An Important Step for the Kogui and Wiwa Children
We want to share an important initiative that your support has helped make possible.
We recently sponsored a group of Kogui and Wiwa Indigenous children, accompanied by a parent, to travel to Santa Marta, Colombia, to begin the process of obtaining their official identification and registration under Colombian law.
The two-day identification process included the required documentation and blood testing. This initiative involves 26 Kogui and 17 Wiwa, along with 53 children who are receiving assistance through this process.
Why is this so important?
Without official registration, Indigenous children can be effectively invisible to many of the systems designed to protect them. Proper documentation establishes their legal identity and helps ensure access to essential healthcare, education, social services, and the protections afforded to them under Colombian law. It also helps preserve their rights as Indigenous people and their connection to their ancestral communities.
There is another important dimension to this work. As we have witnessed through our flood relief efforts in Nepal, when natural disasters and emergencies occur, being properly identified can make an enormous difference in ensuring that vulnerable individuals and families can be accounted for and receive assistance.
Whether we are supporting Indigenous communities in the Sierra Nevada of Colombia or families affected by natural disasters in Nepal, our intention remains the same: to help ensure that people are seen, recognized, and supported with dignity.
We are deeply grateful to everyone who contributed to making this journey possible. Your generosity reaches beyond immediate assistance; it helps create greater security and opportunity for these children and their communities for years to come.
With gratitude and appreciation,
Denise & Michael
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