On the Ground International is based in Pamplona, Colombia, a small colonial town at the base of the Andes mountains. OTGI’s mission is to provide aid to the Venezuelan refugees who are crossing Colombia. These refugees are referred to as “caminantes”, or walkers, because most of them do not have the few dollars required for bus fare, so are making the dangerous trek on foot.
Shelters:
OTGI operates shelters in three locations, each a day’s walk apart, and also provides aid along the route. Shelters provide food, showers, sometimes laundry and medical attention, and a safe place for the refugees to spend one night before they continue their journey.
Mobile Aid:
OTGI volunteers load a car with sandwiches, bananas, hard boiled eggs, Oreos and water, then drive along the refugee route, providing food to the groups of refugees traveling. Every day is different – some days we will only meet 8-10 refugees on the road, some days there are as many as 100 refugees. There are many vulnerable people making this journey – young children, elderly, and pregnant women all find themselves walking 10-12 hours a day.
Community Projects:
Besides OTGI’s commitment to serve the refugee population, we strive to be a positive involvement in our local community as well. Community projects include after-school tutoring programs for Colombian and Venezuelan children who have missed years of school and are trying to catch up to grade level, English learning programs, sports, music, and art classes. We also host a weekly language exchange program for community members who want to practice English or French with our international volunteers.
Medical Clinics
Many refugees arrive at OTGI shelters with medical needs – knee and ankle injuries from hours of walking, chest infections, flu symptoms, many children with parasites from drinking contaminated water along the route. OTGI medical volunteers provide as much care as we are able, and also give information on the route ahead, and how to deal with the common symptoms of altitude sickness.