María Cira, A displaced Wayúu Venezuelan Woman

Investigative Journalist | Director | Producer

María Cira, is a Venezuelan Wayúu woman who fled the humanitarian emergency in her country, where food and medicine were scarce.

María Cira at the Americares Colombia clinic in Maicao, La Guajira.

Colombia Patient Highlight: Skarlett

Investigative Journalist | Director | Producer

Meet Skarlett, a Venezuelan trans woman who migrated to Colombia in search of safety and dignity amid the ongoing socioeconomic crisis in her home country. From the moment Americares opened its doors in Santa Marta, she became one of its first patients, receiving free medical care, psychological support, and essential medications.

For three years, Americares provided consistent and compassionate care, becoming a lifeline for Skarlett as she navigated both her health challenges and the realities of life as a trans migrant. Until her passing in 2022, the organization remained a steadfast source of support, ensuring she was treated with respect and humanity throughout her final years.

This story was produced to shed light on the intersecting struggles of trans women, migrants, and those facing critical health needs in humanitarian settings—highlighting both the resilience of individuals like Skarlett and the crucial role of organizations providing inclusive care.

Colombia Patient Highlight: Skarlett

Big Projects Made Reality

Senior Audiovisual Journalist | Investigative Journalist

Kamëntsas and Ingas: Strengthening Indigenous Self-Sufficiency Through the IRACA® Program

The Kamëntsas and Ingas peoples deeply revere Mother Earth as the source of life and sustenance. Their strong connection to the land enables them to preserve cultural heritage, maintain environmental balance, and sustain their communities. Through collective work, they support one another, ensuring the continuation of their traditions and ways of life. Land ownership is central to their agricultural practices and essential to their long-term survival.

Through the IRACA® program, these communities receive targeted support for food security and productive practices, empowering Indigenous and Afro-Colombian households to strengthen their own development and achieve greater self-sufficiency.

The Colombian Government, in collaboration with Social Prosperity and the Pan American Development Foundation (PADF), has implemented projects across critical sectors including health, education, housing, sanitation, income generation, environmental sustainability, industrial safety, and institutional support. These initiatives have complemented and enhanced grassroots efforts led by Indigenous and Afro-Colombian communities.

The success of these interventions is rooted in rigorous implementation, sustainable support, and respectful collaboration—reinforced by strategic alliances with local and international actors.

These efforts, part of a larger development communication and storytelling strategy, have reached over five million viewers across North and Latin America through institutional platforms, including broadcast on Discovery Channel’s Hecho en Colombia. This visibility has played a key role in amplifying Indigenous voices and showcasing sustainable, community-led development on a global scale.