110 U.S.-Supported IDPs, Ready to Join the Job Market

July 30, 2009

With the support of the U.S. Agency for International Development-USAID, 110 former combatants from the Department of Bolivar graduated on Wednesday, July 29 from a project that offers comprehensive care, vocational guidance and counseling, training, links to income generating projects and psychosocial support. The recipients, who come from municipalities throughout the Department such as Cartagena, Magangue, Mompox, San Juan Nepomuceno, San Jacinto, Arjona, María la Baja and Carmen de Bolívar, graduated as technicians in Sales & Marketing, Food Handling, Kitchen/Bar, Welding and Refrigeration.

The event was presided by Ileana Baca, Director of USAID/Colombia Demobilization and Reintegration Program; Frank Pearl, Senior Presidential Advisor for Reintegration and Jose Angel Oropeza, Chief of Mission of IOM Colombia. The ceremony took place at the Comfamiliar Auditorium, (Napoleon Perea Recreation Center – Castro Caracoles).

The graduation took place within the ambit of the Complementary Comprehensive Care of the Reintegration into Civilian Life Program, which seeks to help 400 participants and their families back into their previous lives.

This project was financed with nearly $1.7 billion pesos provided by the USAID, implemented with IOM technical support, coordinated by the Presidency’s High Advisory Group on Reintegration (ACR) and executed by the Indufrial Foundation.

For more information contact Adriana Correa (IOM offices) at her e-mail  adcorrea@iom.int, or call (++57-1) 662-7774, extension 140.