While many of us were in the midst of going to the beach, camps, or just hanging out at home, Charlotte Gosnell (’14) went on the adventure of a lifetime. For two and a half weeks, Gosnell explored Paraguay, performed many acts of Social Action, and learned a lot about herself and the world around her.
Even though her trip was not until late June, Gosnell began preparing for her adventure in February of 2012. She met with other members of the traveling group once a month. She learned a few phrases in Guarani, the native language of Paraguay.
In addition to mentally preparing for her trip, Gosnell collected donations to bring with her. Stuffed into a duffle bag, she brought with her school, sports, and health supplies, including a football, frisbee, and hand sanitizer.
Gosnell’s first week in Paraguay was spent staying with a host family in Isla Pucu, a small town. While staying with her host family Gosnell worked at two separate soup kitchens specifically for children, called comedors. She also partook in a community clean up and worked in a local elementary school with third and fourth graders.
At the elementary school Gosnell taught classes about basic nutrition. Many of the children at the school do not get enough fruits and vegetables in their diet, which causing health complications for them.
In addition to her lessons on fruits and vegetables, Gosnell taught her classes how to garden using simple household items. Using milk cartons, sand, soil, water, and a few mandarin seeds, Gosnell instructed the children on how to grow a fruit tree. She explained to them that the seeds were too young right now, but once sprouted they could be moved to the school’s garden.
The next week Gosnell traveled to Asuncion to work with students at another local school, called San Jose. Every day during that week Gosnell and her fellow travelers would pack themselves into vans to drive to a barrio called Santa Ana.
There she saw a town in the worst conditions. Gosnell states,
“ Houses were just scraps of wood and tarps, pigs, chickens, cats, and dogs ran wild, streets were really cobblestone, the streets were flooded, the place smelled horrid, and people used handmade horse drawn carriages to travel around.”
The shock of the conditions these people were forced to live in actually made Gosnell cry on her first day. However, she quickly overcame the shock in order to do her service. With the main goal of fixing up the local community center in mind, Gosnell helped paint murals on the external walls, mend the flooded back yard, and helped out at a few Day care centers, all no bigger than room 380 on the third floor.
Because of her amazing experience Gosnell learned to be grateful for what she has. “I won the “birth lottery.” I have a house, an amazing education, and access to fresh water and food everyday.” She is a changed person because of her experience. She continues to share her story of service and hopes to return to Paraguay soon to continue changing the world through her social action.
