María Cira, a displaced Wayúu Venezuelan woman

María Cira, is a Venezuelan Wayúu woman who fled the humanitarian emergency in her country, where food and medicine were scarce.

María Cira at the Americares Colombia clinic in Maicao, La Guajira.

Colombia Patient Highlight: Skarlett

Meet Skarlett, a Venezuelan trans woman who migrated due to the complex socioeconomic situation in her country. From the opening of Americares in Santa Marta, Colombia, she was a patient, receiving free medical care, psychological support, and essential medications. For three years, Americares provided care until she passed in 2022, offering unwavering support throughout her final years.

Colombia Patient Highlight: Skarlett

Big projects made reality-Discovery Channel

The Kamëntsas and Ingas peoples deeply revere Mother Earth as the source of life and sustenance. Their strong connection to the land enables them to preserve their cultural heritage and achieve sustainability. Through collective work, they support one other, ensuring the continuation of their traditions. Land ownership is fundamental to their agricultural practices, which are essential for their survival.

 Through the IRACA® program, these communities receive support for food security initiatives and the promotion of productive practices. This program empowers Indigenous and Afro-Colombian households, fostering self-sufficiency and strengthening ethnic groups in their own development.

The Colombian Government has played a key role in implementing projects across various sectors, including social health, education, housing, sanitation, food security, income generation, environmental sustainability, industrial safety, and institutional support for associations. These initiatives complement and enhance the efforts led by Indigenous and Afro-Colombian communities.

The success of these interventions is rooted in rigorous implementation, sustainable support, and respectful collaboration with diverse sectors, reinforced by strategic alliances. For over a decade, organizations like Social Prosperity and the Pan American Development Foundation (PADF) have achieved significant and lasting positive outcomes through their partnerships with these communities.