Assisting the Internally Displaced and Fostering Harmony in Colombia

Political violence has deeply affected Colombia for over 40 years, displacing approximately three million people over the past 20 years. The last 15 years have seen an escalation of violence that has increased the need for both short-term and longer-term humanitarian and development programs for internally displaced persons (IDPs).

CHF's wide range of IDP programs have assisted over 100,000 families. CHF International began working in Colombia in 2001 to address the immediate needs of displaced families, and our programs quickly expanded to create long-term economic opportunities and community rehabilitation for IDPs and vulnerable communities.

Assistance for Displaced Colombians

Through the National IDP Assistance program, CHF has developed a comprehensive approach to supporting IDPs in their transition to stability. Working with Accion Social, CHF has helped them to develop their national plan, which supports IDPs in 26 cities and over 150 municipalities in Colombia. The program is providing IDPs with access to temporary shelter, psychosocial support, income generation opportunties and a range of activities to improve access to services and community infrastructure. In addition, the capacity of governmental and nongovernmental organizations to assist IDPs is being strengthened.

Assistance to Victims and Missing Persons

In partnership with the State Department’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, the Victims and Missing Persons Program (VAMPP) program provides psycho-social assistance to families of persons killed or disappeared as a result of internal conflict in Colombia. CHF is working with local organizations to providing training and expertise to better equip them to assist local communities. The program will then educate the Colombian public about community aid services available to victims’ families. Long term goals include increasing the capacity of local organizations to provide psychosocial and legal support to families of disappeared persons and increasing awareness among victims’ families of services available through the Colombian government.

Assistance for Disabled Victims of Violence

Through funding from USAID, CHF is partnering with the local organization Fundación Arcángeles to implement a pilot initiative that offers personalized attention to disabled victims of violence and displacement through improved psychosocial counseling and career training. In keeping with CHF’s community-oriented approach to development, we are also working to increase the ability of local organizations to support disabled IDPs. Through cooperation with the government of Colombia and other local organizations, CHF hopes to strengthen employment opportunities for people with disabilities through training and improve their quality of life by linking aid recipients with locally sustainable disability programs.

Preventing Gender-based Violence (GBV)

Through the Gender-Based Violence project, CHF is helping to combat GBV among IDPs in Buenaventura, Cali, Pasto and Pereira by improving awareness, detection and the provision of support services. The project aims to enhance awareness about GBV among IDPs, increase the capacity of local organizations to integrate GBV awareness and response into the National Program for Attention to the Displaced and improve detection of and direct attention to survivors of GBV among IDPs.

Supporting Microfinance Institutions

CHF International serves as a technical assistance provider and second-tier lender to 22 local microfinance institutions, who, in turn, lend to approximately 6,000 people. Express Microfinanzas has also branched into first-tier lending, providing direct loans to clients. The loans have a 100 percent repayment rate, and since its inception has disbursed more than $14 million to support the Colombian microfinance sector.