Paraguayan Students Risk Lives Crossing River on Raft to Reach School

In the heart of Amambay, Paraguay, a stark reality unfolds daily for the students of the Pikykua Indigenous School. These young learners, eager for education, are forced to navigate the treacherous waters of the Aquidabán River via a makeshift raft, a perilous journey that has tragically claimed lives, including two students in the past year alone. This precarious situation underscores a profound governmental neglect, as promises made by the Ministry of Public Works and Communications (MOPC) in 2024 to construct a much-needed bridge remain unfulfilled. The situation is compounded by the dilapidated state of the school itself, with classrooms showing significant cracks and posing a risk of collapse, and a lack of basic amenities like a functioning canteen. From our perspective at ABC Color, this is not merely an infrastructure issue; it is a critical failure to uphold the fundamental right to education for indigenous communities. While international coverage might focus on the dramatic river crossing, we emphasize the systemic abandonment and the urgent need for the government to honor its commitments. The safety and future of these children, who are the future of Paraguay, depend on immediate action.

“

The only way to get to the site from other communities and from some areas of the same community is by crossing the river, because we don't have many schools in the area.