José Vasquez, an ex-consultant of the UNICEF for 29 years, participated in 2018 in Roraima with humanitarian responses in emergency situations, for the protection of rights and the education of children and adolescents.
There, he learned about and joined the work of support to the Venezuelan refugee immigrant population, which the Fraternidade – International Humanitarian Federation FIHF carries out together with other organizations.
The atmosphere created there had the objective of fostering the emotional recovery and the protection of rights for children, through recreational activities and those of immersion into the public educational system.
José tells that, differently from the interventions in emergency situations in which he had participated before, resulting from earthquakes, for example, this situation of the Venezuelan refugees has a growing characteristic to it and demands a different response.
Upon seeing the possibility of adjusting the norms, with efficiency in this situation, and witnessing the action of Fraternidade International FIHF and the other organizations, José became interested in participating in the O Bem Comum Project (The Common Good) – of Education and Protection of Venezuelan children and adolescents, in partnership with the FIHF.
“We must simplify institutions, when it comes to the response to children, adolescents and families. Because it is the children that suffer the most, because they do not understand what is happening”, he comments.
From this experience together, José was invited to bring his talk about “What Education is in an Emergency Context” to the Seminar on Education in Emergency Situations and Humanitarian Responses, which took place between October 31 and November 3 in Carmo da Cachoeira, MG, Brazil, in the Light-Community of Figueira.
According to him, “rather than sharing experience, I went to share learning that I have been having in this time”.
Feeling as “part of a family”, José left the event “nourished with experiences”, he says, touched.
The Fraternidade International FIHF keeps developing and deepening educational activities in Roraima, Manaus and Colombia, in the context of the humanitarian response to the Venezuelans. It also envisions the perspective of holding a seminar on education in emergencies in Colombia, to unite institutions and people who work in the field, for the well-being of the children and adolescents affected by the crisis.
