PRINCIPLES OF PSYCHOSOCIAL SUPPORT
Principle 4: Add to the Resources and Capabilities Available.
Principle 6: Multi-Level Support.
Principle 5: Integrated Support Systems.
Principle 1: Guarantee Human Rights and Equity.
Principle 7: NonStigmatizing Services
Principle 2: Participatio n/Engagem ent.
Principle 3: Do Not Harm.
Ilustración 1 UN Principles of Psychosocial Support for Women
GeographicConcentrationoftheNeedforPsychosocialSupporttotheMigrant Population
The major migration case in the history of South America has its origin in the economic collapse of Venezuela, which has left that country’s population struggling to meet their most basic needs. Over seven million Venezuelans have fled their country since 2015, more than six million of whom have settled in other Latin American countries. It is estimated that, between 2013 and 2021, the gross domestic product of Venezuela contracted by more than 75 percent, the sharpest decline in the last fifty years for a country not at war.
According to Colombia Migration, the number of migrants coming from Venezuela and entering Colombian territory "went from 2,888,505 in June of 2023 to 2,875,743 in August of 2023, i.e. it decreased by 0.4 percent." In like manner, as per statistics from the border control agency aforementioned, Colombia is the country with the largest number of migrants coming from Venezuela: the Colombian capital of Bogotá continues to be the place with the largest group of Venezuelan migrants, with more than 393,700 Venezuelan residents; ranking second and third are Antioquia and Norte de Santander, with more than 160,000 Venezuelan residents each.
As noted by the United Nations Organization, La Guajira is the sixth Colombian department with the highest share of Venezuelan migrants, including 178,541 refugees, who are concentrated in its fifteen municipalities and make 6.2 percent of the Venezuelan population in Colombia. The municipalities with the largest number of Venezuelan migrants are Maicao (82,834) and Riohacha (48,933), i.e. 73 percent of the total Venezuelans in the territory. It is worth mentioning at this point that close to 27 percent of Venezuelan refugees and migrants in La Guajira entered the country irregularly. On the other hand, the department of César ranks thirteenth in the list of Colombian departments with the largest number of Venezuelans, with 70,712 Venezuelan migrants distributed
along its twenty-five municipalities, i.e. 2.4 percent of the Venezuelan population in the country. Source: OCHA, 2023.
Ilustración 2 Flow of Migrants in the La Guajira Department – OCHA.
December. November. October. September. August. July. June. May. April. March. February. January.
Total in La Guajira.
Total in Riohacha.
Total in Maicao.
Migratory Status of the Population.
Regular vs. Irregular.
Seventy-three percent of the 178,541 Venezuelan refugees and migrants in La Guajira entered it regularly, whereas the migratory status of 27 percent thereof is irregular.
3 Migratory Status of the Population – OCHA
The municipalities with the largest concentration of Venezuelans are Valledupar (39,126), Aguachica (5,744), and Agustín Codazzi (4,130), i.e. 69 percent of the total Venezuelans in the country. Additionally, the migratory status of close to 17 percent of Venezuelan refugees and migrants in the department is irregular The department of Vichada comes next, according to the authorities of Puerto Carreño, with approximately between 300 and 500 Venezuelans circulating in the municipality on a daily basis looking for food and/or a place to stay. Source: OCHA, 2023.
Ilustración
According to Colombia Migration, as of January 31, 2022, the department had more than 4,555 Venezuelan nationals, who were distributed as follows: the municipality of Santa Rosalía: 10 Venezuelan migrants; the municipality of La Primavera: 116 Venezuelan migrants; the municipality of Cumaribo: 352 Venezuelan migrants; and Puerto Carreño, which is the department’s capital: 4,077 1 Venezuelan migrants, which is the largest number of Venezuelans in the department. Sources: Social Pastoral Team of Caritas, 2021 and Episcopal Conference of Colombia, 2021.
