Simón Bolívar Foundation Awards Grants to Support Health Programs for Venezuelan Migrants in Colombia

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Nov 01, 2021, 11:31 ET

HOUSTON, Nov. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- As the complex humanitarian emergency in Venezuela continues to affect the Latin America region, Simón Bolívar Foundation Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit private foundation, awarded $663,325 in a new round of its Medium/Large Grants for Humanitarian Health to fund four charitable projects that will help improve the health conditions of the Venezuelan diaspora in Colombia.

The grant award followed a rigorous selection process. The selected charitable projects include The Migrant Intervention Project, Stay in School, Maternal Health Service for Venezuelan Migrants, and Boosting Health and Nutrition for Venezuelan Mothers. All will assist migrants living in the Colombian city of Cúcuta, and caminantes (migrants who are traveling in part or entirely on foot) in the areas of nutrition, general and mental health, preventive medicine and emergency medical attention, capacity building, and school retention. The projects are expected to last from six months to a year.

"These charitable projects are key to helping address the Venezuelan humanitarian crisis that has affected the whole region. In Colombia in particular, the implementation of these grants will ensure that the most vulnerable Venezuelan and migrants from other countries will continue receiving critical support that improves their health and living conditions," said Mariela Poleo, President of the Simón Bolívar Foundation.

Adib Fletcher, Director of Humanitarian Response at Project HOPE expressed how significant this grant has been for his organization: "The generous support from the Simón Bolívar Foundation has been essential as Project HOPE works to meet the critical maternal health needs of vulnerable Venezuelan and other migrant and host communities across Norte de Santander."

Similarly, Benjamin Laniado, CADENA's Founder & General Secretary, said: "Motivated by a holistic vision of resilience-building and thanks to Simon Bolivar Foundation's support, CADENA is ensuring that the most vulnerable migrant communities from Venezuela and elsewhere in Colombia have the resources necessary to face their new reality."

Recent data from United Nations indicates that the Venezuelan exodus surpassed the five million people mark in 2021, making it the most severe and fastest-growing refugee migrant crisis in Latin American history and second in the world.

The Foundation changed its mission and objectives in 2019 to now provide access to funding, build capacity and empower nonprofits to expand access to medicine, nutrition, and well-being to vulnerable individuals in and from Venezuela. For more information, please visit http://www.simonbolivarfoundation.org.

SOURCE The Simón Bolívar Foundation