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Meet Our Founder & Director: Ronald García
Team Tobatí was started in 1998 from a simple but powerful idea: one teacher’s deep love for his heritage could spark meaningful change. Ronald García, a passionate Spanish teacher and coach at Kingswood Oxford School, joined forces with a group of motivated students to launch a service trip to Tobatí, Paraguay and the rest is inspiring history.
Born to Paraguayan immigrants who arrived in the United States in 1971, Ron grew up making annual visits to Paraguay. He spent cherished time with his father’s family in Asunción and his mother’s family in Tobatí. Those formative trips opened his eyes to both the challenges faced by so many families and the incredible resilience, warmth, openness, and joy of the Paraguayan people. Those experiences shaped his heart and purpose.
Ron created Team Tobatí so his students could experience the same life-changing perspective he gained as a child. Since the first trip in 1999, the team has traveled to Paraguay each March. Every project, every fundraiser, and every moment in Tobatií has been driven by one optimistic belief: education and opportunity can transform lives.
Ron witnessed how education helped his own parents break the cycle of poverty and build a bright future. Today, he pours that same hope into the young people of Tobatí. The Macchi School, beautifully named after Ron’s grandfather, stands as a shining testament to this vision and the power of possibility.
Today, Ron continues to lead Team Tobatí with boundless energy, guiding students toward meaningful service and showing everyone involved that when hearts come together, ¡todo es posible!
Questions? Feel free to reach out to Ron directly at garcia.r@kingswoodoxford.org.