Heartland Alliance International (HAI) believes in empowering survivors to tap into their powers of resilience and transformation. In Colombia, we train community leaders from the regions most affected by the armed conflict to provide mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) services to vulnerable populations, including Afro-Colombians, Indigenous communities, and migrants and refugees from Venezuela. For many participants, these services are the first step in the healing process following years of violence and hopelessness.
Background
- The five-decade-long civil war is one of the most devastating conflicts in the Western Hemisphere, resulting in 8.8 million registered victims.
- The country is experiencing heightened levels of persecution and violence against social leaders and human rights defenders, often resulting in homicide.
- The proliferation of other armed groups poses a continuous challenge in Colombia’s quest for peace. In 2016, the National Liberation Army (ELN) was active in 96 municipalities, and by 2018, they had expanded to 112 municipalities, primarily in the states of Chocó, Antioquia, and Nariño.
- The Venezuelan refugee crisis has led to an influx of approximately 1.4 million Venezuelans. Regardless of whether or not they intend to remain in Colombia, the Venezuelan refugees require a humanitarian response that addresses the dire conditions in their home country.
Programs
ACOPLE: With funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the Association of Organizations for Emotional Support (ACOPLE) provides MHPSS services through individual and group interventions in the Colombian states of Quibdó and Buenaventura.
MAS RESILENCIA: Supported by the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM) within the United States Department of State, MAS Resilencia (“More Resilience”), provides high-quality MHPSS services to people experiencing displacement, and sexual and reproductive healthcare in the Colombian states of Chocó, Valle del Cauca, Córdoba, Nariño, and Cauca.
Model
HAI’s culturally-competent and locally-adapted programs allow people to heal, become empowered to access justice and social services, and ultimately lead change in their own communities. We do this by:
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Strengthening local knowledge and capacity |
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Investing in the resilience of the communities we serve |
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Implementing culturally-appropriate programs that promote personal growth |
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Emphasizing the intersection of mental health and access to justice |
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Encouraging participants to become agents of change within their own communities |
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Empowering women to lead change towards improved health and gender equity |
