer them over Spanish, the language of instruction. Mirta helps them bridge this gap. She understands their comfort among friends but encourages them to look beyond the limits of the village.
Language is only one hurdle. Many students are shy, and few continue studying after finishing school. Cultural expectations add further pressure: early marriage, family responsibilities, and limited finances make education outside the community difficult, if not impossible.
That is why Mirta’s work matters. She combines the teaching methods she learned abroad with a deep understanding of her students’ culture, helping them challenge the limiting beliefs that hold so many back. She discovered that acting exercises or reading poems with different emotions help students open up. “Sometimes even the reserved students will not stop talking,” Mirta says with a smile. “It must be because of acting classes.”
Opening up is only the first step – one Mirta herself had to fight for. How did she manage to leave the Chaco and fulfill her dream of studying abroad?
Mirta’s journey abroad
Mirta’s leap of faith began with a single email. “I wrote to someone who had many contacts, asking if they could help me find a family to host me,” she recalls. Her goal was clear: to learn English and study in any country where it was the official language. Within a week, she received an invitation from a family in Canada. They offered financial support and became, in her words, “more than family.”
She arrived in Manitoba with only a little English and quickly realised it was not enough. She spent two semesters in English classes before beginning her master’s in Educational Studies, eventually staying in Canada for three and a half years.
“It was a big challenge,” she says. “Many times, I wanted to come back. I missed my family; I missed speaking my own language. I was the different one there.” Cultural differences and isolation were constant hurdles. In class, her peers saw her as Latin rather than indigenous, and the cold Canadian winters were a stark contrast to the Chaco.
Still, Mirta Pérez looks back fondly on her time abroad, grateful for the experience that allowed her to achieve her goal. Today, she brings that perspective home hoping to inspire her students to aim high. But what do her students dream of today?
Mirta Pérez’s return to Paraguay
Mirta’s story marks her as both a Paraguayan pioneer and an exceptional teacher. Returning to Yalve Sanga, she brought fresh ideas into the classrooms, introducing acting exercises, reading aloud, and other methods to help students overcome shyness. Her presence alone sparks curiosity – during our interview, students paused to watch her speak English.
“When my students see me speak English as a Nivaclé woman,” she says. “They think: if she can do it, I can do it too.” They often tell her they want to go to Canada. “But there are other countries out there where you can learn English,” she laughs.
Mirta Pérez’s students dream of studying abroad and even building businesses – ambitions that would have been rare for indigenous youth in the Chaco historically. It is clear that her guidance and encouragement help them see what’s possible.
And what about her own dreams?
Mirta hopes to write a book about her journey and launch a YouTube channel to share her story with a wider audience. Her message is simple but powerful: “It does not matter where you come from – you can dream, and you can achieve those dreams.”
You can follow Mirta Pérez on Instagram and watch the full interview with Mirta on YouTube.
