Babs Owen in Paraguay

Babs is working in Asuncion in Paraguay, teaching at the Collegio San Andres.

The country is landlocked, in economical crisis, and like many South American countries, very divided between the wealthy and the poor.

The cities may look like Western ones, but the poor live crammed into corners. Babs has also been working among street kids.

The school is set in the elegant, leafy avenues of the wealthy, residential area of Asuncion. Most of its pupils come from the professional and governing classes but the school also runs an Annexe for children living in conditions of extreme poverty. The aim of the Anglican Church, which supports the school, is to evangelise the professional and middle classes. Many of the children at the school are likely to secure jobs and positions of influence in the country. Some former pupils of St Andrew’s have said of the spiritual teaching which is very prominent in the school “it was more useful than all the other knowledge!”, and “it has been my guide for my whole life.”

As a primary school teacher, Babs has a real heart for young people. After reading about some of the conditions faced by children in South and Latin America, she felt very strongly against what seemed to be happening. She realised that there are children in the UK in dire circumstances but her heart really yearned for the children in South America and so she started the initial process in applying to SAMS. As she pushed doors, God seemed to open them and so she just walked through.