ContextoftheProject
The project comprises various lines of migrant population support, including self-care, WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene) supplies and services, food assistance, training, visual health and capacity building. It also encompasses workshops aimed at providing information on risk protection, genderbased violence (GBV), and psychological first aid. This project was implemented in situ by strategic partners such as the social pastoral teams of the dioceses of Riohacha and Valledupar, as well as the Puerto Carreño Vicariate, whose field teams completed the project in a timely and successful manner.
CommunityofPeers
The purpose of the Community of Peers program is to train older people to bring support to the homes of vulnerable peers. “Peers identify other people with special needs, accompany them as needed, and guide them through difficulties.” Not only does the program provide assistance and accompaniment to older people in vulnerable conditions, but it also allows older people themselves to actively help their peers, to which end they receive appropriate training and psychological support. This program busts the myth of older people being exclusively the recipients of assistance and uncovers their untapped capacity of providing assistance.
PROCESS CONSTRUCTION
The psychosocial support proposal was implemented by use of the learning-by-doing method. The process includes a thorough account of every meeting with each community and takes into consideration the recommendations of the in-situ participatory diagnosis stage.
The building of capabilities under the learning-by-doing approach made it possible for relations to be established among the social citizen base, the accompanying professionals and the institutions, in some kind of social cohesion that is expected to last over time and is permanently strengthening.
In developing the psychosocial support component, the following stages were considered in order to ensure the successful completion of the process:
InSituParticipatoryDiagnosis
A one-day working session was held to identify possible threats to the subject community. The activity could be carried out one working session per community at a time or by selecting a given number of participants from various settlements and holding a general working session.
1 R4V Migration Reports, 2023.
PreparingMeetingswiththeVariousCommunities
Based on the needs identified in each community by the teams, a methodology was designed to conduct the meetings.
ProposedTopics
• Socialization of the psychosocial support toolbox.
• The role of the psychosocial agent (2 meetings).
• A workshop on self-care.
• A workshop on anxiety management
• A workshop on gender-based violence.
• Reclaiming our ancestral memory.
• A workshop on how to provide support to the caretakers of older people.
• A workshop for psychosocial agents on social cohesion.
• Workshops to address specific needs of individual communities (2 meetings).
• A guide for the design of action plans.
• Feedback sessions.
• Closing sessions (2 meetings).
During the in situ preparatory diagnosis meetings, the topics that had been initially proposed were analyzed as agreed by the community, but additional topics came up, such as the advisability or otherwise of discussing gender-based violence with various age groups.
STRATEGYDEVELOPMENT
The meetings started in August of 2023 in La Guajira and Valledupar. They had a duration of two hours and were generally held on a weekly basis The purpose was not only to find a venue for professionals to impart their knowledge, but also to engage in a process of joint construction and constant participation. The meetings kicked off in the department of Vichada in the month of September. Participants in the three regions where the program was conducted were offered additional supporting material that they could use to replicate the newly acquired knowledge more efficiently and provide better advice in their communities. Gender-based violence was one of the most relevant topics along the process. During the in situ participatory diagnosis stage, participants from all regions asked for men to be included in the conversation, given that, in most cases, intimate partners are the main abusers. When the meetings were held with men, the latter acknowledged that, at times, their behavior may instill in their partners fear and feelings of intimidation. Identifying mistreatment, abuse and gender-based violence is a step forward in their commitment to change said behavior and sheds a light on the assistance and support services to which they are entitled.
Ilustración 4 La Guajira Workshop. Participants. Source: Riohacha Diocese.
Ilustración 5 Types of Gender-Based Violence. Source: Puerto Carreño Vicariate.
Say No To Gender-Based Violence.
As many as
3 Women Every Hour
128 Women Every Day
47,000 Women in 2022 were victims of intrafamily violence.
Info.procuraduria.gob.co
TYPES OF GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE
SEXUAL VIOLENCE AND SEXUAL ABUSE
Any act of a sexual nature that is not consented by a woman.
