PLACE: Nanawa
COUNTY: Municipality of Nanawa
The municipality of Nanawa is located on an island surrounded by the Paraguay and Pilcomayo rivers and has a population of six thousand. The island is located opposite the Argentine town of Clorinda, from which the 75-meter Pilcomayo riverbed separates it. The population of Nanawa, made up of fishermen, farmers and small traders, survives on small exchanges with the Argentine town, exchanges secured by a wooden footbridge that crosses the river, uniting the two municipalities. Nanawa is so dependent on the town of Clorinda that even the island’s drinking water comes from across the river through a pipe attached to the footbridge.
The new footbridge, now supported by concrete piers and no longer made of wood, cost little as the benefiting population organized into teams to provide free labor to build “their” bridge that finally replaces the old footbridge that has become hopelessly impractical.
