Oakland, Calif., Oct. 29, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, Hispanics in Philanthropy (HIP) announced a round of grants through its Venezuelans Moving Forward (VMF) Fund, part of HIP’s COVID-19 Rapid Response Migration Fund. The Venezuelans Moving Forward Fund awarded over $100,000 to eight organizations working with and for Venezuelans migrants building new lives in the U.S. and across South America.
The VMF Fund partnered with the Tinker Foundation, and other financial supporters of HIP’s Migration and Forced Displacement program to respond to the growing needs of the more than 5 million Venezuelan refugees—displaced by government corruption, sanctions, extreme hyperinflation, violence, food and medicine shortages, and limited opportunities to earn a living—who are now seeing their opportunities impacted by the economic and health consequences of COVID-19.
“The Venezuelan exodus is second only to the Syrian refugee crisis, yet lags far behind in international financial support for the diverse needs of migrants,” said Amalia Brindis Delgado, HIP’s Associate Vice President of Strategy. “As the majority of migrants have moved to neighboring countries they have been faced with tensions, xenophobia, struggling economies, and social unrest, that have only been compounded in recent months by the global health and financial impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.” HIP continues to raise awareness and mobilize funders to secure ongoing support for these efforts so that the Venezuelan migrant population receives the support needed to address COVID-19 and other challenges faced by migrant and refugee communities.
The grantees, many of them migrant-led, provide services ranging from legal and health support to workforce development, and humanitarian assistance. They are all working to counteract rising anti-immigrant xenophobia and promote collective prosperity for Venezuelan migrants, and the communities receiving them. The eight COVID-19 Rapid Response Migration Fund VMF grantee partners include:
Brazil
- Magis Americas promotes sustainable and impactful responses to the injustices faced by those living at the margins.
- Migraflix invests in the knowledge of refugees and immigrants, socially and economically, and helps them to implement projects that generate income, in order to enable them to live a more dignified and autonomous life.
Chile
- Instituto Católico Chileno de Migración (INCAMI) promotes the dignity and rights of migrants, through reception, protection, and integration actions while building an inclusive Chile that values migration as a wealth and opportunity for the integral development of the country.
Colombia
- Fundación Comparte por una vida, Colombia provides funding and nutritional resources for vulnerable children and families impacted by the Venezuelan exodus.
- Venezolanos en Barranquilla carries out philanthropic, social, recreational, cultural, health, sports, and academic activities, for the benefit of Venezuelans residing in the Colombian Caribbean region, strengthening solidarity with Colombian receiving communities.
- Fundación Colombo Venezolana Nueva Ilusión focuses on the defense and promotion of human rights of returned Colombians, Venezuelan migrants, and mixed Venezuelan-Colombian families affected by the political, social, and economic crisis in Venezuela.
USA
- Articulate Foundation, Inc’s mission is to connect people and organizations worldwide, with an emphasis in Latin America, to develop actions that contribute to the rights of humans, democracies, and sustainable development.
Transnational
- Women's Link Worldwide is an international non-profit organization that uses the power of law to promote social change that favors the rights of women and girls, especially those facing multiple inequities.
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Hispanics in Philanthropy (HIP) is on a mission to strengthen Latino leadership, influence, and equity by leveraging philanthropic resources, and doing so with an unwavering focus on social justice and shared prosperity across the Americas. As the leader of a transnational network of foundations, donors, and nonprofits, we are making impactful investments in the Latino community and developing our leaders so they can effectively address the most pressing issues impacting communities in the U.S., Latin America, and the Caribbean. Follow HIP on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.