43 m² of Peace

Luz Dary Marín (38)

»For the mere fact of having been displaced, we must not get stuck in this mentality. We need to look beyond that and keep on going. We need to look for new alternatives and ways to get ahead for ourselves. I always liked to work, to fight and to move forward.
I’m an entrepreneur.«

Leidy Johanna López Londoño (36)

»We came here as one of the first families. Since the shops are quite a way off, talking to my mother one day, I came up with the idea to set up a little vegetable shop. She had concerns about it, because the only money we had was meant to pay the utility bills on Monday. This was on a Friday. So I suggested to spend the 200,000 pesos¹ on vegetables and recover it by Monday and so we did. We put up a board and started selling packages for a thousand. The people went like: “Oh, that’s so nice!” Like this we recovered the money, paid the bills and kept stocking up. This is how we survive.«

¹ equivalent of approx. 70 US dollars

Ofelia Cuesta Roa (44)

»Until we got the apartment, we had to struggle a long time waiting for this dream. In 2007 I filled out the form and in 2015 the flat was assigned to me. I’m really grateful, but the apartment is very narrow for all of us living here, because we’re thirteen people. All of my daughters have their own families and children. At night it gets very tight. Only some of us can sleep in a bed and the others have to sleep on the floor, because there’s just no space to fit more beds.

I don’t accept a messy place nor anybody to come home late. In the household, we share tasks. Someone cooks the food and another one washes the dishes. You can’t look after everything all by yourself. I have the first and the final say, because I’m the head of the household. I make the rules and if anybody doesn’t respect them, that’s his problem. It’s as easy as that.«

Pedro Mendoza (56)

»We are from Córdoba, where we used to have a finca. After we got displaced, we came to Medellín. This was 17 years ago. Later, we were relocated to the ‘Pelícanos 3’ apartments on account of displacement. In 2015 we received the apartment. On the upside, we no longer have to pay rent. But on the downside, I can’t work, because I live on the fourth floor. I ain’t got no business. I’ve always been living independently and now I’m without business and without employment.

The government grants a humanitarian aid, which I used to receive every year. But  five years ago it was suspended. Ever since, we’re waiting for the reparation payment (due to forced displacement), but nothing has happened. There has been no solution.«