Paraguay Lower Chaco
$114,309 needed of $120,000
Implementing Organization
Church World Service (CWS)
Program Summary
The Gran Chaco region is an immense and little-heard-of region in the heart of South America. It is the biggest forest reserve on the continent after the Amazon and one of the largest dry forests in the world. A major ecosystem, it is also a region with great cultural diversity, home to 25 different indigenous ethnic groups including communities of Guarani, Wichi, Qom and Enxet Sur, who for centuries lived as semi-nomadic hunter gatherers before losing most of their land.
This program is a continuation of the ongoing work of Pastoral Social Diocesana de Benjamin Aceval to strengthen the development of indigenous communities of the Paraguayan Lower Chaco. Participants are learning to improve food security through regenerative practices in agriculture, livestock farming, and beekeeping. The program also focuses on water infrastructure, promoting the participation of indigenous women in water resource management decisions, promoting civic participation and facilitating community exchanges with institutions to increase access to basic services, and working with communities to identify and mitigate the risks posed to them by extreme weather events.
Genara's Story - Paraguay Lower Chaco
Success Stories
Women Supporting Women for the Good of All
Mariana and Mariza, two grandmothers who are organizers and leaders in their communities, have witnessed the struggles of indigenous women in their country over their lifetimes. They know the importance of advocating for other women, and have never stopped believing in the power of women to get things done.
Each one has been active in training events and workshops held by local partner Pastoral Social Diocesana Benjamin Aceval, learning and practicing new techniques for farming, water catchment and management, beekeeping, animal husbandry, home sanitation, nutritious meal prep, marketing and more in this dry region. They play a key role in motivating their neighbors to use this new knowledge in their homes, farms and communities.
The goal of a recent workshop was to strengthen the bonds between women within the same village, enhance female leadership, and promote an exchange of knowledge and mutual empowerment.
Mariana encouraged attendees to continue to fight for their rights, reminding them that the 1981 Law 904/81 established the rights of indigenous communities, and said, “We must use it as our tool.” Because of this law and the bravery of women, some indigenous communities have managed to recover ancestral lands that had been snatched away in illegal land grabs.
“Together we can advance in defending our rights and developing our communities.”
Mariza said, “I want to share how happy I am with Pastoral Social. Thanks to the training and workshops, the women in my community know our rights, we want them to be respected, and we strive to ensure they are upheld. We attend community meetings, participate, raise our voices, and request things for the community because women have a different perspective from men. We better understand the needs of the community.”
Mariana and Mariza represent the voices of women in their villages and have become beacons of hope and determination for all indigenous rural women working toward a more just and equitable future.
Paraguay Lower Chaco Program
Led by Church World Service and Local Partner Pastoral Social Diocesana Benjamin Aceval