At the start of May almost the whole of Paraguay took part in a parade to commemorate Paraguayan Independence. In 1811 Paraguay gained independence from its surrounding countries by defeating the Argentine army. All schools, colleges, universities, and public services e.g., firemen, nurses, factory workers etc. join the parade and march in their town with the rest of the people from that area to remember this time in history. Our students at the institute took part with the current volunteers and marched down the main street of Santa Maria. Some students even did it twice! First with their schools and then ran back to join us once they had finished. This parade is nothing new for the Paraguayans as it happens every year, but it was a new experience for our volunteers who were very impressed by the dedication of the students.
