Eligibility
Program Description
Visa and Travel Documents
Getting There
AFS Orientations and Activities
Eligibility
To be eligible you must:
- Be between 17 years 0 months and 35 years 0 months old at the start of the program
- Be in good mental, physical, and emotional health in accordance with the AFS Medical Evaluation Policy
- Have an open mind, willingness to be flexible, and the ability to adapt to a new culture, school, and environment
- Be in possession of a valid United States passport
Program Description
This program provides participants the unique opportunity to taste Paraguayan culture, family life, and language while experiencing what “community service” means in a needy country—all in only 7 weeks. You’ll live with a host family and work with a local community organization. The projects you can choose from include working with children, being a teacher’s aide at a school, or helping a nurse with healthcare. There is the possibility of working in the Moises Bertoni Foundation’s offices helping with environmental projects, but you need to have intermediate Spanish skills.As with all AFS homestay programs, you will be placed with a volunteer host family who will provide you with lodging, meals, and guidance while abroad.
Participants may be placed throughout Paraguay. Most placements are in small cities or suburban areas.
Even though you will be placed with a Spanish-speaking host family, you do not need to speak Spanish in order to participate in the program. We do suggest that you learn as much as possible prior to departure.
Program duration is 7 weeks. Your time will be split between doing community service projects, spending time with your host family, and participating in activities organized by the local AFS volunteers.
About a month into your stay you will be offered the opportunity to take part in a weekend-long trip to visit a part of Paraguay outside of your host community. The site varies from year to year and is yet to be determined but it will likely be either San Bernardino (a popular summer resort), Encarnacion (near the Jesuit missions in Itapua), or Ciudad del Este (near Itaipu, the biggest dam in the world, and Iguazu falls).
The final days of the program will consist of an evaluation camp to reflect on your stay and prepare for your return home.
Please note that although the typical Paraguayan diet is varied, vegetarians are difficult to place and may not be accepted.
Remember that Paraguay is in the southern hemisphere so the seasons are opposite those of the northern hemisphere. This means that it will be their winter months while you are there. However, the winters are mild with an average temperature of about 60° F.
You will be provided with additional information such as a welcome booklet and safety tips prior to departure. Program details are subject to change.
Learn more about life in Paraguay.
Visa and Travel Documents
A tourist visa is required in order to participate in this program. Fortunately, it is relatively easy to acquire.
In order to apply, you must have a U.S. passport that is valid for six months longer than your intended stay. Please be in possession of your passport at the time you apply for the program.
In addition to your passport, you will also need a signed parental consent form and a visa fee of $65. This fee is determined by the Paraguayan consulate and is subject to change.
AFS will provide you with detailed instructions on how to apply for your visa in the months prior to departure.
Getting There
You and your fellow AFSers will travel together between Miami and Asuncion, the capital of Paraguay. Upon arrival and after collecting your baggage and passing through customs, you will be met by staff and volunteers from AFS Paraguay. They will escort you to the arrival orientation site, a comfortable group site outside Asuncion, where you will take part in a 2-day arrival orientation.
Following the arrival orientation, you will be picked up by your host family (if you are placed near Asuncion). Or, if you are hosted elsewhere, you will travel by bus or car to your host community where you will be met by your host family.
AFS Orientations and Activities
In addition to the orientations that you will have domestically (the local Pre-Departure Orientation, Culture Trek, and the Gateway Orientation), you and your fellow AFSers will have multiple orientations while abroad. These required orientations are intended to help you maximize the AFS experience, reduce culture shock, and gain knowledge, skills, and a global understanding.
The first orientation, in the days after your arrival, will introduce you to the country, Paragauyan life, and various aspects of the AFS experience. It will last for 2 days and conclude when you are picked up by your host family or when you depart to your host community.
At the end of your time abroad there will be a final evaluation camp. This is your chance to reflect on your experience and to share with other AFSers. You will also prepare for the cultural readjustment that is a part of returning home.
In addition to the orientations, some local chapters organize activities for students and host families throughout the summer. These will vary from chapter to chapter but may include parties or excursions to other cities or regions in Paraguay. Unlike the orientations, these activities are optional and are at the student’s expense.