David lived with his wife and young son in Venezuela; given the situation in their country, they began to plan their migration to Colombia. He says that the main basic services for a dignified life were increasingly precarious and deficient; in addition, the income they earned from their work was not enough to pay for food, much less for medical care. The time came when they were left without sufficient resources.

They decided to sell what they still had and raise money for their trip and to cover their basic needs for the first few days. They left for Medellín, where David’s sister was already living and could provide support. They traveled 28 hours and faced various situations at the border and on their journey; leaving Venezuela was not easy.

After a few months they managed to find a place to live and little by little they have begun to rebuild their lives and try to obtain what they need; however, since they were in Venezuela one of their biggest concerns was the health of their son, who has suffered from asthma, and there he could not access a complete treatment. This situation has worsened due to temperature changes and because David and his wife, as irregular migrants, do not have access to the Colombian health system or to a formal job to generate sufficient resources to pay for private medical consultations. They have sought timely medical attention at health centers but have been denied service or treatment.

The neighbor who rented where they live today told them about ADRA and the assistance it provides to the migrant population. This is how David got in touch with the ADRA team; together with his family, they were registered in a timely manner in the migrant response project (Global Initiative for the Americas), which ADRA implements with the support of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and received care at the associated clinic Adventist University IPS. David’s son had his first medical consultation, received medication and laboratory tests to start the respective treatment and has continued to attend medical consultations for control and follow-up; his entire family has also attended the doctor, and all received the project’s identification card, which allows them to receive care during the life of the project.

David shares with us that: “…we came here, and they treated us wonderfully”.
“I was one of those who could never go to the doctor, I didn’t know how I was and here they have taken care of me, they have given me these check-ups; I didn’t even know I was suffering from high blood pressure and that was hurting me and here I am taking care of it, regulating it… Here at ADRA the doctor sees the child, sends him for the test, sees what damage he has, this has been a blessing for us”.

“…. We were told that here in Medellin there were organizations that were helping Venezuelans, but we did not know the level…. I am amazed, we thank God every day for this help, we really do, may God bless them, and may he continue to multiply them, and may they also reach other people who do not have this help.”

She managed to get an informal job, but due to the stress of the difficult situation she has been going through, she began to suffer from various health problems, and she had not seen a doctor for a long time.

Nor Jean entered Colombia without regular documents and the deadline to apply for the Temporary Protection Permit issued by the government for the Venezuelan migrant population had already expired; therefore, she has no affiliation or access to the Colombian health system to receive medical care.

The Health Secretariat of the Mayor’s Office of the city held a day of services in the neighborhood where lives, and thanks to the coordinated work with ADRA Colombia as an entity that provides humanitarian assistance to the migrant population, she was referred to receive care. The ADRA team contacted Nor Jean and in a timely manner the first medical consultation was scheduled at the Adventist University IPS clinic, where she received the care that she needed; she also received medication and laboratory tests. She has been able to continue attending follow-up medical appointments for her health and diabetes.
ADRA’s social work team has also provided with information and guidance for her and her family regarding other institutions that can provide care for complementary services and other basic needs.

“I am very happy with the care received at ADRA, from the way they receive you, the way they treat you, the way the doctor treated me. It is incredible that they offer us medications; I feel that they do not provide care only for the physical part, but from the treatment I feel that they contribute to the mental part, because it is a space where I can talk without being singled out, without being persecuted. So, I feel very good with ADRA.”
“My life has changed significantly, because I felt bad, I didn’t know what I had, I couldn’t get care because the tests are very expensive, and I didn’t have insurance to cover them. I come here, they attend me, and I realize that I am diabetic, and they give me the treatment; besides that, the human warmth they have, because after the diagnosis I was pensive and all the people who made this process possible gave me “drops” of hope, without even knowing me, but from that human warmth.”

Having just arrived in Colombia, he had an accident to his tibia and fibula and was unable to properly walk for a year and a half, in addition, it became difficult for him to practice his profession; it was very complicated to support his family and it was a difficult time for the household. He shares: “Fortunately, thanks to God, I have a wife with whom we collaborate a lot. At the moment we work pulling sand from the river and we struggle to make ends meet; sometimes there are other little jobs like carrying rubble or recycling: it’s not easy, but God puts His hand in, and we struggle together”.

“When we arrived from Venezuela, our children were very underweight and had no medical control; one day a friend told us that ADRA was providing help and health care, so I decided to go with my children. We were registered, we were given our identification card and we were attended to immediately; it was a blessing to meet ADRA, it has helped us a lot with our medical care. The medical consultations have been a great help and have been there when we needed support the most. To be able to have health care in this country is very complicated since they often ask for documents and papers that we do not have”.

Jackson, his wife and their children are beneficiaries of the health services provided by the SASVEN project, which is implemented with the support of ADRA International.

They end their story with a broad smile on their faces: “when we see ADRA’s mobile unit arrive in the neighborhood, it is a joy to my family because we know that it is the only opportunity for our children to be seen by a doctor. They arrive with humbleness, eager to help, and they welcome us with all their love and affection; they receive our children and take care of all of us with medicine and health”; “I can only thank ADRA for their good heart and their good care, thank God we met ADRA”.

In late 2020, due to the COVID crisis, Francis and her family migrated to the southern part of the continent. They traveled on foot, asking for help from passing vehicles. She describes crossing borders through trochas, crossing rivers, and walking hundreds of kilometers. She made this journey while pregnant and with her young daughter, but they finally arrived in Lima, Peru, where her twins were born.

Motivated by the “American dream,” in 2022, they decided to migrate to the United States in search of a better future. However, Francis was unable to undertake the journey through the Darien jungle, and she remained alone in Medellin, taking care of her children.

The economic situation has been difficult; her main source of income is street vending, and due to her irregular migration status, they have not been able to achieve socioeconomic integration. Francis shares that her greatest need has been the health of her children, especially the twins, who have been experiencing health difficulties since last year and had not received medical attention because they are not affiliated with a health insurance provider (EPS). This is because they have Peruvian nationality and cannot qualify for the Temporary Protection Status (ETPV) program.

Francis lives in a boarding house where she pays for accommodation on a daily basis. While discussing her situation with a neighbor, the neighbor mentioned that her daughter was a beneficiary of ADRA in the health project implemented with the support of ADRA International. Francis was fearful that her Peruvian children would not be able to receive assistance, as she had experienced situations where “only Venezuelans receive free care.” However, she went to the IPS Universitaria Adventista, and the ADRA team registered her family. Since November 2022, they have been receiving medical care and basic medications. The twins were also able to undergo the laboratory tests they had needed for some time but couldn’t afford. Francis says, “I found a light at the end of the tunnel for my children. Thank you very much for giving me hope.”