The story of Laura

The story of Laura (Colombia)

“Mom, we are suffering here, my children cried”

“I fled Venezuela with my children. We did not look back,” says Laura. Along with millions of others, Laura and her children fled to Colombia to escape their home country’s violence and poverty. “We had to leave everything behind. My husband tried to stay in Venezuela for a while to make the most of it, but it was - and still is - very difficult there. We arrived at a camp in Colombia. There was a lot to adjust to. Life is completely different here. I learned to cook on firewood because there is no stove. To take a shower, we have to carry buckets of water, and we have to relieve ourselves in the forest: a dangerous place with snakes and drug addicts. If my kids want to go to the bathroom, I go with them. My children cried: ‘Mom, we are suffering here.’ In Venezuela, we had no food, but here we don’t have shelter to protect us. Fortunately, ZOA has provided us with materials to build a latrine. I am very grateful for that. My dream? I would like to find a job to give my children what they need."