In Roraima, Brazil northernmost state, 500 people arrive every day in the city of Pacaraima. Since 2017, Venezuelan migrants have been crossing the border to flee poverty and crisis, looking for a better future. Once they arrive in Brazil, they travel 200 km carrying their belongings before reaching Boa Vista, the capital city of Roraima. Boa Vista has a population of 375,000 people and today the city also hosts more than 30,000 refugees from Venezuela.
AVSI, in partnership with UNCHR, manages three reception centers in Boa Vista and helps more than 1,500 people every day. People who arrive at the centers are exhausted, and feel hopeless. They need everything: food, clothes, healthcare and, above all, they need to feel there’s a possibility for a future in their new home.
AVSI took on this major challenge of helping integrate Venezuelans in Brazil. After providing the initial arrival help in the reception centers with UNHCR, AVSI wants to offer some of the families a package of support and integration for four months in different cities in Brazil.
The package will include shelter, Portuguese language courses, personal services such as education and healthcare as well as initiatives with local businesses in order to offer job opportunities.
The situation in Venezuela is horrible and in the last few months has worsened. Too many people find their food among the rubbish, electricity often disappears for days, and we had no money to survive. It wasn't easy to leave everything back, but we had to. We want to build a new life here
Maria, fled to Brazil with her family, today in Boa Vista