Guaraní and Kaiowá Water Access: Dignity of Life in the Amambai, Taquaperi and Kurusu Ambá Villages, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil.

The Guarani and Kaiowá, who self-identify as Pai-Tavyterã, are the second-largest Indigenous group in Brazil, with approximately 50,000 people, primarily concentrated in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul. Their rich history and culture stretch back centuries, with archaeological evidence suggesting their distinct culture emerged around the 5th century CE. 

The Guarani cosmovision is deeply rooted in their relationship with the land and nature. Central to their worldview is the concept of "tekoha", which represents not just a physical space but the place where they can fully realize their way of being, encompassing their social, economic, and spiritual practices. This holistic understanding of their environment has shaped their traditions and continues to influence their struggles today.

Traditionally, the Guarani and Kaiowá were semi-nomadic, practicing sustainable agriculture, hunting, and gathering. Their social structure revolves around extended family units, with strong emphasis on community decision-making and the guidance of spiritual leaders. The Guarani language, still widely spoken, is considered sacred and plays a crucial role in their ceremonies and daily life.

In recent centuries, the Guarani and Kaiowá have faced significant challenges due to colonization, land dispossession, and forced relocation. The late 19th and early 20th centuries saw the exploitation of their territories for yerba mate extraction, followed by systematic colonization that intensified in the 1960s. This led to the current situation where many Guarani and Kaiowá live in overcrowded reservations or have initiated "retomadas", reoccupations of their traditional territories.

Today, these communities face numerous challenges, including limited access to their traditional lands, inadequate access to health care and education, food insecurity and malnutrition, environmental degradation of their territories, and lack of basic infrastructure, including clean water access. Alarmingly, the Guarani and Kaiowá continue to face recurrent violence from surrounding agribusiness ventures, with reports of attacks, intimidation, and land conflicts emerging as recently as the past week (09/20/2024). Despite these immense difficulties, the Guarani and Kaiowá persist in their fight for their rights, preserving their culture and working towards a better future for their People, drawing strength from their rich traditions and deep connection to the land.

The Guarani and Kaiowá families supported by the Yvy Marane'ỹ Institute face several interconnected challenges:

Health and Agriculture at Risk: The Water Crisis
The severe shortage of drinking water in family territories threatens health through dehydration and increased waterborne diseases. This scarcity also jeopardizes traditional farming and food security by limiting irrigation, compounding the challenges faced by these communities.

Limited Resources 
Families struggle with a lack of support and infrastructure from local public institutions, exacerbating their already precarious living conditions.

Economic Hardship 
Men often must leave their territories to find low-paying, informal work in urban areas, disrupting family structures and traditional ways of life.

Social and Health Issues 
The forced economic migration leads to additional problems such as alcohol abuse, stress, and depression among community members.

Loss of Hope
Women in the community particularly suffer from a collective sense of despair, struggling to envision a future with greater dignity and food security.

These issues combine to create a cycle of poverty and marginalization that the Yvy Marane'ỹ Institute is working to address through its targeted interventions.

The Yvy Marane'ỹ "Land Without Evil" Institute is an Indigenous-led non-profit organization established five years ago to improve the living conditions, human dignity, and autonomy of the Guaraní and Kaiowá Indigenous population in southern Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. It comprises 40 members from about 20 families, primarily from the Amambai village (population over 10,000), with additional members from Taquaperi village and the Kurusu Ambá and Jopará settlements.

The organization concentrates its efforts on health, education, traditional farming, and environmental protection, aiming to strengthen traditional Guaraní and Kaiowá identities and practices. It does so by working closely with traditional councils, Indigenous women and youth, shamans, leaders, and relevant public institutions, to ensure a comprehensive approach to community development.

The institute maintains important relationships with FIAN Brazil and Meli Bees Network, leveraging these connections to enhance its impact and reach.

The Institute's objectives encompass a wide range of activities, including: implementing agricultural production initiatives; advising on social mobilization; securing resources for health, education, and environmental actions; improving living conditions for the Guaraní and Kaiowá; promoting cultural exchange and preservation; supporting policy formulation and research; encouraging environmental and territorial management; and defending Indigenous Peoples' rights.

The Yvy Marane'ỹ Institute serves as a beacon of hope for its members, inspiring collective action to overcome social vulnerability and resource scarcity through organized efforts. By keeping the Institute alive in a collective and participatory way, the families are motivated to believe in reversing situations of extreme social vulnerability and lack of resources.

Follow the Yvy Marane'ỹ Institute through their official Instagram account:

Guaraní and Kaiowá Water Access: Dignity of Life in the Amambai, Taquaperi and Kurusu Ambá Villages, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil.

The Yvy Marane'ỹ Institute's current project focuses on addressing the critical issue of water access for Guarani and Kaiowá families. The project involves:

- Drilling 10 artesian boreholes in strategic locations to provide access to clean water for drinking and irrigation.

- Adapting and reorganizing power supplies to support the new wells and water distribution systems.

- Installing power stations where necessary to ensure all families can benefit from the new water sources.

- Providing water tanks and essential materials to families gaining water access.

- Overseeing the installation of electric hydraulic pumps for each well.

The project distinguishes between two scenarios:

For families in the Amambai village reservation area 
The focus is on purchasing and installing water tanks with hydraulic systems to store the potable water already supplied to the village.

For families in other villages
The project will drill boreholes to replace the current reliance on water trucks.

This initiative lays the groundwork for a broader, transformative project focusing on food sovereignty and income generation. The Institute is already planning this second phase, which aims to: Produce food for each member family; Geo-reference member territories; Establish planting and growing calendars; Ensure seed sustainability through sharing and propagation; Promote traditional handicraft workshops; Provide training in agroecology and sustainability; Facilitate the sale of surplus food products at local fairs and markets.

This second phase is already being designed and planned by the Institute, and meetings with local authorities and national entities such as the Ministry of Indigneous Peoples have already taken place to guarantee different funding and support sources.

By addressing the fundamental need for water access, the Yvy Marane'ỹ Institute is paving the way for long-term, sustainable improvements in the lives of Guarani and Kaiowá families.