1. Colombia
  2. 2021

Lego press release

Photos for free use. Names have been changed for protection reasons.
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Cristian, 9, (right) and Camila, 7*
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Cristian, 9, (right) and Camila, 7*

“We have been in Colombia for two years now,” says María. “We’re here in Colombia because in Venezuela we did not have anywhere to live and because my children did not have enough food. At that time one of my sons had malnutrition problems. You can see, my children look very close in age, and that’s because malnutrition is very common in Venezuela. Here in Colombia, I have been able to provide him with the food that I could not give him there.”

Venezuelans living in Colombia often have to work very hard to be able to put food on the table. This leaves them with little time to spend quality time with their children.

“I usually work long hours, Monday to Saturday, looking after other people’s children, in order to earn enough money,” says María. “So, I have very little time to spend with my children.”

In this photo, the family is attending an NRC workshop, funded by the LEGO Foundation. The workshop provides parents with the tools to teach their children at home, through play. This is important for the Venezuelan parents who have little time available to be with their children. The tools and techniques enable parents to spend quality time with their children at home, helping them develop.

When asked what part of the workshop she found most valuable, María says “today we learned that through play we can create and share as a family and that everyone can contribute with their own knowledge.”’

In response to the same question, oldest sibling Cristian says, “What I liked the most about today was that my mum shared and played with me and my siblings.”

Developing the imagination is important for child development. At the workshop, the families are asked to pick a place where they would like to travel to and the form of transport they would like to use to get there.

The Lugo family agree that they will travel by train and begin to assemble a colourful and sturdy train out of craft material.
The children are proud of their train, but disagree on the destination.

“We will go to Venezuela on our train,” says seven-year-old Camila.

“No, to the USA!” says Cristian. “This is the train of dreams. The train is big so that we can fit all our family and friends.”

Photo: Christian Jepsen/NRC
*Names have been changed for protection reasons.

  • Photo: Christian Jepsen/NRC
  • María, 31, and her three children, Cristian, 9, (right) Julian (left), 6, and Camila, 7*.
  • Cristian, 9, (right) and Camila, 7*
  • The train that the family made at the workshop
  • Salomé, 7*.
  • Yurley, 27, with her son Jhon, 5.
  • Sandra, 38 and Manuel, 5*.
  • Sandra, 38 and Manuel, 5*
  • Manuel, 5*
  • This is Andrea, 27, and her three children, Jon, 10, Joseph, 8 and Samanta, 4.
  • This is Andrea, 27, and her three children, Jon, 10, Joseph, 8 and Samanta, 4*
  • Valentina, 8, and her mother Nelly, 31
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