How UNFPA helps elderly Venezuelan migrants and refugees envision their future in Brazil

BOA VISTA, Brazil – “I had a house, a car, everything I needed. When the economic crisis started, everything came crashing down,” said 70-year-old widow Alegria Campos.

Life in Venezuela used to be good – even “perfect” – for Ms. Campos. But with the country continuing to struggle under grinding poverty and political instability, the mother-of-three and grandmother-of-five made the difficult choice in November 2022 to leave home behind. 

She sold her car and belongings, and boarded a shared car that brought her to Boa Vista, Brazil, where her older sister lives. The journey took two days. 

“I was alone, since I am a widow and my children are already independent,” she said. 

Migration can be challenging for anyone. But for elderly people, the transition across borders may introduce new and specific dangers – such as the heightened risk of abuse and neglect, according to UNHCR. 

Amid these obstacles, settling into a new home and new life can prove daunting. “Adapting here is difficult,” Ms. Campos said. 

What it means to move in older age

According to the most recent global data, nearly 90 million people were forcibly displaced in 2021, and an overwhelming majority were children and adults aged 59 or below. 

But focusing on this demographic data point threatens to erase the reality that more than 5 million older adults were forced to flee their homes in 2021, and their needs remain urgent. Across the UNFPA-supported shelters for Venezuelan refugees and migrants in Boa Vista and Pacaraima, for instance, 290 residents are over the age of 60 – and more than one in four of them has a serious medical condition. 

UNFPA is working to support this community of elderly migrants and refugees in Brazil through the distribution of dignity kits and the provision of education and training on topics such as gender-based violence and how to report and seek help in case of violence against women and girls.

Ms. Campos first heard about UNFPA in a Portuguese culture and language class held by a local organization. UNFPA staffers shared information on gender-based violence in Portuguese, aligning life-saving information with language learning. 

“It was very important to learn about gender-based violence and how to deal with it in Brazil, because I can help other women,” said Ms. Campos.  

Harnessing joy

In both Spanish and Portuguese, Ms. Campos’ first name, Alegria, means “joy”. “But there are times when I feel the opposite,” she said.

With UNFPA’s support, however, Alegria is planning for a better future. She said she’d like to take a year-long Portuguese course to improve her speaking skills, and she has sought medical care in Brazil to address an issue with her eyes. 

She is now preparing for surgery under the Brazilian public health system, which guarantees full, universal and free access to healthcare. And whenever she has questions about that process, she said she knows she can count on UNFPA to help her sort through them.

“I know the door will be open for me,” she said.