South American Gran Chaco
The Gran Chaco region of Argentina, Bolivia and Paraguay is twice the size of California. It’s vast, but few people live here.
Indigenous families live alongside poor farmers, not always peacefully. Despite their differences, everyone faces poverty and significant challenges like water shortages. And more and more land is being turned into commercial farms at the expense of families' well-being.
Our team and our partners know that it doesn’t have to be this way. That’s why we’re part of a long-term, cross-border initiative to raise the standard of living in the region. We're teaming up with communities to improve water access. We're making it easier for families to raise livestock and cultivate lush gardens. At the forefront of all these efforts is a goal of raising the people's voices in defense of their rights.
There’s a long road ahead for families here. But they are not walking it alone.
Latest Updates
Beekeeping: an unexpected lifeline in Paraguay
Indigenous communities have lived in the Gran Chaco region of Paraguay for centuries. And for most of that time, families had lots of ways to earn a living. They hunted, fished, ate local fruits, consumed local honey and made crafts. This lifestyle was largely possible because they could move freely across the vast region. It wasn’t an easy way of …
In Argentina, United by a Need for Water
No matter who you are, you need water to survive. No matter where you live, you need water to survive. No matter where you grew up, what you look like or how old you are, you need water to survive. So what happens when you live in an area with hardly any water? This is a question that some of …
Women’s Right to Water: a “Learning Route” in Argentina
It was the end of October, and spring had just started in Argentina. In the Gran Chaco region, though, it felt like the middle of summer as the temperature easily reached 110° F. We were in Orán, a town in the province of Salta in the Gran Chaco. Thirty women got together to exchange experiences and learn new technologies for …