PSYCHOLOGICAL
Any intentional act or omission intended to demean, hurt or restrict the freedom of a woman.
ECONOMIC
The intentional withholding or restriction of financial resources intended to be used in a woman’s well-being or shared for family well-being.
PHYSICAL
The use of force against the body of a woman resulting in physical injury or in the risk of physical injury, damage or death.
TRAFFICKING OF WOMEN AND GIRLS
SEXUAL EXPLOITATION
ACTS AGAINST THE SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS OF WOMEN
INTIMATE PARTNER OR EX-PARTNER
SEXUAL
IN THE WORKPLACE
EARLY-AGE, ARRANGED OR FORCED MARRIAGE
GENITAL MUTILATION
FEMICIDE
MACP IN COLOMBIA, 2023.
RESPONSE TO PEOPLE AFFECTED IN COLOMBIA BY THE FINANCIAL CRISIS IN VENEZUELA
PSYCHOLOGICAL FIRST AID
TIPS
1. INTRODUCE YOURSELF
Say your full name and who you are and that you are there to help.
2. CHANNEL
When appropriate, seek the assistance of a specialist to follow up on an individual’s needs.
Ilustración 6 Psychological First Aid. Source: Puerto Carreño Vicariate and Riohacha Diocese.
3. ASK
What do you need?
Are you looking for someone?
Are you in physical pain?
4. INFORM
On facts, protocols and processes that need to be followed. Provide accurate and up-to-date information. Avoid lying or making promises you don’t know if you will be able to keep.
5. LISTEN ATTENTIVELY
Encourage individuals to talk without interrupting them. Allow them to say whatever they want without forcing them to recall the facts. Show empathy by validating their feelings.
PSYCHOLOGICAL FIRST AID
It is a form of emotional and practical support for people who have gone through traumatic events, crisis or stressful situations. Psychological first aid is designed to help individuals feel safe and supported, reduce fear and anxiety, and improve their capacity to face and recover from traumatic events.
Key Principles
Although psychological first aid can be provided by any person with basic knowledge on PFA techniques, it is essential that mental health professionals be available to offer additional support should the need arise.
INTRODUCE YOURSELF. Say your full name and who you are and that you are there to help. Do so in a respectful manner.
SAFETY. Make sure that the individual is safe and in a protected environment.
CALM. Help the individual stay calm, both physically and emotionally. Speak calmly and in a relaxed tone of voice
CONNECTION: Show empathy and understanding. Listen actively and ask questions to better understand the individual’s feelings and concerns.
PRACTICAL SUPPORT: Offer practical support as needed, including searching for medical assistance, food, water, shelter, etc.
PRACTICAL INFORMATION: Provide practical and accurate information on the steps to recovery and on how to seek for further support if needed. Inform the individual on the relevant facts, protocols and processes. Avoid lying or making promises you don’t know if you will be able to keep.
2
Another relevant topic for our work with the various communities was that of Psychological First Aid, given that it is within the communities themselves that cases where Psychological First Aid is needed first present themselves. Accordingly, volunteers need to be thoroughly knowledgeable on the subject.
SOCIAL COHESIONINTHEMARGARETA.CARGILLPHILANTHROPIES(MACP)
STRATEGY
What is Social Cohesion?
Émile Durkheim, the French sociologist and philosopher, considered that social cohesion did not occur in the same way in traditional societies as it does now in modern societies, given that, in traditional societies (simple societies), social cohesion stemmed from collective consciousness and solidarity, and those, in turn, stemmed from their shared values, norms, feelings and ideas.
Social cohesion is "feeling part of a community, accepting the rules that govern it and valuing it as something important. And in generally valuing that whole, you feel comfortable, supportive, empathetic and co-responsible for what happens to the people in that community”, writes Eugenio Tironi, the Chilean sociologist. 2
Cohesión Social. 2017.
