Daily life in precarious conditions
Filadelfo Montoya de Oro is 52 years old. He and his family were leading a relatively peaceful life until the day, eleven years ago, when he was hit by a car. The accident left him paralysed from the waist down – a devastating blow for him and his loved ones.
The family also suffered the effects of the armed conflict in Colombia: insecurity had risen in the streets of their village and the residents lived in fear. Life gradually became a daily struggle: it was impossible to find decent work or enough to eat. Filadelfo and his family decided to leave.
He now lives with one of his daughters in a shelter made of planks in Santa Elena, an illegally occupied area on the outskirts of the town of Caucasia. The paths running alongside the dwellings, strewn with stones and mud, are crossed by small streams whenever it rains. For Filadelfo, it is impossible to get around there in a wheelchair.
“Most of the time, I feel trapped in my own home. We don’t know what will happen to us tomorrow, whether we’ll be deported or not. It’s very stressful,” explains Filadelfo Montoya de Oro.
Less support: a stark reality
Previously, people with disabilities in his community were supported through training or received funding to set up small businesses. Filadelfo, for example, had taken part in workshops to learn new skills and launch a business selling sweets and toys with help from HI.
“This allowed me to earn an income from my business, cover some of the household expenses and feel more independent. What’s more, the training gave me greater confidence and the knowledge I needed to move forward.”
But as budget cuts have restricted international aid, support has dwindled, and organisations have organised fewer and fewer training courses and workshops. For people with disabilities who struggle to find work, the situation is particularly dire.
“One of the hardest times was when I needed a new wheelchair. I contacted various authorities, I knocked on every door, but nobody could help me. I felt very alone, completely excluded. Without that support, it’s impossible for me to be independent, to keep working and to get about.”
Behind every refusal to help, there are people fighting to get ahead
Finding work for someone in a wheelchair is a real challenge. Today, Filadelfo lives with one of his daughters, who covers most of the family’s expenses by taking on odd jobs in shops or selling fruit juice. But their financial situation is precarious.
Filadelfo runs a small shop selling stationery. With the cost of goods rising and financial support dwindling, he is struggling to keep his business afloat. Though stressed by the worrying situation and his worsening financial difficulties, he remains determined and driven by the desire to pull through.
"Politicians need to remember we exist; they need to invite us to talk to them so we can explain that we need this support to survive. They need to put themselves in our shoes before cutting funding and realise just how complicated the situation is for us. Behind every refusal, every closed door, there are people and their families who are fighting every day to get by.”
