Don’t I have the right to be able to see five meters in front of me?
While my imperfect eyesight has been corrected by contact lenses, I still find myself crashing into walls and carefully scaling the stairs nearly every night. Why? Constant power outages have been continually plaguing Asunción. Although the power has never been particularly reliable in this city, a recent heat wave ( 45 degrees Celsius nearly every day. YIKES) and a consequent spike in air conditioning usage amongst those lucky enough to have such systems have overwhelmed the electrical system causing frequent black-outs.
Ironically, Paraguay boasts joint-ownership of the second largest hydroelectric dam in the world (as discussed in my last post). It just lacks adequate infrastructure to transport the electricity throughout the country, making black-outs common. Not only are they extremely annoying, but they also greatly hinder workplace productivity. At Fundación Paraguaya, and the majority of other businesses in the country I believe, the majority of the staff work on desktop computers. Power outages, therefore, generally signify several hours of wasted time. How can a developing economy expect to flourish if its businesses cannot even enjoy uninterrupted workdays? It seems obvious that the Paraguayan government and the company controlling the distribution of electricity (ANDE) must invest in more power lines. However, there is no money for such a costly investment. It’s a catch-22; the economy cannot grow due to a lack of infrastructures and, consequently, the government cannot raise enough money to facilitate the construction of such resources.
The link between infrastructure and sight extends beyond the power lines. Last Thursday, I attended a women’s committee meeting in which the group addressed safety concerns in their neighborhood. They planned to paint the telephone poles and trees lining the road white. Although not necessarily attractive, the paint serves to warn drivers of their existence if driving after dark. Street lights don’t exist in this neighborhood after all.
Given the extreme heat, the project went surprisingly well. I was slightly disappointed that the majority of the women briefly participated before relaxing under a tree to drink terere while Fundación Paraguaya staff and their children continued to work. Yet, the kids clearly had an excellent time and it was interesting to watch them take ownership of the project and their neighborhood. In fact, their involvement and investment in the work may be an unintended benefit of Proyecto Limpieza in Mariano Roque Alonso.
Friday, I again ventured outside Casa Matriz. Rather than trekking to another office in the countryside, I had the opportunity to meet with two women credited with leading the Women’s Rights Movement in Paraguay. For several hours, we snacked on pastries, sipped tea from an antique tea set, and chatted about their past work, their goals, and their personal stories of life in a machista society. Although I frequently mention astonishing statistics regarding gender equality (or the lack thereof) in Paraguay, the women’s rights movement has clearly made significant strides. For instance, only a few decades ago children borne by unmarried women could not even attend school. Relatively recent legislation, fortunately, explicitly gives such children (and all women equal rights) but ingrained cultural attitudes remain pervasive in some parts of the country.
No comments:
Post a Comment