When Wilmer checked the requirements for graduating with a high school diploma in agriculture in Venezuela, he realised that he needed an ID card – but he had lost his two years prior. Luckily, a Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) programme came into his life at just the right moment to help him fill out his papers.
How ID cards can create opportunities
By coincidence, Wilmer renewed his ID card on the same day he turned 18. “It was a huge gift. Everyone realised this when they saw his new ID,” says his aunt Nurvis, a 38-year-old worker from the state of Bolívar, a mining area bordering Brazil.
ID cards are the main identification documents used in Venezuela. They are issued for free and have various essential uses in everyday life, from accessing health services, medicine and food, to free movement, employment and banking services. This is why Wilmer’s mother, 36, and grandmother, 67, also desperately needed them.
Seven million people in Venezuela are in need of humanitarian assistance, according to the United Nations. In 2024, NRC reached more than 100,000 people with its projects, including supporting almost 10,000 people with information, counselling and legal assistance services. Legal documentation, such as birth certificates and identity cards, is key to accessing basic services and education.
By coincidence, Wilmer renewed his ID card on the same day he turned 18. “It was a huge gift. Everyone realised this when they saw his new ID,” says his aunt Nurvis, a 38-year-old worker from the state of Bolívar, a mining area bordering Brazil.
ID cards are the main identification documents used in Venezuela. They are issued for free and have various essential uses in everyday life, from accessing health services, medicine and food, to free movement, employment and banking services. This is why Wilmer’s mother, 36, and grandmother, 67, also desperately needed them.
Wilmer, his mother, aunt and grandmother all renewed their IDs with the support of NRC’s information, counselling and legal assistance programme. Thanks to the support of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), NRC was able to offer information and community awareness sessions to over 2,000 people in the state of Bolívar. We also provided personalised guidance to over 700 people. In a context where connectivity, digital skills and long distances are barriers when scheduling appointments or travelling to offices, NRC assisted more than 500 people in these situations.
In a country where it is challenging for youth and adolescents to complete their education, every success story counts. Wilmer’s mother, aunt and grandmother were all present at his high school graduation and witnessed him receive his certificate from the authorities. They remember it as a beautiful day. Now Wilmer dreams of studying veterinary medicine at university.
Goal-scoring assistance
When the day came for him to apply for his ID for the first time, with free assistance from NRC, Pedro was so excited that he rehearsed how to pose for the photo and sign the document. He was accompanied by his mother, Beatriz, a 32-year-old housewife who earns money through her own humble ventures.
Pedro is nine years old, the youngest age at which it is possible to obtain an ID card in Venezuela. Beatriz explains why he’s so happy about receiving an ID card: “He is a footballer and he needs it to travel on his own to his local sports tournaments.”
She is grateful that her child focuses on sports rather than thinking about the mines.
On the football pitch, Pedro plays defence. “What I like most is scoring goals, playing with my teammates and sharing with them,” he says. He sees a connection between mathematics, his favourite subject in school, and football, his passion: “In football, we use mathematics when we strategize,” he explains.
Sports and school attendance both contribute to protecting children. “NRC supported us a lot. They get 10 out of 10,” says Beatriz. In mining areas like Bolívar especially, proper documentation allows children and adolescents to maintain access to essential services, such as health and education, and complementary services, such as sports and recreation.
“You need to have it”
In Venezuela, ID cards are valid for 10 years. Joslen’s card had expired four years ago. His reasons for not renewing it are similar to those of Pedro and Wilmer’s families: “We live a long way from the cities where the offices are located. We don’t have enough money for the trip and we don’t know how to make an appointment online,” explains the 38-year-old seller of natural juices.
“All the assistance from NRC was good, and in the office the staff treated us very well,” says Joslen, who renewed his document along with that of his wife. Both are happy that they can now exercise their right to identity.
“How can you walk down the street without a document? You can’t. The ID card is essential, it is the main thing, you need to have it,” he says.
Eggs provide a protein boost
NRC also seeks to provide complementary services to families in need. With support from SDC and NRC, Joslen’s community received hens, roosters, food and equipment, as well as technical training around the breeding and care of these birds.
These chickens are now producing eggs right in people’s back gardens, and families in the community have increased their consumption of this valuable source of protein. “I didn’t have chickens before. This has been great,” Joslen says.
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