Thomas and Mathias receive support on their return to home

Five years ago, Thomas, 11 years old, and Mathias, 8 years old, packed a small bag of belongings to depart from their home in Güiria, Sucre State, Venezuela. They headed to the beach with their mother, and at 10pm, in the dark, they boarded a boat.

Leaving Venezuela for Trinidad and Tobago, they held on tight until they finally met up with their father who was waiting anxiously on the other side. "We left in the pouring rain. The waves were so high, and I was sick from the motion of the boat.”

They are just two of the thousands of people who have crossed borders to try to find better living conditions.

However, for the brothers, life in Trinidad and Tobago was tough. Neither boy could attend school. "My mom had no money to pay for it."

Instead, they kept each other company. They had to spend all day inside while their parents did everything they could to put food on the table.

A few months ago, the children returned from Trinidad to Güiria, accompanied by their grandmother. Shortly afterward, their mother joined them.Their father stayed behind to continue working to send money for the family’s expenses. He phones them every day to find out how they are and what they are learning

Thomas and Mathías returned to school where they are studying fifth and second grade. Also, they've joined the soccer academy GAD, which is part of the initiatives promoted by UNICEF and its implementing partner Cáritas to provide psychosocial support to children in Güiria.

Children who return from migration often struggle to reintegrate back into their communities, but playing sports helps them make friends and find joy again.

At the academy, Thomas plays forward. And he’s made a best friend called Ángel. "We always play together, they always put us on the team, and that's why we became friends."

For Mathias, having friends means everything. "Friends are important in life."

Through the work of UNICEF and implementing partners in Venezuela, thousands of other children like Thomas and Mathias are receiving the psychosocial support they need.

Andrea García, Child Protection specialist at UNICEF, points out that Valdez, the municipality to which Güiria belongs, has particular characteristics as a border municipality, including circular migration and high risks of violence. "Here, work has been carried out to provide support for managing emotions, psychosocial support spaces, dissemination of children's rights, mechanisms for the self-protection for children and adolescents, and programmes on loving parenting for caregivers."

Patricia Caraballo, psychologist for Cáritas Güiria, knows the heartbreaking choices many parents face when they have to make a decision like migrating, especially when they have to leave their children behind, an option they take as a last resort.

"We have many children whose parents are out of the country. They are left in the care of grandparents, aunts and uncles, or even neighbours. These caregivers don’t always have the tools to address what the children are going through."

For the children who migrate with their families, the risks are severe: family separation on unsafe routes, human trafficking, forced displacement, among others. And when children reach school age, they’re often sent back to Venezuela to live with family, where they struggle to find their place in their community. 

Patricia sees the impact on children every day: migratory grief. childhood anxiety and other mental health issues. "That's why these programmes are so important, because can provide not only the children but also the caregivers with the necessary tools to cope." 

In Güiria, Thomas and Mathias are building a routine and settling into their new life back in Venezuela, although they still miss their dad. "He calls us every day when he leaves work.”

Now that they're back in school, the boys are planning for their future. Thomas wants to join the military. "Because it helps your country to fight and all that." Mathias wants to be a doctor. "To take care of my dad and all my family."