Orlando (pseudonym used to protect identity) is 41 years old and a professional cook. Due to the difficulties in Venezuela, he needed to leave his country to try for a better life. "It was not an easy decision. Only my wife and I came. We had difficulties along the way, but in each place, we were well received," he highlights.
The couple had to leave their two children, who are finishing high school, as well as their family members and the house they worked hard to build. Once in Brazil, they were welcomed by the Casa Esperança project. "Casa has helped since the first day we arrived. We were received with a warm welcome and smiles. They are always talking to us, supporting us, and encouraging us not to give up. Every day here, I can see that I will be able," says Orlando.
The family's story is repeated in the lives of thousands of people who need to leave their countries of origin in search of a better life—one with dignity. And it was to help transform these realities that the Esperança Passage House was inaugurated in April 2022.
Located in Porto Velho, the capital of the state of Rondonia, the project was born due to the strong migratory crisis that occurred mainly with Venezuelans. It is a partnership between the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) in Rondonia and the Municipal Secretariat of Social Assistance.
The House
With the capacity to receive 40 migrants of various nationalities, Cubans, Haitians, Argentines, Bolivians, and Peruvians have already been hosted. The structure has rooms, bathrooms, a kitchen, and an area for activities.
The migrants receive daily meals and have the support of the technical team for the regularization of their documents, insertion into the job market, and internalization. The services are provided by 20 employees, and on weekends, volunteers help prepare the food. More than 5,000 meals are provided monthly.
The project's coordinator, Rivailton Ribeiro, explains that the house seeks to develop autonomy among the migrants so they can develop and pursue their goals of improving their lives.
Activities
When moving from one country to another, in often difficult situations, migrants arrive emotionally vulnerable. For this reason, the house offers psychosocial support, in addition to music therapy projects, art, crochet, and cooking workshops.
The activities are an incentive for them to become professionalized and serve as tools for insertion into the labor market. "We seek to rescue the dignity and emotional balance of these people," explains João Paulo Dias, director of the area chapter of ADRA.
New Experience
Migrants can stay as long as necessary to be inserted in the labor market or for internalization. To date, more than 400 people have been assisted.
ADRA in Rondônia has had a practical impact on the lives of hundreds of people through social welfare projects that work on several fronts, such as health, education, human development, poverty eradication, and emergency response, among others.
The state has two development centers in the cities of Porto Velho and Ji-Paraná, which provide support so the most varied resources can reach those in need. Casa de Passagem Esperança has become a reference for the comprehensive care of migrants in the capital of Rondônia.
For the director, the project stands out for the dedication, commitment, and love of ADRA's employees in always offering the best for those who pass through there. "Many lives are being transformed by the services offered at the house, and all those who are sheltered continue their lives, after their stay at the project, with more hope," says Dias.
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The original version of this story was published on the South American Division Spanish-language news site.