Enrique's story

This year's WEE BOX Appeal illustrates how SCIAF’s courageous local partners are building peace and offering tangible support to people in Chocó, Colombia.

We spoke to Enrique about how, thanks to help from our partners, he was able to rebuild a life in a home that, years before, was violently snatched from him.

Enrique said:

“When you’re displaced you have to move out quickly, or you are killed. You have to leave everything: possessions, livelihoods, homes.

“In an instant, your umbilical cord to your homeland is lost; your connection to your culture, your heritage, is destroyed. In the places you finally end up, you are treated badly too." 

In 1997, Enrique’s town was taken over by an illegal paramilitary group. They wanted access to the community’s land so they could traffic people and move illicit contraband like drugs and gold through the area.

On that day, and in a flash, Enrique and his family were evicted from their home, forced to run. But they had nowhere to go.

“But the Church was there when we were displaced, and when we returned to our homes too.”

Thanks to your support, and the dedication and bravery of our local partners, we’ve helped displaced people like Enrique’s family return to their homes, keeping them safe during the process.

“For those that finally returned to their homes, the state did not help – the Church, however, has helped us return with all their might. Their presence has helped guard us from the armed groups that still operate here.

“This is the best corner of the world, no question. There’s cultural diversity here, flora, fauna – it’s absolutely amazing! The people are also incredibly resilient – and they respond to violence with dialogue.”

By making a donation to our WEE BOX appeal, SCIAF can help people in Colombia, and some of the world's poorest communities. Through our partners, we can give shelter, food and water for those caught up in violence, provide safe havens for children affected by the war, and help people rebuild their lives long into the future. 

For families like Enrique’s, your support is helping bring real solutions and build peace in a forgotten corner of Colombia – in an active conflict zone that never makes the headlines.