About us

Our vision

We dream of a flourishing and diverse natural environment where people and wildlife coexist harmoniously, in living and balanced ecosystems.

We envision a green and sustainable Paraguay with a healthy and stable ecosystem. Our goal is to create examples and habitats where living in harmony with nature, with mutual respect and fairness becomes the new normal.

We believe that happiness is a human birthright — and that it grows from a deep, healthy relationship with the Earth. Together with forests, animals, and fellow humans, we work spiritually and practically as pioneers, exploring the potentials of new societies and communities, as implementers of ideas. We wish to be role models and inspire others to do the same.

How Panambi came to life

I am Silvia Hagen and I am the founder of Panambi. My aim is to do whatever I can to support the reforestation of the Atlantic rainforest in Paraguay. Only about 50 years ago, 90% of Paraguay was covered by rainforest. It provided a beautiful habitat for the people and the animals and an incredible diversity of trees and plants. It was a perfect, selfsustaining ecosystem. Today the forest area has been cut down to about 10% of the land.

I have been an organizational consultant and coach for many years and worked with organizations and people worldwide. I saw the dysfunctionality in many organizations and in our societies and I wondered what could be the way to heal this disconnection and move into a healthier, more life-supporting culture.

When I discovered the concept of permaculture many years ago and learned about the principles and values of this holistic perspective I realized, that the principles that guide nature to be so perfect and selfsustaining can be applied to our organizations and societies.

Since 2022 I live in Paraguay for several months each year. In 2023, a beautiful piece of land found me — ten hectares with about six hectares of forest and about four hectares to be reforested. It was love at first sight. I felt an immediate sense of connection, a deep Yes. Ingo Klugert, a German with an agricultural background who had been living in Paraguay for many years, introduced me to this land, supported the purchase process, and helped the project getting started: fencing the property, clearing overgrowth, and planting the first 200 native trees.

This was the birth of Panambi. I established a Swiss non-profit association under the same name — Panambi means butterfly in Guaraní, the second official language of Paraguay, and symbolizes transformation, renewal, and beauty.

If you like to follow our first steps on the property, there are several posts about this work.

Our motivation to do this

Silvia Hagen spent about 30 years in consulting and coaching for large and mostly international organizations. Through this work, she gained deep insights into organizational dynamics and the challenges of navigating resistance to change and transformation.

About a decade ago, Silvia came across the twelve principles of Permaculture. These principles explain how nature thrives through self-sustaining cycles, adaptability, and efficient resource management. Remarkably, they can be applied almost directly to human society and organizations.

Her love for nature—especially forests—has been with her since childhood. As a child Silvia spent countless hours exploring the woods near her home, accompanied only by her dog. The forest was her sanctuary, a place where she felt safe and at peace. Fittingly, her name, Silvia, comes from the Latin word silva, meaning "forest."

Reforesting the Atlantic Rainforest is not just a project for Silvia - it is the purest expression of her lifelong passion. It is what her heart calls her to do.

This work is not about making money. In our modern economy, many of us have benefited financially—often at nature’s expense. Now, it is time to give back. We are happy to provide a platform, where you can join if you like to give back to life and nature.

Panambi, a rainforest project in Latin America, is a non-profit initiative dedicated to supporting both the rainforest and the people of Paraguay. The name Panambi comes from Guarani, Paraguay’s second official language, and means butterfly—a symbol of transformation and renewal.

Our team

Silvia Hagen

Founder & Visionary

More about Silvia

Our first team of Paraguayos working with Ingo - from left to right:
Roman, Dario, Ingo, Fermin, Anakleto

These guys have been Ingo's "Agriculture team" for many years; they understand and appreciate each other. Paraguayan people are very family oriented. so often we also meet with families for Asado or football.

It is very important for us to have an experienced and reliable team that wants to work with us and not against nature, because organic agriculture and organic forestry are almost non-existent in Paraguay, Permaculture and agroforestry systems are not integrated in the official educational systems.

Partners & supporters

We are happy to start a partnership with GREEN BOOTS. When I met Simona Kobel, the founder of GREEN BOOTS, this summer in Switzerland, we immediately felt a strong connection – sharing the same passion for the rainforest and a deep sense of responsibility for life on this planet. This partnership opens many doors — for joint activities, mutual support, and new ways of contributing to nature’s healing. More will unfold in the coming months.