Change, a natural process between emotions and labors<\/h2><\/h2><\/div><\/div><\/div>Hello everyone! I’m Lazzarotto Martina<\/b>, and I’ve been living my volunteer experience at the Welcome Home in Santiago, Chile<\/b> for a year now, and I’d like to tell you, in a nutshell, about everything that’s going on here, “on the other side of the world.”<\/p>\n
This House of Shelter has a very long history indeed, and as we can well imagine it has gone through several stages: for years it took in men in fragile situations; then women with children; until the time when, 25 years ago, those who ran the house decided to take in only women, who were coming to Chile to find work.<\/p>\n
The basic principles, however, have never changed, namely: openness, listening and welcoming to migrant people who are in a vulnerable situation.<\/b><\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.ascs.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/martina_ldv-3_3.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nAs I said, the various stages that the Welcome House has gone through have been marked by the different needs, on a socio-cultural level, that arose as a result of the various migratory flows that Chile has always been a protagonist of.<\/p>\n
I say all this simply because here, in Santiago, Chile, we are going through just such a moment: very delicate and important at the same time.<\/p>\n
After 25 years, in which housing has played an important and fundamental role for so many people, there is a realization that the needs of the migrant community in Chile has changed greatly.<\/p>\n
Until January 2025, in fact, the house welcomed migrant women, aged 18 to 65, of any nationality, offering them a safe space to stay. I’m talking about women who have lived in Chile for quite some time: obviously each situation is unique, some have lived here for a few years, some for 10 years, or even some have lived here for 20 years or more. <\/p>\n
These women(about whom I wrote some time ago<\/a>) had taken this House of Reception as their point of reference as it was “their home.” A nice relationship had been established between them and the “hermana Ofelia,” the lady who managed the running of the house itself. So you can well imagine how difficult it was for them to accept the idea that they could no longer count on this place as a reference point. <\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.ascs.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/martina_ldv-3_2.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nIt should be pointed out that this does not imply that these people no longer need this space, but they certainly enjoy such stability (first of all, they are in possession of the “Carnet Chileno,” which is that document that allows them to work legally in Chile) that allows them to explore different solutions to readjust and identify other places where they can reside.<\/p>\n
To be sure, the one made was not an easy choice, however, as time went on it became more and more necessary. The considerable increase in the number of migrants arriving and currently arriving in Chile over the past six years is due to factors such as political and economic crises in neighboring countries, the search for better job opportunities, and the perception of Chile as a stable country. <\/p>\n
All this, precisely, requires constant adaptation and the building of policies that promote integration, social justice and human dignity for all.<\/b><\/p>\n
By saying “everyone,” I am referring to all those people who travel, leave their countries, leave all their security, their affections, in order to seek something better, a future, a chance. And they often do so hoping that “on the other side” there may be someone who will support them, because they often travel without money, without knowing in what conditions they will arrive, and without knowing the context in which they will have to fit in, so much so that when they arrive in Chile most of the time they have to confront a reality that is never as simple as it seems. <\/p>\n
Hello everyone! I’m Lazzarotto Martina<\/b>, and I’ve been living my volunteer experience at the Welcome Home in Santiago, Chile<\/b> for a year now, and I’d like to tell you, in a nutshell, about everything that’s going on here, “on the other side of the world.”<\/p>\n
This House of Shelter has a very long history indeed, and as we can well imagine it has gone through several stages: for years it took in men in fragile situations; then women with children; until the time when, 25 years ago, those who ran the house decided to take in only women, who were coming to Chile to find work.<\/p>\n
The basic principles, however, have never changed, namely: openness, listening and welcoming to migrant people who are in a vulnerable situation.<\/b><\/p>\n
As I said, the various stages that the Welcome House has gone through have been marked by the different needs, on a socio-cultural level, that arose as a result of the various migratory flows that Chile has always been a protagonist of.<\/p>\n I say all this simply because here, in Santiago, Chile, we are going through just such a moment: very delicate and important at the same time.<\/p>\n After 25 years, in which housing has played an important and fundamental role for so many people, there is a realization that the needs of the migrant community in Chile has changed greatly.<\/p>\n Until January 2025, in fact, the house welcomed migrant women, aged 18 to 65, of any nationality, offering them a safe space to stay. I’m talking about women who have lived in Chile for quite some time: obviously each situation is unique, some have lived here for a few years, some for 10 years, or even some have lived here for 20 years or more. <\/p>\n These women(about whom I wrote some time ago<\/a>) had taken this House of Reception as their point of reference as it was “their home.” A nice relationship had been established between them and the “hermana Ofelia,” the lady who managed the running of the house itself. So you can well imagine how difficult it was for them to accept the idea that they could no longer count on this place as a reference point. <\/p>\n It should be pointed out that this does not imply that these people no longer need this space, but they certainly enjoy such stability (first of all, they are in possession of the “Carnet Chileno,” which is that document that allows them to work legally in Chile) that allows them to explore different solutions to readjust and identify other places where they can reside.<\/p>\n To be sure, the one made was not an easy choice, however, as time went on it became more and more necessary. The considerable increase in the number of migrants arriving and currently arriving in Chile over the past six years is due to factors such as political and economic crises in neighboring countries, the search for better job opportunities, and the perception of Chile as a stable country. <\/p>\n All this, precisely, requires constant adaptation and the building of policies that promote integration, social justice and human dignity for all.<\/b><\/p>\n By saying “everyone,” I am referring to all those people who travel, leave their countries, leave all their security, their affections, in order to seek something better, a future, a chance. And they often do so hoping that “on the other side” there may be someone who will support them, because they often travel without money, without knowing in what conditions they will arrive, and without knowing the context in which they will have to fit in, so much so that when they arrive in Chile most of the time they have to confront a reality that is never as simple as it seems. <\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n