On the Ground International

35km walk along the migrant route in solidarity and to raise money for Venezuelan caminantes in Colombia.

The Situation:

Every day, Venezuelan migrants and refugees cross the border into Colombia, leaving behind their homes and families, uncertain of when they’ll reunite. They walk hundreds of miles with minimal belongings and often inadequate footwear. Some continue their journey to destinations like Peru and Chile, in search of basic necessities and safety. With 7.7 million Venezuelans displaced, it is the second largest external displacement crisis after Syria. Yet, it remains one of the most underfunded crises in modern history.

Our Campaign:

We aim to raise vital funds for Venezuelan caminantes through a 35km walk along the migrant route. Starting from Pamplona, where OTGI is based, we'll walk to the next closest shelter, La Laguna, an 8-10 hour journey up the mountain. Infamously known by caminantes as 'el paramo' for its harsh cold weather.

How you can help:

Your donation to On the Ground International (OTGI) directly supports Venezuelan refugees through:

• Mobile aid projects: Providing crucial assistance such as food, clothing, shoes and basic necessities to refugees on their journey.

• Shelter projects: Offering food, shelter, medical care and activities for children at shelters along the route, these are at the heart of what OTGI provides.

• Community projects: Supporting vulnerable children from Colombian and Venezuelan families in Pamplona with English, sport and art activities.

Why are people leaving Venezuela?

Hyperinflation has made basic necessities unaffordable for many in Venezuela. The average monthly salary is scarcely enough to purchase a box of eggs and a bag of flour. Government-provided food boxes are often of poor quality, arrive late, or are ‘sold’ by local government officials in a bid to earn some extra cash. In Pamplona, we witness daily tales of hunger. Many leave their country, unable to bear the hunger and suffering they felt, watching their children, their parents and their country starve. It’s hard to imagine that Venezuela, once the wealthiest country on the continent, with more oil reserves than Saudi Arabia, now sees 94 percent of its population living in poverty, and 76 percent in extreme poverty. Yet corruption, economic mismanagement and external sanctions have led to critical shortages of basic items such as food and medicine.

Your support is crucial in providing aid and assistance to those who need it most.

[English] The year started intensely at OTGI and we are grateful to be able to help in the busiest time of the year for the shelters. We now have two mobile aid trips, up to La Laguna and down to our shelter Esperanza Hoy, giving out hundreds of sandwiches and eggs prepared the morning before, to the caminantes on the road, as well as lifts, saving them long hours of walking. At Vanessa’s shelter in Pamplona, we give massages and practical information to the caminantes arriving everyday, in addition to cooking and serving meals, and children activities to relieve their moms. We help at Douglas' shelter too, at the entrance of Pamplona, and our volunteers also spend overnight shifts in our shelters of Bochalema and La Laguna. That enables us to provide more help at any time of the day, including the weekends that see the highest flows of caminantes. 132 of them passed by Esperanza Hoy on a Saturday two weeks ago.

Finally, some new projects took shape, which have been long term goals for us. We hold counseling sessions with the Venezuelan sex workers in Pamplona once a week, and we give more support to the Rohi Foundation with vulnerable children in the neighborhood of Simon Bolivar, for lunch preparations and English classes.

All this couldn’t be possible without our amazing volunteers but also without the financial support that keeps us going in all our projects. That’s why we are organizing a new fundraising walk from Pamplona to La Laguna, next Saturday 4th of February. All the funds collected will go to mobile aid trips, the shelters and the other projects mentioned above.

Please note: you can leave your email when you donate to be able to receive the thank you notes and update.

[Español] El año ha empezado intenso en OTGI y estamos agradecidos de poder ayudar en la época de más trabajo del año para los refugios. Ahora tenemos dos viajes de ayuda móvil, hasta nuestros refugios de La Laguna y Esperanza Hoy, repartiendo cientos de sandwiches y huevos preparados en la mañana, a los caminantes en la carretera. También les llevamos en coche, ahorrándoles largas horas de caminata. En el albergue de Vanessa, en Pamplona, damos masajes e información práctica a los caminantes que llegan cada día, además de cocinar y servir comidas, y actividades con los niños para aliviar a sus mamás. También ayudamos en el refugio de Douglas, a la entrada de Pamplona, con la limpieza y las reparaciones. Nuestros voluntarios también pasan turnos de noche en nuestros albergues de Bochalema y La Laguna, lo que nos permite prestar más ayuda a cualquier hora del día, y también en los fines de semana que registran mayor afluencia de caminantes. 132 de ellos pasaron por Esperanza Hoy un sábado de hace dos semanas.

