I arrived at the stadium hot and sweaty after the 15 minute walk from work with my friend and colleague, Noemí. We had made our excuses and left work early for the concert that was due to start in 2 hours' time and I had misjudged the weather yet again in this Paraguayan winter, wearing warm clothes on an afternoon that turned out to be warm and muggy. Hillsong, the Australian worship team, were due to perform for the Paraguayan youth (and assorted taggers-on, like myself! Although I was there as part of the leadership of the youth group at church, so perhaps my presence was justified!). At youth group, I'd become familiar with two of the songs from the latest Hillsong album "United" (recorded in Spanish) and was looking forward to singing them with the 20,000 others in the stadium that night.
We met Noemí's husband at the gate where he was waiting for the youth who were yet to arrive and we bought "chipa," the ubiquitous bread-like snack made with corn flour and cheese, baked into rings. Noemí and I headed into the stadium to find the rest of the youth, laden with chipa and Coke. We had bought our tickets at the last minute because the youth were late in handing over the money they had raised through the sale of Bibles, which had been donated for the purpose. This meant the tickets had gone up from 30,000 to 35,000 Guaraníes (£3.50), a significant amount of money in a country where the official minimum wage is £100 a month but most live on £50 or less. Noemí had given me our tickets to look after earlier in the day and I enthusiastically held onto them, handing them over as we entered the stadium. I was most disappointed when my beautifully designed ticket was thrown mercilessly into the bin on entering our assigned section of the stands! There went the souvenir!
We found the youth group sitting in a great spot, with a good view of the stage and the screens either side. Noemí saw friends of hers in the crowd who came and talked to her, I saw a student from the college and went to say hello... we chatted about this and that and the atmosphere was very expectant. The group had been in Brazil for a few dates of their tour and then had come to Paraguay for one night only. We were looking forward to the blessing of worshipping with this international group and all these thousands of Paraguayans. As we waited, the sun went down (the stadium lights took a while to catch up and we were left in the murk for a little longer than was comfortable!) and the temperature started to drop; I was glad of my jumper after all! The stadium gradually filled and finally (half an hour late!) the music started. Hooray! Oh, what? They were singing in English! Well, I'm sure you'll be thinking; of course they were; they are Australian, after all! But, with them having brought out a cd in Spanish, then coming to a Spanish-speaking country where few people speak English, I had expected them to sing in Spanish. As had everyone else I talked to about it.
What a disappointment! They were singing the English versions of songs from the United album. The words were on the screens in Engish and Spanish and every now and then, the singer would do the chorus in Spanish, but mainly the songs were sung in English. What a shame. They proclamed that it wasn't a concert, it wasn't a show, but that they wanted it first and foremost to be an act of praise to God. How can God's people praise him if they don't understand the language being used? Some of the Paraguayans were singing along in Spanish to the songs they knew but there was a definite change in atmosphere whenever the folk on stage sang in Spanish; the volume of singing from the crowd rose noticeably. At one point late on, a Paraguayan worship leader took over in Spanish the leading of one of the well-known songs from the Australians and the crowd's reaction was electric; suddenly the stadium was alive with praises to God. At another moment, the crowd was encouraged to sing a repeated phrase in English from one of the songs, in praise to God; "Let's praise him together!" said the leader. The people may have sung along willingly, and it was clear that the folk on stage were worshipping but whether the crowd were is debatable.
Many, many people were mightily blessed by the concert and I don't want to belittle their experience but for me, the team from Hillsong came to Paraguay with far too little knowledge of the realities of the country. At one point before the show started, they showed a film (in English, without subtitles) about a project they support in Africa, working with children. The film was about our responsibility, as people who "have" to give to those who have nothing and ended with a plea for money. I was offended by their showing the film here, where there are far too many needy children right in front of our eyes without having to look abroad for them. Late on in the concert, they talked about the Bible school Hillsong runs in Australia and said, "we want you to come!" WHAT? Did they have NO idea of the impossibility of a Paraguayan getting together the funds for a flight to Australia, never mind the cost of studying and living there? It showed a complete lack of interest on their part in knowing something about the people they were ministering to.
