Project Leda Presentation (WFWP Chile)
WFWP Chile held a monthly meeting on September 24, and it was a great opportunity to get an overview of the Leda project, both its current progress and its beginnings. The purpose of this was to show an example of perseverance and unwavering commitment.
This presentation is all the more significant because it was given by one of the founding pioneers of what is now the project's facilities. Reverend Michihito Sano, a 73 year old Japanese national, told us about his experience with a group of Japanese pioneer members of the Family Federation who went to Puerto Leda, Paraguay in 1999, after Rev. Dr. Sun Myung Moon, co-founder of WFWPI, purchased the land to make the project possible. Rev. Moon's vision included caring for nature by creating a space for its conservation (as Pantanal is the largest marshland in the world), contributing to the development of local communities, which includes indigenous tribes, seeking a solution for future food shortages in the world and thus creating a city that would serve as a model and example for all countries to follow.
Unlike the capital city of Asunción, which had headquarters and everything necessary to carry out activities, Leda was a diamond in the rough. Leda is 500 direct kilometers away from the capital and if traveling by river, that distance almost doubles. It is easy to see why the government had not invested in its development due to its lack of accessibility. The pioneers themselves had to get their own food naturally and use a septic tank before they could build a house with toilets. But that was not the only important thing. They invested all possible resources to build schools, research facilities and natural cultivation. They experimented with planting different types of vegetables to feed the communities; they planted Pacu, a type of fish that had been reducing in numbers; they built an open zoo; and they have implemented successful workshops to teach different job skills, among many other things.
Having turned the area into a tourist attraction where more than 100,000 people a year arrive, including young people from other countries who seek to contribute through volunteering, it gained nationwide attention. The Leda Project even garnered the attention of the government of Paraguay, that the president went to witness the planting of pacu. It has been the unwavering 20 years investment and many people who have supported which has borne fruit in the happiness of many people.
The WFWP members appreciated hearing something enriching that inspired us and taught us to go beyond our own difficulties, especially when it comes to helping others. Anything we do with the right motivation can become a good legacy for others to utilize in the future.
