Conviventia-CDA will provide emergency food assistance to 300 Wayuu villagers in drought-stricken Barrancas, Guajira, Colombia. Our outreach will extend beyond ending hunger for the Wayuu: CDA will also walk alongside these communities, providing hope, psycho-social support, and, in concert with other partners, evaluate and discuss with the Wayuu community possible solutions to their pressing needs.
For the Wayuu villagers of Guajira, the rains stopped falling in October of 2012. By mid-2013, all forms of agriculture, the source of their livelihood, had dried up. The Wayuu lived in extreme poverty, scratching out an existence in the local markets trading across the border with Venezuela. But in December of 2013, customs controls increased, and that small opportunity dried up too. Hundreds of children have now died from hunger. This project will deliver much needed food to 300 villagers.
CDA will provide emergency food relief parcels containing rice, pasta, red beans, lentils, oil, sugar cane block, powdered milk, sugar, canned tuna, canned sardines, cornmeal, oatmeal, eggs, plantain, potatoes, onion, carrots and bread to 300 villagers and their families. These parcels will ensure that children and family members receive the nourishment necessary to survive.
With hunger assuaged, the Wayuu can begin to rebuild their lives. Organizations such as CDA and other partners can evaluate and walk alongside these communities, discussing possible solutions to their pressing needs.