There was a message, half way through the show, by a youth pastor who was part of the Australian team. It was translated, phrase by phrase, into Spanish and was about Peter and John healing the cripple; nothing is impossible for God. A fine message, but it smelt to me as though it was the same message they had been giving at all their concerts. Why didn't they ask a Paraguayan pastor to speak? It could have been so much more meaningful to the Paraguayan youth. It's as though Hillsong have discovered that they have a gift in their own country (and, probably around the English-speaking world) and now have this wonderful idea about dropping it like an aid package from an aeroplane in all these different countries to bless the unfortunate people there... It has no long-term benefits and it smacks of colonialism in the worst way when they don't take any account of the unique circumstances of each country they visit.
If you're coming to minister to people in a different country, you have a responsibility to find out something about the country and try to make your minsitry relevant. I think their purpose could have been served much better if they had taken the time to discover what Paraguay was like and what needs the youth in this country have. At the very least, they should have had singers who could perform in Spanish. In my opinion, it was an opportunity lost and I hope they have learnt from the experience. However, I wonder whether they stayed long enough to realise their faults or did they rush onto the next date in Argentina or wherever, without giving it a second thought?
07 August 2007
06 July 2007
half way through the year already!
How time flies! We're just about to start our 2 week winter break and I'm quite amazed at how this first semester has sped by.
We had the exam for the 3rd years' course on teaching English to young children and I was very impressed with how well all the students did. They had to teach an activity to the rest of the students, as though they were doing it with a class of 5-year-olds. I was really very pleased with the quality of their teaching, I couldn't have hoped for anything better! Hooray! It is wonderful to think that I’ve trained students who are now capable of teaching English really well.
I asked the students to fill in evaluation sheets at the end of the course and they all came back with really positive comments. They enjoyed the practical nature of the course and the fact that the assessments were designed to help them teach, not just to give them marks. They were also very positive about me as a teacher, which is really affirming. Overall, they gave the course 5/5, so I feel quite confident that I managed to meet their needs and make the course enjoyable enough.
I'm going to a wedding tomorrow evening; a young couple from church. The worry is that the only clothes I've got that are suitably smart are not going to be warm enough. It's forecast to drop in temperature tomorrow and there's a chance of rain. Still, at least I've got clothes to wear!
On Sunday, I'm leaving for the SIM Paraguay team's annual conference. This year it's at a hotel in the countryside and will last 5 days, including some teaching and relaxing as well as a great opportunity to just spend time with the team. As a group we don't get together very often because there are families in a number of different places, some very far away. So I'm looking forward to that.
And that's all my news, I think.
We had the exam for the 3rd years' course on teaching English to young children and I was very impressed with how well all the students did. They had to teach an activity to the rest of the students, as though they were doing it with a class of 5-year-olds. I was really very pleased with the quality of their teaching, I couldn't have hoped for anything better! Hooray! It is wonderful to think that I’ve trained students who are now capable of teaching English really well.
I asked the students to fill in evaluation sheets at the end of the course and they all came back with really positive comments. They enjoyed the practical nature of the course and the fact that the assessments were designed to help them teach, not just to give them marks. They were also very positive about me as a teacher, which is really affirming. Overall, they gave the course 5/5, so I feel quite confident that I managed to meet their needs and make the course enjoyable enough.
I'm going to a wedding tomorrow evening; a young couple from church. The worry is that the only clothes I've got that are suitably smart are not going to be warm enough. It's forecast to drop in temperature tomorrow and there's a chance of rain. Still, at least I've got clothes to wear!
