Luisa and her daughter Alicia, Venezuelan refugees living in Peru. | © Victor Mallqui / HI
Luisa and her daughter Alicia, Venezuelan refugees living in Peru. | © Victor Mallqui / HI
On World Refugee Day, we share the story of Luisa and her daughter Alicia, who found refuge in Peru after fleeing Venezuela.
Luisa fled Venezuela in 2018. She lives with her daughter Alicia in the Los Olivos neighbourhood of Lima, in Peru. Alone and unemployed, with a daughter who has disabilities, she is one of the many people being supported by Humanity & Inclusion (HI).
© Victor Mallqui / HI
HI's team is providing essential health care for Alicia, who has cerebral palsy due to bacterial pneumonia. Alone in a foreign country, Luisa and her daughter's everyday life is hard.
Our team has provided them with a wheelchair and a walking frame, so that Luisa can move Alicia around safely and comfortably while she goes about her daily tasks. The little girl will also soon be attending physiotherapy and early childhood stimulation sessions, organised by HI.
© Victor Mallqui / HI
Through HI, Luisa and Alicia have also received a basket of highly nutritious, non-perishable food. Their 40-kilo basket included cornmeal, black beans and oatmeal.
“I hope that HI will continue to grow and support children with these disabilities!” says Luisa
More than 6 million refugees have left Venezuela due to the political and socio-economic crisis that has ravaged the country since 2013. This is the largest population displacement in Latin America in recent history. Seventeen countries throughout Latin America and the Caribbean host nearly 80% of Venezuelans.
After assessing the humanitarian needs of the Venezuelan refugees living in Peru, Humanity & Inclusion began supporting refugees and host communities in 2020. We run mental health projects and provide psychosocial support and food aid for those most in need, including people with disabilities, children, refugees and older people.
