2007.01.14: January 14, 2007: Headlines: COS - Paraguay: Charlotte Observer: John and Holley Nichols spent 2 years as Peace Corps Volunteers in Paraguay
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2007.01.14: January 14, 2007: Headlines: COS - Paraguay: Charlotte Observer: John and Holley Nichols spent 2 years as Peace Corps Volunteers in Paraguay
John and Holley Nichols spent 2 years as Peace Corps Volunteers in Paraguay
They lived in a very small house with rudimentary electricity (a bare bulb in each room and a small refrigerator), no running water and no insulation. They used a small gas stove to cook their meals. A radio and a cell phone with very sporadic service provided their only link with the outside world. As an agroforestry extension volunteer, John Nichols' days were spent working one-on-one with farmers teaching them a wide variety of skills, including sustainable gardening practices, ways to plant cash and food crops, and how to plant cover crops to replenish the soil. Instead of being assigned a teaching position as she first assumed, Holley Nichols served as a beekeeping extension volunteer. She taught farmers how to build bee boxes, how to capture bees in the wild, and how to make homemade beekeeping equipment on a shoestring budget (a matchbox or a hard plastic hair roller plugged at each end with a corn cob makes a great temporary home for the queen bee.)
John and Holley Nichols spent 2 years as Peace Corps Volunteers in Paraguay
Time in Peace Corps was well-spent, couple says
John, Holley Nichols back in Matthews after 2 years in Paraguay
MELINDA JOHNSTON
John and Holley Nichols are back in Matthews after serving in Paraguay for two years as Peace Corps volunteers.
The two graduated from UNC Chapel Hill in 2003. Holding a double major in Spanish and psychology, Windsor native Holley Nichols taught Spanish for a year at Crestdale Middle School after graduation and before the Peace Corps.
John Nichols, who graduated with a degree in biology, was a substitute teacher and tutor at Charlotte Latin, his alma mater.
Even before graduation, the couple knew they wanted to join the Peace Corps. (They applied as a married couple even before they tied the knot, knowing it takes longer to place couples because of the logistics of finding an area where both of their skills are needed.)
They were married in April 2004 and that September headed to South America.
Newlyweds, they were thrust into a different culture with a different language (Guarani) and a very different way of life.
And that's exactly what they signed up for.
"We wanted to apply what we had learned to help folks in a developing country. We also wanted to have an experience of what most Americans see as living outside the norm," said Holley Nichols.
And, compared with life in America, their lives in Tambory, Misiones Paraguay were anything but normal.
They lived in a very small house with rudimentary electricity (a bare bulb in each room and a small refrigerator), no running water and no insulation. They used a small gas stove to cook their meals. A radio and a cell phone with very sporadic service provided their only link with the outside world.
As an agroforestry extension volunteer, John Nichols' days were spent working one-on-one with farmers teaching them a wide variety of skills, including sustainable gardening practices, ways to plant cash and food crops, and how to plant cover crops to replenish the soil.
Instead of being assigned a teaching position as she first assumed, Holley Nichols served as a beekeeping extension volunteer. She taught farmers how to build bee boxes, how to capture bees in the wild, and how to make homemade beekeeping equipment on a shoestring budget (a matchbox or a hard plastic hair roller plugged at each end with a corn cob makes a great temporary home for the queen bee.)
Both of them taught occasional classes and sometimes worked together on projects.
They received a small stipend to take care of their expenses while there, but both say since there was nothing to buy, they never wanted for money.
But, says John Nichols, had there been a Blockbuster with movie rentals nearby, that may have been a different story.
Over their two years of service, they not only grew closer to each other, but also close to many of the 400 folks in the village where they lived.
"When we first arrived there, the customs and the language were so different, just understanding what they were saying was such a challenge. By the end of the two years, those barriers had melted and some of the folks were like family. We all cared about each other," said Holley Nichols.
John Nichols said the experience taught him that one person can make a difference.
"It was a great opportunity to work with people one-on-one with their environmental problems. There is a lot going on in the world, and there are a lot of problems out there, but if you take them one by one and do what you personally can, you can make a big difference," said John Nichols.
What are they doing now? For the next six months, the couple plans to live at John's childhood home in Matthews. Both hope to find temporary employment.
In the fall, they'll move to Washington, where Holley will attend grad school at George Washington University seeking a degree in International Education, while John hopes to work for a nonprofit environmental agency. After Holley graduates, John plans to pursue his master's degree.
Want to Know More?
While they are in town, John and Holley Nichols would love to talk to civic, church, and other groups about their experiences in Paraguay. You may contact them at jnichols@alumni.unc.edu. Melinda
Johnston
Melinda Johnston writes about people, places, and happenings in Matthews; mjohnston@charlotteobserver.com
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Headlines: January, 2007; Peace Corps Paraguay; Directory of Paraguay RPCVs; Messages and Announcements for Paraguay RPCVs; North Carolina
When this story was posted in February 2007, this was on the front page of PCOL:
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Story Source: Charlotte Observer
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