Darío*

Search for family well-being

Darío * is nine years old and has lived in Peru for five years. Due to the economic crisis, he had to migrate to Peru with his parents. His mother, Elena*, worked for a vegetarian food company for the first few years, but then she had to rest due to a high-risk pregnancy, causing her to lose her job. After the birth of her sister Mariana*, her mother has found it difficult to get a job and the only income her family has is thanks to a temporary job her father got as a security guard.

Fighting for your sister’s health

His sister Mariana * has spherocytosis, which is a type of hemolytic anemia, which is why at birth she had to receive blood transfusions and be hospitalized for more than a month. For his part, Darío has difficulties eating fruits and vegetables with his meals.

Elena* has received support through the project ” Assistance for the well-being and inclusion of migrant and refugee families in Peru”, through which she received financial support through monetary transfers that have been used to buy food for her family, pay rent and the internet connection for Darío’s virtual classes *.

I met Save the Children because my mother told me that you gave her help to buy a lot of food. The day my mom got the help, we went shopping to many places.

In addition, Elena * is enrolled in Save the Children’s courses on entrepreneurship and has participated in information sessions where she has received information to maintain a healthy diet for herself and Dario *.

Looking at the future

At the beginning Darío * and his parents had problems finding the most suitable school. They found a place in a school far from their home, but then found a closer one, where Dario * adapted quickly.

The second school I liked a lot, the miss was very good. In two weeks I learned to read and add and subtract. I also made a lot of friends. I am already in third grade and next year I will be in fourth grade.

Having distance classes has also been difficult for Darío *:

When the pandemic started, in my mind I said: “Why did a quarantine have to come in order not to go to school?” I wanted to keep going to school, and now I want to go back.

Despite the difficulties they are currently experiencing, Darío * looks to the future with hope and is clear about what he wants to dedicate himself to: being a great artist.

*The name has been changed according to our Safeguarding Policy.

About the project

The project “Assistance for the well-being and inclusion of migrant and refugee families in Peru” has been implemented by Save the Children with support from the USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA /USAID). This intervention aims to provide humanitarian assistance to Venezuelan families who were forced to leave their country due to the serious economic crisis. The cornerstones of the project are: protection through psychosocial support; nutrition and health; livelihoods through the strengthening of skills to start a business or access a job; as well as humanitarian aid to cover the family’s minimum expenses for food, shelter, and clothing.