Por último, tomaron forma algunos proyectos nuevos, que han sido objetivos a largo plazo para nosotros. Llevamos a cabo sesiones de asesoramiento con las trabajadoras sexuales venezolanas en Pamplona una vez a la semana, y damos más apoyo a la Fundación Rohi con niños vulnerables en el barrio de Simón Bolívar, ayudando en la preparación de almuerzos y clases de inglés.

Todo esto no podría ser posible sin nuestros increíbles voluntarios, pero también sin el apoyo financiero que nos mantiene en marcha en todos nuestros proyectos. Por eso estamos organizando una nueva caminata para recaudar fondos desde Pamplona hasta La Laguna, el próximo sábado 4 de febrero. Todos los fondos recaudados se destinarán a los viajes de ayuda móvil, a los refugios y al resto de proyectos mencionados anteriormente.

Atención: puedes dejar tu email cuando hagas tu donativo para poder recibir las notas de agradecimiento y actualización.

YOU WILL RECEIVE A TAX-DEDUCTIBLE CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTION RECEIPT

There are tens of thousands of Ukraine refugees living at various camps and temporary settings, awaiting resettlement. Our country's refugee resettlement resources have been completely overwhelmed, so private citizens are being invited to help in the effort.

Studies show that refugees sponsored directly by private citizens rather than agencies usually integrate more quickly and successfully. We solicit your help as we welcome a Ukrainian refugee family to the Walla Walla valley.

We have formed a Sponsor Circle to build a welcoming community and financially assist a Ukraine family who will resettle in Walla Walla, Washington.

Upon certification and family assignment, we will assist the family get up on their feet and become independent. We will help with housing, furnishings, shopping, finding employment, enrolling in school, navigating US immigration and public services, enhancing English fluency and getting to know their new community.

Our current fundraising target is $15,000. 100% of the received funds will be spent on supporting the family's start-up and living expenses during 90 days of transition to independence in our community. Most of it will go toward housing-related costs.

This is a beautiful opportunity to help one refugee family get a fresh start in a welcoming community. We will post updates when we have been assigned a family.

If for any reason we are not assigned a family, all funds will be returned to the donors.

Our Sponsor Circle currently includes these people:

Marci Evans, Ronda & Art King, Kim Toomey, Vanessa Lomeland, Ron Oleson, Hillary Bounds, Carmelle Boyd, Jim Boyd

YOU WILL RECEIVE A TAX-DEDUCTIBLE CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTION RECEIPT 

There are tens of thousands of Afghan refugees living at various military bases in the US, awaiting resettlement. Our country's refugee resettlement resources have been completely overwhelmed, so private citizens are being invited to help in the effort.

 

Studies show that refugees who are sponsored directly by private citizens, rather than an agency, usually integrate more quickly and successfully. We solicit your help as we welcome an Afghan refugee family to the Walla Walla valley.

 

We have formed a Sponsor Circle to build a welcoming community and financially assist an Afghan family who will resettle in Walla Walla, Washington. One other Afghan refugee family has already been resettled in Walla Walla by a sponsor circle. 

 

Upon certification and family assignment, we will assist the family get up on their feet and become independent.  This includes housing, furnishings, shopping, finding employment, enrolling in school, navigating US immigration, public services, enhancing English fluency, and getting to know their new community.

 

Since we are planning for a family of eight, our current fundraising target is $18,200.  (# in family x $2,275)   A minimum of 60% (or $10,920) must be raised in this campaign before we can be assigned a family. 100% of the received funds will be spent on supporting the family's start-up and living expenses during a 90-day period of transition to independence in our community. Most of it will go toward housing-related costs.

This is a wonderful opportunity to help one refugee family get a fresh start in a welcoming community.  We will post updates when we have been assigned a family.

 

If for any reason we are not assigned an Afghan family, all funds will be returned to the donors.

 

Our Sponsor Circle currently includes these people:

Marci Evans, Roberto Gomez, Ronda & Art King, Kim Toomey, Vanessa Lomeland