Ilustración 7 La Guajira and Puerto Carreño Workshops. Attendees. Source: Riohacha Diocese and Puerto Carreño Vicariate.
Social cohesion was a key factor in the successful and optimal development of the strategy. The contribution of those involved in the strategy was individually recognized, and work was done from a place of empathy and from the concept of "It is good to receive, but it is also good to give." It was a "community metamorphosis" of sorts and a step towards the reconstruction of the social fabric in the various regions where the strategy was implemented.
Knowledge was transmitted and appropriated at each meeting, and participants were given tools to cope with new experiences and situations they may encounter as individuals, within their families and within their communities. It did help mitigate a few basic needs, but, most importantly, it changed the way the situation was perceived: the road may be dire and paved with obstacles, but now things are approached from a more positive perspective, with self-confidence and with some institutional support.
In addition to the formative meetings, a number of workshops were organized, including on integration, reclamation of the communities’ ancestral memories and traditions, recreation, embellishment of community areas, and visual health.
Ilustración 8 La Guajira and Puerto Carreño Workshops. Attendees. Source: Riohacha Diocese and Puerto Carreño Vicariate.
Ilustración 9 Valledupar Workshop. Attendees. Source: Social Pastoral Team of the Diocese of Valledupar.
At the end of the month of October and during the month of November, the feedback and closing sessions were held, which offered an opportunity for integration, reflection, evaluation and selfevaluation as regards the development of the program as a whole, as well as a place to discuss the most significant lessons learned and identify areas for improvement in future projects.
STORIES
STORY 1.
MARINA VILLARREAL DE GONZÁLEZ
Colombian.
How did the crisis impact you?
Marina Villarreal was born in the Banco municipality, Magdalena department. She is a victim of violence in Colombia: her husband was murdered by illegal groups. She managed to raise her five children with jobs in farming, food preparation, various trades and agriculture. She now lives with her partner, who is an old person like herself, and none of them work because of their age. Her children live with their families in various cities across the country, struggling to get on in life. "They have their own families and it is difficult for them to help me."
How did the project help?
We were able to help vulnerable families suffering from food insecurity and malnutrition, whom we identified by use of the Rapid Needs Assessment model. Older people and people with disabilities were given priority. In the case of Mrs. Villarreal, she was given assistance through a cash benefit program in the form of food vouchers, thanks to which she will now be able to choose what she eats based on her individual needs. Talks on nutrition were also given to promote healthy eating and help people save money and improve the living conditions of their families
What were the most significant aspects of the support offered by the project?
"I have never benefited from anything, and there are days when I only have two meals." Assistance needed to be decentralized in those places where it is duplicated. Thus, under the Rapid Needs Assessment model, older people were categorized as vulnerable, which was advantageous for them and provided for their inclusion in the project (they are seldom taken into account in any project, which places them at heightened risk). Assistance was also provided under a differentiated approach that takes care of the well-being and nutritional needs of people. This is an important factor that has failed so far to be considered by actors in the humanitarian system.
Ilustración 10 Marina Villarreal. Participant. Source: Puerto Carreño Vicariate.
In the Puerto Carreño municipality, a group was formed with 40 volunteers, mostly Venezuelan migrants over 18 years of age who arrived in Colombia more than 6 years ago. They are beneficiaries of the project and were given training in protection issues. Their goal is to succeed in integrating their communities.
How did the project help?
The 40 volunteers that participated in the project were effectively trained in community strengthening topics. They contribute with their communities by helping them improve coexistence standards and encouraging them to establish harmonious relationships based on respect and effective communication.
The newly acquired skills allowed them to gain confidence and develop conditions for leadership and empowerment. They were given tools to understand the emotional and social needs of the people surrounding them. Through their service, they contribute to the community’s well-being and individual growth.
What changed/improved thanks to the project?
