Supporting New Arrivals from Venezuela to Colombia

Colombia currently hosts 1.8 million Venezuelan migrants who have fled economic and political unrest in the country. After crossing the border into Columbia, many of these migrants are left vulnerable and have trouble accessing public health, education, protection, and livelihood services and opportunities.

In the past few months, we have been busy with a number of projects. Here is a brief summary of just a few of them:

Water for Indigenous Communities

Until recently, the Wayuu indigenous community in Manuare, La Guajira walked 3-4 kilometers to access water. Without regular access to safe drinking water, the community often relied on contaminated water or purchased expensive water delivered by boats from Cartagena.
WATCH NOW our video to learn more about this project and the Wayuu community. 

Juntos Somos Resilientes 

We held certification ceremonies in Barranquilla & Cartagena for participants of the online MHPSS course, "Juntos Somos Resilientes." The training targeted three different groups: teachers from the public education system who work with migrants, frontline workers from partner NGOs, and civil servants from the public Child Protection unit. This program provided capacity building and MHPSS training for both professionals and those newer to the field. The training was aimed at expanding their toolkits and professional capacities to respond to specific challenges the community faces, in particular in light of COVID-19.

Seed Capital 

Seed capital was delivered to 14 entrepreneurs in our livelihoods program. After completing business skills training and presenting their business plans, the entrepreneurs received the necessary machines and supplies to start or improve their businesses, which include bakeries, cabinet makers, sportswear manufacturing, and an ice cream parlor. We were honored to be joined by the Mayor's Office of Barranquilla and Secretaría de Desarrollo Económico de Barranquilla