Contributing to the education and emotional well-being of children affected by the Venezuelan migration crisis in the department of La Guajira
Colombia is home to more than 2.9 million Venezuelans driven into exile by the economic and social crisis that has persisted in their country since 2015. Many of them are unaccompanied minors or minors separated from their parents, who are extremely vulnerable because, in addition to the difficulties migrants face in accessing basic services (food, drinking water, safe housing, healthcare, education and information, etc.), children and teenagers face major protection risks, such as violence, exploitation and sexual abuse.
The families benefiting from this project were reunited as part of previous projects set up by SOS Children’s Villages in Colombia with the support of SOS Children’s Villages Worldwide, aimed at strengthening the families of Venezuelan migrants in Colombia and enabling Venezuelan children separated from their biological parents on the way to exile to be reunited with them (see a summary of these projects). Once family reunification has been achieved, we continue to work with the children to ensure that they receive all the attention and care they need in their families of origin.
In this context, a need has been identified among the children of families benefiting from our projects in the La Guajira region: in some families where the parents work, the children are left alone or in the care of third parties for part of the day, which has negative consequences for their well-being and safety, especially as many of them do not attend school.
child-friendly space
In order to respond to the educational needs identified for these children, a non-formal education strategy has been implemented that is integrated into the Colombian education system. This strategy promotes child protection, provides psychosocial and pedagogical support and reinforces the development of the capacities of children, adolescents, families and communities.
Previous actions implemented by SOS Children’s Villages in Colombia have led to a clear empowerment of families, who have become actors in their own development. It has been shown that the active and committed participation of families in the educational process leads to more solid development for their children. To this end, it has been proposed to build and adapt a ‘child-friendly’ space in the town of Riohacha, where migrant children and adolescents identified as targets will receive attention through non-formal education and the strengthening of family protection and support, essential tools for overcoming the obstacles they encounter and building their future.
Two days a week, the children will go to this adapted space divided into 4 zones: logical-mathematical thinking, language and communication, development of emotional capacities and protection. In order to respond to the objective of empowering the families, this space will be built by the community, on land that belongs to it and that will be returned to it at the end of the project.
PERIOD:
April to December 2024
BENEFICIARIES:
- 50 children, aged 7 to 17, in and out of school
- 25 adults (parents, young adults aged 18 to 25, community leaders)
OBJECTIVE:
To contribute to the emotional well-being, protection and prevention of family separation of girls, boys and adolescents affected by the Venezuelan migratory crisis, whether or not they are enrolled in the Colombian education system, by reducing educational gaps and increasing opportunities for access to formal education in La Guajira.
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Colombia: Keeping Venezuelan migrant families together
Venezuela has been experiencing one of the biggest displacement crises in recent years. More than 7.7 million Venezuelans have fled the country, including 2.9 million (36.6% of whom are children) to Colombia. Despite recent positive developments (integration of Venezuelan migrants living in Colombia, normalisation of relations between the two countries), the government’s support is still […]