The knowledge and skills acquired by the project’s volunteers, which they replicate in their communities, has allowed people in the communities to express feelings of gratitude and joy, be interested in the communities where they live, and learn about self-care, coexistence, harmony, and kindness towards older people as individuals with rights under the law and entitled to care and love.
What were the most significant aspects of the support offered by the project?
The 40 volunteers who took part in the project successfully replicated the information they gained on various topics to 600 interested families, thereby creating a large network of knowledge, skills and people within each community and providing said families with opportunities for growth.
STORY 2.
Ilustración 11 Puerto Carreño Workshop. Participants. Source: Puerto Carreño Vicariate.
Do you recommend a similar form of support in the event of another humanitarian crisis in the future? If so, why?
“We would like these skills and knowledge to be imparted to more people and volunteers in other communities.”
It is important to strengthen vulnerable communities through knowledge. Psychosocial protection models of this kind will contribute to bringing capacities to communities that where we currently unable to reach and providing them with opportunities for empowerment
THE EXPERIENCE OFTEAMSIN THE FIELD
For all three field teams, it was an enriching, constructive experience When it comes to addressing psychosocial issues in certain environments, there is a tendency to consider they are tedious and complex. However, when it becomes evident that psychosocial activities offer opportunities for joint creation, trust is gained, cohesion is possible and people get involved, which was exactly what happened with this project: participants were resolutely engaged in the process, they are now eager to continue with the strategy, and they feel useful to be of service to their communities. As much as older people are seldom taken into account, they now feel included and capable of playing an important role in the communities where they live. Professionals in the teams can count on a large network large of knowledge, skills and people to have the work done, which they hope to continue strengthening in various ways and with new strategies to implement in their communities. Not only did they transmit knowledge and lessons, but they also were the recipients of the innate knowledge, stories and experiences of those involved in the project. “It was a two-way opportunity for growth all along.”
CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
CONCLUSIONS
• Integral projects must continue to be developed that not only provide assistance to the migrant population, but also empower said population and contribute to effect a change in the way their perceive things and situations.
• Creating a methodology with the community strengthens and empowers said community, which leads to permanent attendance to and participation in the program’s meetings.
• The learning-by-doing approach makes a more positive impact on the communities because “as they receive, they are also able to give.”
• Addressing sensitive issues such as gender-based violence with both the victims and the perpetrators, from a position of awareness and without invading their privacy, helps to change circumstances within families and communities alike.
RECOMMENDATIONS
• “Guarantee that the psychosocial protection model is sustainable in the long term" and that it can continue to expand by including other topics and increasing the size of the teams in order to benefit more communities. Strengthen future training projects by resorting to certifying bodies.
• “It is important to keep identifying vulnerable families and older people. I know many of us needed it.”
• Include activities aimed at preserving and improving the mental health of the team members in order to minimize the risk of burnout or prevent it altogether in those who engage in humanitarian assistance activities.
Bibliography
Carcavilla González, N., & García Meilán, J. (2022). El futuro de las intervenciones psicosociales para fomentar la calidad de vida en el envejecimiento. https://gredos.usal.es/handle/10366/150918
Conferencia Episcopal de Colombia. (2 de junio de 2021). Migrantes venezolanos en Puerto Carreño necesitan de manos solidarias. https://www.cec.org.co/noticias-de-los-departamentos-delspec/archivo/migrantes-venezolanos-en-puerto-carreno-necesitan-de
OCHA. (15 de marzo de 2023). La Guajira - Refugiados y migrantes venezolanos 2022. https://reliefweb.int/report/colombia/la-guajira-refugiados-y-migrantes-venezolanos-2022
Pastoral Social Caritas. (26 de mayo de 2021). Migrantes venezolanos en Puerto Carreño necesitan de manos solidarias y acciones esperanzadoras. https://caritascolombiana.org/migrantesvenezolanos-en-puerto-carreno-necesitan-de-manos-solidarias-y-acciones-esperanzadoras2/
