Medellín, January 2023 | ADRA Colombia Press.

Kendry’s mother tells us that she had to migrate to Colombia due to the economic crisis in her country. She says, “I came because of the situation in Venezuela. I worked at a hardware store, and the salary I earned was barely enough to eat.” Thinking about her son’s future, she decided to undertake her journey alone and arrived in Medellín. It took her 8 months to finally bring her son to Colombia. She says, “Those were very difficult months.”

They faced some of the challenges that migrants face when arriving in Colombia, such as accessing the education system. She describes having many difficulties in finding a school available for her son to study near their home. Additionally, obtaining some of the school documents from Venezuela that were requested by the educational institution was complex. After much effort, she managed to enroll her son, and Kendry is currently in 10th grade.

However, their desire is for Kendry to complete his studies in a technical program with a focus on bioanalysis, through an agreement with the SENA (National Learning Service). But among the documents required for this process, they were asked for certification of affiliation with a health insurance provider (EPS). Kendry does not have access to the healthcare system in Colombia because his regularization process to obtain Temporary Protection Status (PPT) is still ongoing. So, both mother and son felt that this opportunity for technical training was being closed off to them.

Thanks to the information provided by a friend and the reference to ADRA in the area as an organization that provides healthcare assistance to the migrant population, they were able to register in the SASVEN project, implemented with the support of ADRA International.

Since arriving in Colombia, they had not been able to receive any medical attention. They attended a check-up with a doctor, and Kendry received the ADRA card that identifies him as a beneficiary of the health program. This card helped him continue his academic education while the regularization process through the PPT is being completed. With the happiness of a mother concerned for her son’s well-being, she says, “Thanks to the medical care provided by ADRA, my son Kendry was able to demonstrate at school that he receives healthcare and can continue his studies.”