June 21, 2026 at – 06:00
The hard work of olero allowed Juan Genaro Fernández (73), better known as Pipoca, to raise a total of 10 children with his wife. He hopes that current generations of parents can once again instill Paraguayan values and culture in their children.
Born on Chaco’i Island, located in front of the old port of Concepción, Pipoca Fernandez He worked as a young man on ranches located in the Paraguayan Chaco. Upon returning from Chaco, he began working as a bricklayer in the city of Concepción.
After a while he had the proposal to go work in the construction of the Itaipu Binationalwent to the east of the country for a year and a half.
The Paraguay River flood of 1979 affected Chaco’i Island, the house where his mother lived was taken by water. This situation forced him to return to the north.
One of his sisters worked in the Social Pastoral of the Diocese of Concepción; the bishop was Aníbal Maricevich Fleitas. At that time the Catholic Church ordered houses to be built for people with limited resources; one of those in charge of these works was Pipoca Fernández.
Then he became the smelting shop manager located in the northern sector of the city of Concepción, since then, in 1988, he has worked as a smeller. This job allowed him to raise his children, 5 men and 5 women.
The humble worker hopes that the new generation of parents can educate your children in values and let their descendants know the paraguayan culture.
