A Regional Crisis
Venezuela’s declining political and socioeconomic situation continues to spark violence and limit many citizens’ access to basic goods and services. Approximately 5 million people have migrated, most of whom remain in Latin America and the Caribbean. This has created an unprecedented humanitarian and economic challenge for the region. Public infrastructure cannot keep up and local citizens are concerned about limited resources. Moreover, once Venezuelan migrants meet their immediate needs such as housing and medical care, they face longer-term challenges like integrating into communities where they have settled.
The IAF Responds
We tapped our extensive network of more than 750 experienced community-based organizations to support projects addressing longer-term needs of Venezuelan migrants and communities where they live. We invested $4.8 million in our 24 grantee partners in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Trinidad and Tobago. These grantees encourage social and economic inclusion of displaced Venezuelans by:
- increasing opportunities to earn income
- combating xenophobia
- promoting conflict resolution
- facilitating access to health and psychosocial services
In 2021, we will continue funding more organizations in these countries and expand support to communities in Uruguay.
A Regional Crisis
Venezuela’s declining political and socioeconomic situation continues to spark violence and limit many citizens’ access to basic goods and services. Approximately 5 million people have migrated, most of whom remain in Latin America and the Caribbean. This has created an unprecedented humanitarian and economic challenge for the region. Public infrastructure cannot keep up and local citizens are concerned about limited resources. Moreover, once Venezuelan migrants meet their immediate needs such as housing and medical care, they face longer-term challenges like integrating into communities where they have settled.
The IAF Responds
We tapped our extensive network of more than 750 experienced community-based organizations to support projects addressing longer-term needs of Venezuelan migrants and communities where they live. We invested $1.6 million in our 10 grantee partners in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. These grantees encourage social and economic inclusion of displaced Venezuelans by:
- increasing opportunities to earn income
- combating xenophobia
- promoting conflict resolution
- facilitating access to health and psychosocial services
In 2020, we will continue funding more organizations in these countries and expand support to communities in Argentina, Chile, and Costa Rica.
current IAF investment
people benefitting
complements other U.S. government aid
How Our Grantees Are Helping
Expanding Economic Opportunity
Expanding Economic Opportunity
For example, Cooperativa de Ahorro y Crédito Mujeres Unidas, a women’s saving and loan association in Ecuador, provides Venezuelan migrants and local Ecuadorians small business development training, mentorship, and networking opportunities, as well as access to credit for creating and improving small businesses.
Combating Xenophobia
Combating Xenophobia
For instance, grantee partner Acción y Desarrollo is creating a solidarity network in a low-income area of Lima, Peru, made up of Venezuelan migrants, local business owners, and representatives of public entities to promote Venezuelans’ rights and integration into society.
Reducing Human Trafficking
Reducing Human Trafficking
Grantee partner Fundación Desarrollo y Paz (Fundepaz) educates Venezuelan migrants in the department of Nariño, Colombia, to understand the country’s legal system and trains local government agencies and businesses to recognize, respond to, and reduce cases of labor exploitation and human trafficking.
Projects serving Venezuelan migrants
ordered by most recently awarded
2020 – AAMP
Agrupación Afro-Ecuatoriana de Mujeres Progresistas (AAMP) works with Venezuelan and Colombian migrant women and Afro-Ecuadorian women by offering access to credit and training in job skills, providing opportunities for enterprise development and social inclusion.
2020 – MSC
Misión Scalabriniana (MSC) works with migrants and local Ecuadorians to promote inclusion in local schools and small business development training as well as establishing integrated savings and loan groups.
2020 – Fudela
Fundación de las Américas (FUDELA) is working with Venezuelan migrants and local Ecuadorians to provide training in small business development, job skills, and leadership.
2019-CACMU
Cooperativa de Ahorro y Crédito Mujeres Unidas (CACMU) is offering migrants and local Ecuadorians low-cost health insurance, training in financial literacy and small business development, as well as access to credit and a small business network through which they can obtain business mentorship.
2019-Acción y Desarrollo
Acción y Desarrollo, provides Venezuelan migrants in Lima with psychosocial support and provides both migrants and locals with entrepreneurial and job skills training and access to credit for start-up businesses.
2018-Fundepaz
Fundación Desarrollo y Paz (Fundepaz) supports three victims’ grassroots organizations in Nariño department to contribute to building peace in their territories by increasing their capacity to monitor the implementation of the Colombian peace accords, strengthen a regional advocacy center, and contribute to the historical memory of Colombia’s conflict.
2018 – Prodesal
Corporación Taller Prodesal (Prodesal) is working with young people ages 14 to 28, members of more than 150 civil society organizations in the Caribbean region, to consolidate their agenda for peace.
2018 – Casa de las Estrategias
Fundación Casa de las Estrategias (Casa de las Estrategias) trains adolescents from seven communities in Medellín to become citizen journalists who research and report news that holds local governments accountable, thereby underscoring their obligations and rights as citizens.
2017-Rede Bartô
Associação Rede Rio São Bartolomeu de Mútua Cooperação (Rede Bartô) works with young people in rural community associations in the Federal District to improve the production, processing, and marketing of vegetables, fruits, and small animals and to contribute to the conservation of natural resources.
Talk about community-led development!