Every time I visit our projects in the country, I have different, though similar, feelings about many things.

When I arrive in Guapi, I feel the deep sadness of thinking that armed conflict and violence has permeated communities so much that harmful and harmful behaviours have normalized that it allows us to emerge and break with the circles of poverty. Being in La Guajira the sadness is the same, but the motivation is different; to see how people must endure inclement hunger in the most precarious and heartless conditions makes no sense.

«Our motivation will always be that every child in the world is protected from harm and that is what we are achieving in La Guajira, thanks to the support of all our collaborators. María Paula Martínez.

At 36°, we visited Paraguachón, 1 hour and 30 minutes from Riohacha, the capital of the department of La Guajira. We were able to see how Venezuelan and Colombian returned migrants arrive from the neighboring country, whether to stay in Colombia, travel to another country or come to work during the day and return at night with their families in Venezuela.

According to official figures, every day through this legal step, approximately 3,000 people enter, half of whom stay in Colombia. For the State, attending to the migrant population has been a challenge, which is why Save the Children works in this area of the country.

A little more than a year ago we opened an operation in La Guajira and with this one we seek to attend in an integral way to the families in condition of greater vulnerability and especially to the children and adolescents so that, without importing their nationality, they manage to accede to their rights.

«Visiting Colombia and seeing what we are achieving reminds me that we are not working for a government but for and with children. To see their work in La Guajira is exciting and as ambitious as Save the Children’s mission in the world» David Wright.

In La Guajira alone, we complete a team of more than 80 people who work every day to make #EveryLastChild overcome the barriers of poverty, inequality and violence.

After a long, but motivating day, with the presence of Victoria Ward, David Wright and Jorge Freyre from our regional office; María Paula Martínez, Luz Alcira Granada, Valerie Dourbin from the national office and the wonderful and team crisis response, we inaugurated our office in Maicao accompanied by the children and our partners and allies, we affirmed our commitment to defend their rights. «I feel very happy to be here and to see the growth of our actions in La Guajira, when I came a few months ago, we only had a friendly space and to see all that we have achieved thanks to you makes our presence in this place make sense. Victoria Ward.

By: Marcela Campos