Being a mother can be difficult even under the best circumstances, let alone being a mother caught up in a refugee crisis. Our staff met Alejandra, a 24-year old mother of three children who knows all too well the realities of being a mother and a refugee.

Alejandra, her children, and a female friend fled Venezuela when there was no food or money to survive. They made the trek across the border to Colombia in hopes of a better life. What they encountered was more difficulty and the reality that life in a foreign country was hard. When they first arrived, they lived on the streets. This is no way for mothers and children to live. It was dangerous. There was violence. There was no protection from the harsh weather. It was unsanitary. It left them vulnerable.

After a while, Alejandra and her friend began to sell water and fruit on the street. From their earnings they pooled together enough money to rent a room where 15 people live. But selling water and fruit in Colombia at a reduced rate comes with a new set of challenges. Refugees trying to scrape together money to survive by doing menial jobs face often discrimination from the local population.

On the day that staff met Alejandra, she attended our Malteser International health brigade, where she and her children received health checkups with 300 other vulnerable individuals.

We share these stories because knowing WHO we are helping a key component to our work. It isn't good enough to just support and operate relief programs. We like to put a face with the name and hear from the people who lead healthier lives with dignity because of our aid measures. Afterall, they are part of the solution.