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September 10, 2018
Rural and indigenous communities strengthen their coexistence in Paraguay



"Among young people, the problems begin to decrease. They plan and organize themselves and that helps strengthen community living in harmony," says Perriquín Villalba, a community promoter of the Joint Programme for Food and Nutrition Security of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Fund (SDG Fund), in coordination with local and national authorities and groups, and the support of organizations international Villalba, a native of the Sanapana village in the indigenous community of La Esperanza, in the rural department of Presidente Hayes, in Paraguay, stands out as a positive aspect of the arrival of the programme to the territory that the young people are bringing back to practice. ancestral within the community.

Among the activities that the SDG Fund program carries out in rural Paraguay, intercultural modules stand out. The promotion of non-formal education, "learning by doing", represents an important process of participatory construction carried out by representatives such as Perriquín Villalba. These are men and women, indigenous peoples of the territory of the programme, who work in the public service but also some selected specifically for the program, as in the case of Villalba.

This activity allowed us to build an intercultural space rich in ideas, knowledge and experiences in a context of cultural and intercultural diversity among the communities of seven indigenous peoples. The educational materials of the SDG Fund and the exchange of experiences are making it possible to strengthen ties between the different communities and promote peaceful coexistence.


Among young people, the problems begin to diminish, they plan and they are organized and that helps to strengthen the community coexistence in harmony.

Parriquín Villalba
Communications Promoter of the SDG Fund program in Paraguay

"The programme is very important for me and for my people too, we are receiving good training and teaching, it shows a great difference now in the community after working with this Program", explains Villalba. The promoter considers that everything they are receiving in relation to training and assistance as seed capital is very important and of great value. Villabla emphasizes that "since the arrival of the Program my people are learning a lot and above all it helps us to strengthen the positive spirit because this encourages people and this makes the community more interested in organizing and coordinating work".

Perriquín Villalba remarked that this programme program is different. "We are working with our people ourselves, receiving moral and affectionate support from the Program team, and that helps us improve the quality of life of families in the community," he says. "Now there is a mutual participation among the members of the community, in the field of work, leaders, young people and the community promoters of the programme. There is greater involvement in community meetings of women, adults, seniors and young people, "adds the community promoter.

My people are learning a lot and above all, they help us to strengthen the positive spirit

The main activities of community promoters consist of planning; coordination in community organization among leaders, leaders, youth, women; and planning activities with women for savings groups. They also carry out training to strengthen agriculture and self-consumption in the community.

The Food and Nutrition Security program is currently a model for working with communities, mainly indigenous peoples. The strategy of implementing a graduation process has been redesigned in which, family by family, thematic and soft skills are generated to aim to improve the quality of life of families. In this sense, we have also worked with the formation of women's savings groups, based on financial education, life plans and the generation of income of the members of the groups. This process strengthens the confidence and empowerment of their own lives and development.

"Participating in training will improve the lives of young people who can now work in various areas and thus have an activity every day and keep their mind occupied," concludes Parriquín Villalba.