Articles by mgedwards

Biking to Build Schools

I haven’t been blogging as much because I’ve been busy lately.  We just got back from a nice weekend retreat at a colleague’s ranch (estancia) in rural Paraguay about 1.5 hours east of Asuncion.  We had a wonderful weekend.  It is a nice respite from the hectic time we’ve been having in Asuncion and at work.  I am working on posting some photos from the trip and will write about the it later.  Today I wanted to highlight the efforts of some Peace Corps volunteers to support school building in Paraguay.  Through their "Biking to Build Schools" initiative, they hope to raise $35,000 to help a local NGO, the Center for Campesino Education Training and Technology (CECTEC), build schools in rural Paraguay.  In 2009, the volunteers plan to ride 6,000 miles in South America from Ushaia, Argentina at the southernmost point of South America to Asuncion to raise money via donor pledges.  I think it’s a noble endeavor.  Please consider donating to their cause via their web site, http://www.bikingtobuildschools.com/.

Hogar Unidos por Cristo

My wife and I went to a charity benefit dinner at Club Centenario on behalf of the Hogar Unidos por Cristo ("United for Christ Home") a children’s home in nearby San Lorenzo.  I posted some photos from the event.  Over 190 children live at the home founded six years ago by Patricia Bozzano, a devout Catholic.  What started as a small sanctuary for abandoned children grew and grew, and now the home is seeking donations to build a school. Patricia lined up an impressive group of sponsors, including Club Centenario, Asuncion’s most exclusive club, which donated space to host the event.  The event was excellent.  Some of the children performed two songs, and we were treated to a buffet dinner.  We had never visited Club Centenario and were glad to have had a chance to attend an event at the club.