On Sunday, I'm leaving for the SIM Paraguay team's annual conference. This year it's at a hotel in the countryside and will last 5 days, including some teaching and relaxing as well as a great opportunity to just spend time with the team. As a group we don't get together very often because there are families in a number of different places, some very far away. So I'm looking forward to that.
And that's all my news, I think.
28 May 2007
corruption deep and widespread
One evening as I was watching the news, three stories caught my attention:
The first was about a project the government set up to provide a glass of milk a day for the poorest children in Paraguay. It was discovered that some of the milk the children were being given was practically devoid of any nutrients, having been made up from milk derivatives instead of being pure milk.
The second story was about an investigation into academic certificates that have been given out to people who have not gained the qualification stated on their certificate. The people found with false certificates include government ministers and doctors.
The third story related the discovery of many tonnes of cotton seeds stored away. The government subsidised the seeds last year to help farmers earn a living. The companies that should have distributed them took the cash from the government but the seeds never reached the farmers.
These kinds of stories are all too common here. Corruption is absolutely endemic. A taxi driver the other day was explaining how, when he goes to the car mechanic, he buys the part he needs himself, takes it to the workshop and then watches as the mechanic replaces it. He uses up half a day in order to be sure that he’s not being swindled. He said everyone knows that otherwise, the mechanic would either tell him he’d fixed it when he hadn’t or he’d replace the part with one from an old car, which would last only a very short time. “That’s what Paraguayans do,” he said.
In a report published last week by Transparency International, Paraguay came joint bottom in a table of the countries with the most corrupt judicial systems.
The first was about a project the government set up to provide a glass of milk a day for the poorest children in Paraguay. It was discovered that some of the milk the children were being given was practically devoid of any nutrients, having been made up from milk derivatives instead of being pure milk. The second story was about an investigation into academic certificates that have been given out to people who have not gained the qualification stated on their certificate. The people found with false certificates include government ministers and doctors.
The third story related the discovery of many tonnes of cotton seeds stored away. The government subsidised the seeds last year to help farmers earn a living. The companies that should have distributed them took the cash from the government but the seeds never reached the farmers.
These kinds of stories are all too common here. Corruption is absolutely endemic. A taxi driver the other day was explaining how, when he goes to the car mechanic, he buys the part he needs himself, takes it to the workshop and then watches as the mechanic replaces it. He uses up half a day in order to be sure that he’s not being swindled. He said everyone knows that otherwise, the mechanic would either tell him he’d fixed it when he hadn’t or he’d replace the part with one from an old car, which would last only a very short time. “That’s what Paraguayans do,” he said.
In a report published last week by Transparency International, Paraguay came joint bottom in a table of the countries with the most corrupt judicial systems.
college life continues...
“We want to have fun!” said the 3rd year girls when I asked them what their expectations were for the course I’m teaching them on how to teach English to very young children. It was the beginning of the first lesson of the module and it was really not the kind of response I was expecting at all!! They obviously remember the workshops I did with them on the same topic last September and were expecting a similar teaching style for this module. I was very sorry to have to disappoint them because this course has to be more academic than the workshops; they were a taste of the different activities you can do, but this module has to include theory and the development of lesson plans and schemes of work. I am including some fun activities in all the lessons but there are inevitable moments of dullness!
I am more involved with the teaching practices team this year, going on visits to an orphanage to supervise the students doing stimulation activities with the babies.
This year we have been taking the mobile play scheme to a wider range of places, including church pre-schools in very poor areas. It is a welcome break for the teachers and the children are over the moon at the chance to play freely for an hour or so.
I am more involved with the teaching practices team this year, going on visits to an orphanage to supervise the students doing stimulation activities with the babies.
This year we have been taking the mobile play scheme to a wider range of places, including church pre-schools in very poor areas. It is a welcome break for the teachers and the children are over the moon at the chance to play freely for an hour or so.
19 May 2007
Fame at last!!
