Plans For A Mudroom Bench

Neufeld The colony in Paraguay, dream or nightmare?

Paraguay - the land of opportunity - a dream for many Germans from Russia who want to build through animal husbandry and agriculture within a supportive community a living. This dream saw Nadia and her husband Vladimir Kononov within reach, only they were aware not know what she was expecting a nightmare really.

I must say my curiosity was great, many hair-raising stories I can hear in the past by returnees from the colony Neufeld. Now she was there, the opportunity! I could Nadja Kononov the fight for their property that they would take a day longer in the colony support.
with judges, prosecutors and the police assistance we went around noon on 22 September 2008, on the way to the colony Neufeld. Nadja Kononov told me on the way that they differ from the professional promotional video, and the promises by Nicolai N. could hide. "We have allowed ourselves the abuses of the colony to speak openly about what not to do the other colonists for fear of reprisals indicated. After long consideration, we then decided to leave the colony and against the machinations of Nikolai N. legal action. This gave us the black list of the colony, and we were a colony of access to our belongings and denied. "Nadja so for a few days earlier, five hours in sweltering heat with a screaming baby in her arms outside the entrance of the colony and demanded . without success inlet
I insisted, and asked about the main reasons to leave the colony Neufeld
Nadia looked at me and said. "Well, not everyone sees it as its fulfillment, to work in the canteen for the full days food odors to breathe. particularly if you get from the Neufeld organizers in Germany found jobs as tour guide or a journalist in view, then meets a fate of a pig breeder or a way maker but very hard. "Even the education for their children not fully complied with the ideas that they had made efforts in promotion for the colony. Definitively crucial for leaving the colony for Nadja, among many other reasons, however, lack of medical care. The well-appointed doctor's office is indeed decorated by a highly modern dentist's chair and a perfect still life. However, the smile of the doctor's assistant with little cap does not help much if a real emergency is coming up. Nadja, then pregnant, could not imagine that the distance to Caazapa could be overcome in time on the gravel roads, without it they would take or the child health claims.
With eyes fixed to the huge potholes and puddles, clenched his hands into the holders of the car, we ride the last two of six hours spent on the way to the colony Neufeld. A
of trouble in the world far away idyllic country life has a price and pay for the needs of each visitor who tortures his car on the muddy and muddy dirt roads to the colony. Novices like us it can happen even before, that the depth of a puddle of false conclusions and put to their own detriment in the middle of the big mud holes remain. Because of this small incident, we arrived at the colony also after dark. There we learned that the prosecutor and the judge Alicia Fariña, who had gone ahead, the colony had already left in the direction Caazapa. In the final sprint to Caazapa, because we needed the expensive legal fees by purchased to be able to take many punches, paper provided with a judicial statement to Kononovs belongings in the colony as. Without this paper and would be stationed in the colony to monitor police station of Nadia was probably continues to refuse access.
jolted the next morning at four clock we for the second time through puddles and rutted tracks in the direction of colony-Neufeld, on time and then after about seven clock the seven mountains to arrive at the 200 colonists. Armed with a camera waiting for us, the secretary and the son of the chairman of the colony. Nadja came easily to a halt when she had directed at them armed with camera, even with a paper claim, which was hers. Immediately directed the camera threatening to me when I asked why such a judicial and police action was necessary at all. Perch has been invited to give I know who I am and who I work for. I was outed as a journalist for the time being no further answers. I then tried stubbornly to interview the colonists to provide an objective reporting some positive things about the colony to learn. A conversation with a young man was suddenly interrupted by an interruption of the secretary of the colony. This would not have been necessary, because the young man spoke only positively about the bush.
After we watched for hours as the household goods were loaded from the one into the other container, it surprised Nadja a little disappointed that very few colonists could be seen at the spectacle.
The question is what effect the increased dependence by the remoteness of the colonists from the only employer in this remote area on the behavior. A question which we in such a short visit can not get to the bottom, and I will not allow me guess. It's just unfortunate that there is a so-called black list that builds the management of the Neufeld-colony a psychological pressure on the settlers and ex-colonists.
noon, when all the colonists assembled at the lunch in the cafeteria, Nadia, was expressly stated that they should not expect here to get something to eat. She was not finally invited to the private property of Nikolai N. reside.
With a huge hunger in the stomach twice an equally aware of how much one depends on the discretion in this remote part of the colony. Short term was I also feel queasy in the stomach, for I had not brought me food in this wasteland. But we were all out Nadja participate in the rich, very delicious food. The atmosphere and ambience in the cafeteria filled with people cried with me memories of textbooks on collective farms and the GDR awake, in which the division of labor, the merging of the individual in the community as major components of the socialist way of life were described. Each part of the community due under this philosophy, the same wage, which is handled by the administration of the colony Sun Regardless of occupation, experience or commitment to working men earn $ 500 and women $ 400 a month as an employee of the colony. In addition, the Administration will pay each employee lunch in the canteen set up properly.
were Over the lengthy procession matter the secretary and the son of the manager of the colony a little more talkative and noted the progress made in the colony recently. "We are a colony in the building, which is determined in need of improvement," he hinted.
The fact that the colony actually in the building process is, I could understand the basis of Nadia's stories. Both the new cafeteria and an ice cream parlor has one during their completed his prolonged absence. The as Nadja almost inhumane described "emergency housing" almost all are empty, since the people lived privately cheaper or have built quite quickly myself. In addition, said the son of the manager, they would have slashed the price of the emergency housing something. Compared to the rental of the emergency housing (single room ) formerly with the rental offers of the state capital, one would get in Asunción for even a house with a pool.
Then it was time, Nadja confirmed to the police with their signature that they received the full contents of their container. The immediate departure from the colony was before, as the secretary presented with a beaming smile Nadia a hefty bill for € 900.00 for a storage space rental for 9 months. Finally, had the 40 foot container within the 25,000 hectare site by Nikolai N. a significant position were utilized, which had its price. Incredulously watched all interested parties to the bill issued in the euro still has in being formed Neufeld colony that is neither a tax ID, or a ratified legal form. For here is still Nicolai N. the sole owner and ruler of his colony.
attacked after a short, stunned pause to any mobile phone to find out if this demand is now legally and whether Nadja after they had not only left in, now be stated until they could have paid the required amount. Fortunately, the National Police, the court order that Nadja leave together with the container, the colony had since helped the spontaneous invasion of the colony administration nothing. Happily we left late at night, the colony, and we stayed on the long way back enough time to digest the experience.