The Work of Terre des Hommes in COLOMBIA

Since 2002, Terre des Hommes has been working in Colombia, the country with the highest number of internally displaced persons in the world.

The tragic consequences of the political and humanitarian crisis in Venezuela have forced approximately 1.5 million Venezuelans, including half a million children, to seek refuge in Colombia.

WHAT IS INCLUDED IN REMOTE SUPPORT?

• We organize first reception centers for migrants, particularly women and children in need of healthcare, psychological, and legal assistance.
• We provide financial support to the neediest families, also ensuring the distribution of food and health kits.
• We provide educational and psychological support to vulnerable children, also organizing recreational and cultural activities.
• We combat malnutrition by ensuring necessary assistance in the early years of children’s lives and raising awareness about personal hygiene practices.
• We provide psychosocial support to improve the growth of children born in emergency situations or in difficult family contexts.

WHAT DO WE DO WITH SPONSORSHIP AT A DISTANCE?

Thanks to Sponsorship at a Distance, we carry out projects for children in two neighborhoods of the capital, Bogotá, and in Norte de Santander, in Cucutà, with the aim of improving their living conditions. Thanks to Sponsorship at a Distance:

• We initiate projects to ensure school enrollment and regular attendance.
• We provide school supplies and educational materials to children and schools.
• We organize training courses and updates for teachers to include recreational activities as well.
• We support refugee children and adolescents with immediate aid projects.
• We improve school infrastructure, promoting inclusive educational programs aimed at integrating refugee children and victims of conflict.

A HELP TO ENSURE WOMEN’S INDEPENDENCE

Very often, Venezuelan women emigrating to Colombia and Colombian women who are victims of violence find themselves living in very complex socio-economic contexts. For this reason, we have launched a project to help them become more independent through the creation of income-generating activities. Thanks to the contribution of Goal International and the Spanish Insurance Company MAPFRE, we have helped 4000 women, and 500 have managed to start agricultural and commercial activities.