A program financed by ECHO and implemented by Cáritas Arquidiocesana has already benefited 300 people.
Cristina Duarte* and her family left Venezuela in February this year "with one hand in front of them and the other behind", as she puts it. Sitting in the kitchen of the modest house where she lives in Manaus (capital of the state of Amazonas), she says that the insecurity, violence and socio-economic challenges in her country have become unbearable.
So she, her husband and two young children left family, friends and belongings - including a house - behind, crossed the border into Brazil and settled in Boa Vista (capital of the state of Roraima), where they applied for refuge. There, they lived for 15 days in a city square before being sent to a shelter for asylum seekers and Venezuelan migrants.
Determined to "face all the difficulties to start life anew", she and her family voluntarily joined the federal government's internalization program, which relocates Venezuelans to other cities in the country with better prospects of integration, and landed in Manaus last May on a Brazilian Air Force plane.
Once again taken into a shelter, they stayed there for a short time before moving into the house where they now live. Cristina's brother-in-law and his wife also live there.
The four-room house is simple and equipped with basic appliances such as a stove, fridge, television and fan. Her husband and brother are already working. Cristina divides her time between sporadic jobs and looking after the children, who are not yet at school. Pregnant, her sister-in-law helps look after the house and her nephews, who already have several friends in the neighborhood.
"We bought everything we have, and that makes us proud. But we still have a lot to achieve," says Santiago*, Cristina's husband, as he arrives home after a day's work as a kitchen helper in a restaurant in Manaus.
In addition to having a lot of determination and resilience, Cristina and her family are reorganizing their lives with the support of the UNHCR (UN Refugee Agency) and its partners - among them the European Commission's Directorate-General for Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection (ECHO) and Cáritas Arquidiocesana de Manaus.
Through a project funded by ECHO to meet the needs of the most vulnerable Venezuelans, Cristina's family - as well as thousands of other Venezuelans - were welcomed into suitable shelters, with food, medical care and basic necessities.
As an incentive to leave the shelter in Manaus and thus create vacancies for other Venezuelans, the Duarte family received funds to cover three months' rent and other household expenses, such as electricity, water and gas. This gave the husband the security he needed to get a regular job and stabilize the family's situation.
"We went through a street situation that we had never experienced before. We're very grateful for all the help we've received and we're proud of our situation. Our life is now in Brazil," says Santiago. "I've never worked before, but I'm going to start a new stage in my life. With this support, we were able to save part of our salary and pay the rent without stress. Now we plan to buy a motorcycle," says Cristina.
In Manaus, the cash transfer program funded by ECHO to support Venezuelans' access to housing is implemented by Cáritas Arquidiocesana, a UNHCR partner. Almost 300 people have already benefited, and have been able to rent houses in different neighborhoods of the city. Currently, more than 90 houses have been rented by these families.
"This program allows people in situations of refuge to integrate into society, with the opportunity for decent housing, training, getting a job or starting their own business. The program offers the prospect of a new citizenship in a new country," says the vice-president of Caritas Archdiocesan of Manaus, Father Orlando Barbosa.
Caritas teams support the preparation of professional CVs and the placement of adults in the job market, as well as referring asylum seekers and migrants to health care and other public services.
Families benefiting from the cash transfer for access to housing receive three installments, paid on presentation of receipts for rent and other expenses. The homes identified by the project are in safe locations and close to schools and health centers. Social workers check that families are achieving self-sufficiency and identify other protection needs.
"We have an instrument in our hands to help people in emergency need. They arrive with little hope, and we are a beam of light in the face of so much suffering. We are part of the history of these families, and this is very gratifying," says Roberto Guedes, a financial assistant at Cáritas Arquidiocesana de Manaus who is responsible for making the payments financed by the project.
In line to be assisted by the program is Alícia Diaz*, who at the age of 67 left Venezuela with her daughter Andreina* and arrived in Manaus in June of this year. After two days living around the city's bus station, they were taken by Cáritas to one of the city's shelters. With health problems, she was identified as a beneficiary of the cash transfer program financed by ECHO.
Alicia and her daughter left the shelter and moved into a small apartment that they share with a Haitian migrant. The daughter, who is an engineer, is setting up a food business to increase the family's income. Both have also relied on the solidarity of neighbors to stabilize themselves.
"Now we have more privacy and peace of mind. I can look after my mother, who needs a balanced diet. We hope to be able to help other people, just as we were helped. The aim is to walk on our own two feet," says Andreina.
For the head of the UNHCR field office in Manaus, Sebastian Roa, the cash transfer program has positive impacts at the local level. "The project empowers people to manage their spending, injects resources into the local economy and supports the most vulnerable to achieve self-sufficiency. We must also recognize the support of many Amazonians, who at this difficult time offer a helping hand to these families," Roa observes.
An estimated 2.6 million Venezuelans are living outside the country due to a complex political and socio-economic situation. Among the reasons for these people to leave their country are insecurity and violence, reduced income and difficulty in obtaining food, medicine and essential services.
Around 70% of these Venezuelans are in South American countries, with Brazil being one of the destinations for those seeking protection and assistance. According to federal government data, more than 65,000 Venezuelans have already applied for refuge in Brazil. Another 19,000 have applied for temporary residence.
In Manaus, more than 8,800 applications have been made by Venezuelans since 2017 - until August this year. Around 600 people are staying in shelters in the city, with at least 180 arriving through the internalization strategy.
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