Coronel Oviedo, Paraguay

Coronel Oviedo is located in western Paraguay and approximately 85 miles from the capital city of Asunción.  A once small town, its location between the Brazilian border and the capital city has brought growth due to a growing trade route.  The trade route is drawing many peasants into the area with hopes of finding jobs and dreams of educational opportunities for their children.  According to Paraguayan government statistics, children in Coronel Oviedo begin working to help support their families at the age of 10.  Most of these sell fruit and vegetables along the trade route, or clean windshields of cars at intersections for whatever they can get.

Friendship House school, affiliated with the Christian Church in Paraguay, currently has 153 students divided as follows:

Child Care                8
Pre-School             14
Kindergarten         13
1st Grade              21
2nd Grade             23
3rd Grade              20
4th Grade              16
5th Grade              19
6th Grade              19

As a private school, Friendship House can offer an enhanced curriculum that includes Christian Education, computer skills, English, music, physical education, dance, and manual arts.

With support from Global Ministries, the school has been able to construct part of the physical facilities needed for its programs.  As funds become available they are working on further expansion of its facilities in order to accommodate its growth and provide more adequate spaces for its current programs.  The Board of Directors of the school is overseeing these expansion efforts, which include support for the Coronel community in general, which views the school as an important community institution that helps provide quality education for their children.