Refugees, IDPs, and Displaced Populations

A crise social e econômica na Venezuela resultou em um fluxo migratório sem precedentes para o Brasil, especialmente pelo estado de Roraima, extremo norte da região Amazônica. Hoje mais de 500 mil venezuelanos vivem no País, enfrentando desafios significativos no acesso a direitos – um terço são crianças e adolescentes. Em 2020, diante do cenário desafiador de acesso a comunidades vulneráveis em meio à pandemia, o UNICEF criou um modelo de mobilização e de escuta social liderado pela juventude refugiada e migrante: a “Estratégia de Mobilização Comunitária com Participação de Adolescentes” (CMAPS, na sigla em inglês). 
A iniciativa uniu uma abordagem inovadora usando comunicação entre pares para promover comportamentos-chave nas comunidades, inclusive indígenas. Jovens voluntários selecionados recebiam formação contínua, um dispositivo móvel e dados para fortalecer a comunicação comunitária, realizar levantamento de necessidades e coleta de feedback para serviços humanitários. Mais de 16 mil pessoas migrantes e refugiadas foram diretamente impactadas pelas ações construídas pelos jovens, com oito em cada 10 afirmando ter acessado serviços graças à iniciativa (avaliação independente, 2025).
Mobilização social sustentada por um modelo de comunicação comunitária e monitoramento participativo, a experiência foi reconhecida como uma das 11 melhores práticas regionais pelo UNICEF na América Latina e Caribe. A combinação de encontros presenciais e interações digitais para engajar os mobilizadores consolidou um modelo operacional reconhecido por sua custo-efetividade e agora adotado como referência para atuação intersetorial em emergências no Brasil, inclusive em crises subsequentes como a seca na Amazônia e enchentes no Rio Grande do Sul. 

This abstract describes how AVSI Foundation through the IKEA Foundations' funded Sustainable Market Inclusive Livelihood Pathways to Self-Reliance is enhancing Early Childhood Development (ECD) for refugee children using social and community mobilization approach called the "Community Play Group". The approach aims to improve child development outcomes within the economic inclusion programming through innovations such as coaching, referrals and community play based sessions for children aged 3-5 years. Parents were trained on parenting skills to improve positive parenting and mentored on adoption of family child care practices critical for reducing morbidity and mortality. Children aged 3-5 years were engaged in play based learning activities delivered in groups of 15-30 through trained community caregivers. Children's progress towards development were tracked using the Ages and Stages questionnaire (ASQ), routine monitoring data, and parenting assessment. Results indicate that the innovations applied to enhance ECD within the economic inclusion programing was successful as demonstrated by high creativity, confidence and social skills amongst the children measured at 99.8%. Besides, results from ASQ administered at baseline and end line demonstrated improvement in child development in all the domains such as cognitive skills improved from 25.2 to 44.4%, gross motor skills improved from 60.5 to 81.5%, fine motor from 35.2 to 55.4%, personal social from 63.6 to 84% and communication from 46.0% to 75.2%. The parenting assessment demonstrated significant improvements in knowledge, skills and practices from 16% to 83.9%. Community play group is a cost effective innovation that promotes ECD in resource constrained context.

In the context of constrained humanitarian budgets, many cash assistance programs must do more with less. In Colombia, where almost 3 million Venezuelans reside in displacement, we partnered with Mercy Corps and VenEsperanza, a conditional cash transfer (CCT) program, to test a scalable, low-cost behavioral coaching program targeting Venezuelan migrants in Antioquía, near Medellín. Delivered alongside the CCT, the five-session, 1-on-1 intervention integrated cognitive behavioral therapy, problem-management techniques, and behavioral science strategies to build planning, self-efficacy, and decision-making skills. Trained facilitators-none psychologists-delivered this structured interpersonal communication intervention to nearly 600 participants. The program was rigorously evaluated using a randomized controlled trial (RCT).
Findings showed a significant reduction in psychological distress (PSYCHLOPS), improved well-being (WHO-5), and increased self-efficacy for problem-solving and challenge management (SPSI-R25)-all validated, standardized mental health scales. These outcomes are foundational for migrants to regain control over their lives, enabling better decisions around housing, work, and emotional resilience amidst the instability they face. This is one of the few rigorously tested behavioral-mental health interventions integrated with cash assistance in a humanitarian setting.
Beyond improving well-being and resilience, this work advances SBCC in humanitarian settings by integrating psychosocial and behavioral strategies into existing systems. It offers practical lessons on training non-specialists, adapting tools for mobile populations, and ensuring ethical, high-quality implementation. The result is a replicable, scalable model that bridges humanitarian, development, and behavioral science fields-strengthening migrant resilience and decision-making at scale with limited resources.

Graduation Programs are increasingly recognized as a transformative pathway to move extremely poor populations including refugees and host communities towards self-reliance. However, these interventions often prioritize material and financial needs while overlooking the silent struggles of mental health and psychosocial well-being. Uganda, which hosts over 1.9 million refugees mainly from the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan, demonstrates this gap clearly. Refugees and their hosts face trauma, displacement, poverty, and exclusion, resulting in widespread conditions such as depression, anxiety, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder ( PTSD) and substance use disorders. With fewer than 100 psychiatrists serving a population of more than 14 million affected Ugandans, mental health services remain inaccessible, especially in rural and refugee settings.
 The Sustainable Market Inclusive Livelihood Pathways to Self-Reliance (SMILES) project sought to reimagine Graduation programming by embedding psychosocial activities alongside economic empowerment. By integrating community-based support, peer connections, and mental health awareness into  Graduation livelihood strengthening program, SMILES addressed both visible and invisible barriers to self-reliance and resilience. This abstract shares insights on how psychosocial integration improves participants' capacity to engage in livelihoods activities, strengthens community cohesion, and promotes sustainable pathways out of extreme poverty. Findings highlight the power of connection between knowledge and action among participants in improving mental well being and promoting Behavior change communication for graduation success.