Church World Service - Chaco Initiative
Unverified non-profit organisation
Church World Service (CWS) is a cooperative ministry of 37 Christian denominations and communions in the United States. The Chaco program is a long-term tri-national effort led by CWS to improve the quality of life of the indigenous peoples of South America’s Chaco region by strengthening the capacity of communities to promote their right to recover land and live free of hunger and oppression. The initiative seeks to secure the rights of indigenous people to their lands, as well as provide needed technical assistance in areas of agricultural development, education, and the creation of small business enterprises. The Chaco program trained indigenous leaders on using international law to support land claim and indigenous youth in using GPS for mapping ancestral lands. CWS partners worked together to promote sustainable livelihoods by training dozens of families in sustainable agriculture – seed banks, goat and hog farming, etc., and promoting youth education and empowerment, especially for women.