With the project “Integrate yourself in the Territories”, the city was selected by the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation to implement projects that benefit the migrant and refugee population living in the capital of Antioquia.
The donation amounts to $4.75 billion so that the District Administration can implement initiatives to break down the barriers that prevent people in conditions of human mobility from accessing employment, education, socio-cultural integration, entrepreneurship, among other services.
With the funds granted, the proposal will be implemented in eight municipalities for 20 months (until November 30, 2024). The resources will be used for job training, entrepreneurship, legal guidance, psychosocial care, prevention of sexual violence in minors, among others.
The eight prioritized communities are: Popular, Manrique, Aranjuez, Robledo, Villa Hermosa, San Javier, Belén and San Antonio de Prado, as a result of the characterization carried out by the District and international cooperation. These areas have the highest concentration of migrant population, with limited access to basic services and institutional supply.
Attention will focus on health, education, job training, job offers, prevention of gender violence, sexual violence in children and adolescents, legal and psychological counseling, and citizen participation and integration.
Similarly, it seeks to decentralize the offer through the Mobile Classroom of the School for Inclusion, a strategy that will train 720 migrants and refugees in labor and citizenship skills, of which it is planned to support 240 in the search for employment and accompany 480 in strengthening their enterprises.
“For us, as a District, it is important to create strategies that offer adequate attention. For this reason, we are grateful for the allocation of resources made by the Hilton Foundation for the District. These resources will be represented in more benefits to this population. We will be providing more opportunities to make their stay in the city much more welcoming,” said the Secretary of Social Inclusion, Family and Human Rights, Isabel Cristina Cadavid Álvarez.
On the other hand, the resources derived from the donation will be destined to the prevention and attention of sexual violence in minors through the project “The magic of playing is to heal”, which offers integral and humanized attention through play and games. It is estimated to impact around 1,120 children and 280 fathers, mothers and/or caregivers.
In order to guarantee effective access to these services, eight new territorial professionals were added who will follow up on individual cases that cannot be referred immediately, either due to legal or personal issues, in order to provide the respective support and comprehensive care.
This donation is one of the international cooperation milestones with the greatest local impact in recent years, improving the quality of life of migrants and refugees.
“It is a pleasure to announce that the Hilton Foundation has granted $1 million to Medellín for a project that will promote the integration of vulnerable communities in eight communities. We chose the city for its openness and willingness to support the migrant population and their host communities, and we are confident that this project will benefit hundreds of families with their social, economic and cultural integration,” said Marcela González, program officer for the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation’s refugee initiative.
During this four-year period, the Mayor’s Office of Medellín has benefited more than 113,508 people through strategies such as housing assistance, the 123 migrant module, the opening of the Intégrate center – in coordination with international cooperation – located in the Los Ángeles neighborhood (Calle 59 # 45-53) and the creation of a public policy.
In 2022, the Global Fund of Cities for Migration awarded an award to the District, thanks to the housing assistance initiative, which has benefited more than 2,900 people in conditions of human mobility, guaranteeing them access to a roof over their heads, food and cleaning supplies.
“Currently, I am one of the beneficiaries of the Intégrate Center, they have helped us in the area of entrepreneurship, Intégrate’s services have helped me to promote my audiovisual production company,” said Francisco Fernández, a Venezuelan migrant.
One of the biggest challenges is to ensure that this public has access to formal employment, because until 2022, according to the Second National Report on Inclusive Employment, 92% had informal jobs. Thus, the administration highlights the importance of the articulation with the School for Inclusion and Livelihoods, where counseling, training and courses are offered for future employment.
“We were able to attract the attention and interest of the foundation to continue supporting the work with citizens in vulnerable situations. Thanks to this international cooperation alliance, which is materialized with the donation of one million dollars, we can move forward in the social and economic development of our territory”, expressed the director of ACI Medellín, Juan Camilo Mergesh.
Medellin, as a recipient city, strengthens the comprehensive care of people in conditions of human mobility, in order to ensure a territory of opportunities for all.