Emilia Aronowitz is the daughter of my very good friends Neal Aronowitz and Connie Cloyed.  She is doing some amazing work as a Peace Corp volunteer to uplife the spirits of the youth of Paraguay.  Because the arts are vital to our survival and evolution as a species, I feel anywhere we can support that cause adds to the rest of humanity.  Thank you, Alan Steinfeld of NewRealities.

June 24, 2009
Dear Family and Friends,
 
I am thrilled to present to you with the opportunity to participate in the empowerment of Paraguayan youth. Ahecha Paraguay, which means, “I see Paraguay” in the native language of Guaraní, is a participatory photography project. Since the project conception in 2008, five camera kits have been loaned to more than 40 communities throughout now the interior of Paraguay. Ahecha provides young Paraguayans access to digital photography; access that almost none have.  I will personally be participating in this project with my new young friends in March! The workshops we teach are designed to be fun and interactive, and provide students the chance to develop their creativity, self-confidence, and self-awareness all through the lens of a camera. The project also includes photo exchanges in each community as a means of fostering understanding of other communities and pride in one’s own work. Ahecha Paraguay culminates annually with national exhibition tour of selected photographs from each participating community.

The inspiration for Ahecha Paraguay came from the film Born into Brothels, in which the sons and daughters of Calcutta’s red light district were given cameras and taught the basics of photography. Through the lenses of cameras these children were able to look at their lives in a new light, try a new form of creative expression and raise their self-esteem. Like Born into Brothels, more than 300 Paraguayan youth have participated in Ahecha Paraguay and received individualized attention from their PCV, developed their creativity, self-esteem and awareness as well as been empowered the technical skills they have learned through their participation in the project.

May through July, Ahecha is hosting the Second Annual National Exhibit Tour in Asunción, to be held at the Paraguayan American Cultural Center, French Aliances, United States Embassy, and the Bus Terminal of Asunción. As the final element of the Ahecha project cycle the national exhibit provides an arena for sharing creativity, artwork, and youth  potential from the interior of the country. The tour provides youth  an opportunity to see their work displayed on a national level, participate in a workshop about photography and images, and gives them an extreme boost of pride and confidence in their work.

Due to the fact that most participants come from families with limited resources, they are unable to fund their trip into Asunción to see their work displayed in the Terminal of Asunción and participate in the workshop. To provide this opportunity to the select youth, we need your help! We are currently raising the necessary funds to encourage and  support the newly formed photographers.

Interested individuals can directly contribute to projects such as Ahecha Paraguay through the Peace Corps Partnership Program (please see instructions below). As a current Peace Corps volunteer living and working in Paraguay, I can personally attest to the impact you can and will have if you able to support us.
All donations are tax-deductible, and contributions of all levels are appreciated. Our goal is to raise $926.27 by July 5, 2009. For more information, please visit our blog at http://cocumu.blogspot.com . To view photographs selected for this year's exhibition, please visit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ahechaparaguay/tags/expo

How to support Ahecha Paraguay: (please follow the directions listed below)
1.    Go to this official Peace Corps Website link (either click on the link below, or copy and paste it into your browser). https://www.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=resources.donors.contribute.projDetail&projdesc=526-194
2.    If the above link does not work, you can access Ahecha Paraguay via the Peace Corps website, www.peacecorps.gov. From the Peace Corps homepage, select “Donate Now,” an option located midway down on the left-hand side. Next, select “Donate to Volunteer Projects,” located in the center of the screen. Then, choose Latin America as your region, Paraguay as your country, and Ahecha Paraguay as your project.
3.    Insert the amount to be donated.
4.    Go to the bottom of the page and hit "Continue".
5.    Insert appropriate information and then continue on to "Insert Credit Card Information" and complete the secure online transaction.

If you have any questions regarding Ahecha Paraguay, please don’t hesitate to contact  us directly through Compartiendo Cultura Mundial (Cocumu) at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it for more information. Thank you for your time and generosity.

Sincerely,
Emilia Aronowitz
Peace Corps Volunteer, Paraguay