"Ah, you're Fiona Cooper, I've heard about you!" So said Nelson Aguilera, a university bigwig and author, when he read my name badge as the conference speakers were having lunch on Friday. It was the Paraguayan conference of the Association of Christian Schools International and I was there to do two workshops on teaching English in a fun way to 3-11 year olds. I'd heard a lot about him, he's quite famous in education circles here, so I felt it was quite something for him to have heard about little old me!
I had great fun doing the workshops, though it was a challenge for me because I really feel my expertise is in the pre-school age group, so I didn't feel quite as confident about everything as I had when I did the workshop to the pre-school teachers in March. Two of the teachers who'd come in March were also there on Friday, and one of them told me she was using a lot of what she'd learnt at the previous workshop in her teaching. It was really encouraging to have that feedback.
I was surprised in the morning on Friday when, as the first participants trickled in to the room for my workshop, they were speaking English to eachother and to us (Sam came with me as my moral support and techie!) so I asked them whether they'd prefer to have the workshop in English or Spanish. To my surprise they all wanted it in English, so I did it all in English, even though my powerpoint and all my notes were in Spanish. More and more people came into the room after I'd started and I felt a little for the latecomers since they didn't get the choice of having it in Spanish! We played games and sang songs and there was much fun and laughter. I love teaching when it's like that! There were about 40 teachers at the morning workshop and when I repeated it after lunch, 12 people came. ("siesta time;" a similar thing happened to us last year when we did the play scheme workshop at the conference).
At the start of the afternoon session, I asked which language they wanted it in and they chose Spanish, so I got to do the same workshop in two different languages, which made me feel very versatile indeed!! One of the morning teachers returned in the afternoon with someone else from his school. It was better to have fewer participants because everyone could get involved in the games, whereas in the morning, some people had to sit and watch and then, when I gave them the opportunity to participate, were too comfortable in their chairs to come and sit on the floor with me!!
So, there I was doing exactly what I hoped I'd be doing when I said to God after our play scheme workshop at ACSI last year that I'd like to do one on teaching English. The teachers who came to the workshops on Friday all seemed very interested in what I was sharing with them and my prayer is that every one of them will have gone away with new ideas that they can implement to add something new to their teaching.
I had great fun doing the workshops, though it was a challenge for me because I really feel my expertise is in the pre-school age group, so I didn't feel quite as confident about everything as I had when I did the workshop to the pre-school teachers in March. Two of the teachers who'd come in March were also there on Friday, and one of them told me she was using a lot of what she'd learnt at the previous workshop in her teaching. It was really encouraging to have that feedback.
I was surprised in the morning on Friday when, as the first participants trickled in to the room for my workshop, they were speaking English to eachother and to us (Sam came with me as my moral support and techie!) so I asked them whether they'd prefer to have the workshop in English or Spanish. To my surprise they all wanted it in English, so I did it all in English, even though my powerpoint and all my notes were in Spanish. More and more people came into the room after I'd started and I felt a little for the latecomers since they didn't get the choice of having it in Spanish! We played games and sang songs and there was much fun and laughter. I love teaching when it's like that! There were about 40 teachers at the morning workshop and when I repeated it after lunch, 12 people came. ("siesta time;" a similar thing happened to us last year when we did the play scheme workshop at the conference).
At the start of the afternoon session, I asked which language they wanted it in and they chose Spanish, so I got to do the same workshop in two different languages, which made me feel very versatile indeed!! One of the morning teachers returned in the afternoon with someone else from his school. It was better to have fewer participants because everyone could get involved in the games, whereas in the morning, some people had to sit and watch and then, when I gave them the opportunity to participate, were too comfortable in their chairs to come and sit on the floor with me!!
So, there I was doing exactly what I hoped I'd be doing when I said to God after our play scheme workshop at ACSI last year that I'd like to do one on teaching English. The teachers who came to the workshops on Friday all seemed very interested in what I was sharing with them and my prayer is that every one of them will have gone away with new ideas that they can implement to add something new to their teaching.
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