My Dreams Go With Me

Despite geographical distances, restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, lack of technology, and limited access to the internet, seven migrant children residing in Colombia and Venezuela met at the end of 2020 to discuss their experiences.

The #MisSueñosVanConmigo (My Dreams Go With Me) event, held by Save the Children Colombia via Facebook, created a platform for Wilaynis and Antony from La Guajira, Michell from Bogotá, Mayré, Adrian, Mariángel from Norte de Santander, and Breina from San Antonio Venezuela, to share their dreams and anecdotes with hundreds of people around the world.

The participants used this space to ask the Colombian Government, local authorities, and host communities for greater support for the migrant population in Colombia and highlighted the importance of guaranteeing a safe and quality education for all migrant children.

 

This event was also joined by the Embassy of Canada, who shared the actions and plans they are currently executing to support migrant populations.

Marcel Lebleu, Ambassador of Canada, assured the audience that the Embassy will continue working to generate opportunities for migrant girls and boys. He highlighted Save the Children’s Beyond Borders: El Mundo es mi Hogar project, implemented in Arauca, Norte de Santander, and La Guajira, as an example of the important initiatives taking place to support migrant children.

Danyi, a native of Venezuela who lives in the municipality of Arauca on the Colombian- Venezuelan border, has not been able to enter the educational system since arriving in Colombia. Her situation is shared by thousands of other girls and boys affected by the migratory crisis and violence in the border areas, and her story demonstrates the difficult situation facing migrant families in these areas.

“I dream of being able to learn to read and write, to be a great teacher and teach children who know nothing,” says 10-year-old Danyi, shyly.

Danyi’s testimony caught the attention of Ambassador Lebleu. In the months following the event, he travelled to Arauca to share space for dialogue and reflection with six of the girls being supported by the work of Save the Children and Global Affairs Canada. Ambassador Lebleu was attentive to the testimonies of the girls and inquired about their experiences in terms of educational access, safe return to school, and the provision of basic services for the most vulnerable communities. By listening to girls directly, he hoped to better understand the environment and circumstances that the nearly 47,000 migrants settled in Arauca must go through.

“Colombia takes on Venezuelan migrants daily. Some have very difficult living conditions and this constitutes a great burden for the country, so the entire international community has to support Colombia in that regard”, asserted Lebleu.

During his visit, the Ambassador also met with the Secretary of Education of Arauca, the Colombian Institute of Family Welfare, Casa de la Mujer (Women’s Home), the Family Compensation Fund of Arauca (Comfiar) and principals of local educational institutions to articulate actions and efforts to guarantee a safe, quality education with a gender perspective for children affected by the migratory crisis, violence along the borders, and the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

At the #MisSueñosVanConmigo event, the Ambassador highlighted the importance of guaranteeing a safe return to schools. He emphasised the commitment of Global Affairs Canada to promote actions that enable this with support from the Ministry of National Education, Departmental Education Secretariat, Save the Children, Educational Institutions, along with other allies.

“Canada is convinced that education is the best investment it can make. In the Colombian context, this is part of peacebuilding”, he stated.

 

Beyond Borders: El Mundo es mi Hogar is a Save the Children project focused on improving the realization of the right to quality, safe and gender-sensitive education for girls and boys affected by the conflict and the crisis on the Colombian-Venezuelan border. The project will be implemented for 31 months in the departments of Norte de Santander, Arauca and La Guajira and seeks to benefit more than 30,403 children and adolescents living in the area.