Research reveals the socioeconomic profile of the refugee and immigrant indigenous population in Roraima

Making it possible for the members of Acolhida (Welcome) Operation to design new strategies, with a focus on lasting solutions for the refugee and immigrant indigenous population, that resides in two shelters in Roraima, under the management of the Fraternity – International Humanitarian Federation (FIHF), with the support of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

This was the objective of the qualitative and quantitative research done during the months of November and December of 2020, taking into account a population of 382 people older than 16, with 70% of these residing in the Pintolândia Shelter, in Boa Vista, and 92% in the Janokoida Shelter, in Pacaraima.

Of most of those interviewed, 90%, belong to the Warao tribe, 5% to the E’ñepa, and another 5% state they do not belong to any of the named tribes, being distributed between creoles and half-breeds, and one being a member of the Akawuaio tribe.

Research reveals the socioeconomic profile of the refugee and immigrant indigenous population in Roraima

The collection of data was done by means of a questionnaire with 31 questions through the KoBoToolBox platform, “in a sensitive way, taking into account the cultural specifics of the population and the origin of the interviewee,” emphasizes the research team.

The interviews, which took place in the residence of the researched population, were done in Spanish, and facilitated by translators, in the cases where those interviewed did not have full knowledge of the language. In the interviews with the members of theE’ñepa tribe, an anthropologist acted as a facilitator in relaying the information.

With this analysis, it was possible to know the profile of the population over 16 years of age, such as in: job experiences, access to income, in the context of education and training for Livelihood.

Profile of the interviewees

Research reveals the socioeconomic profile of the refugee and immigrant indigenous population in Roraima

As to the gender, the research was shown to be balanced. Of the total of the interviewees, in a population of 382 people, 51% are female, while 49% are male.

The greater part of the interviewees are between 16 and 30 years of age, which corresponds to 54% of the population.

On the linguistic question, 96% affirmed they spoke Spanish, 87% stated they spoke Warao, while only 20% stated they spoke Portuguese.

On the question of education, 18% stated they did not know how to read nor write. Then 17% said they had attended school up to 6th grade, which corresponds to the beginning years of elementary school in Brazil (nine years being the total). Still 14% of the interviewees stated they had completed high school, which corresponds to high school in Brazil, and only 2% stated they had technical training.

Among those interviewed, 85% stated they had not taken any courses in Brazil. Only a minority, made up of the other 15% of those interviewed, responded that they had participated in some course in Brazilian territory.

In relation to work, 51% of those interviewed responded that they didn’t have any work experience in Brazil, while 49% stated they had some experience.

As to expectations about the workplaces, 57% expressed a willingness to work in the city, while the remaining 43% preferred rural work.

Analysis of the data: a summary of the coordinating team of the research

The data presented show the need for a specific design of livelihood strategies between the agencies and organizations, based on basic courses, such as the Portuguese language course for indigenous people, professional courses focused on generating income, of the recognition of the skills already acquired in Venezuela, and actions that, in these strategies, consider both rural and urban profiles.

A result of the survey shows the need for offering basic services for these communities, as a means of self-reliance and community support, since access to basic services and secure income are the first steps to leaving the shelters.

Considering the groups researched, composed mostly of indigenous population of the Waraoand E’ñepa, what was sought was to have a broader understanding of the diversity of the profiles, with reflections on ethnic questions, the differences between the groups, taking into account languages, leadership and different profiles, as well as their previous perspectives and experiences.

Throughout the data analysis, some feasible paths and alternatives were presented, in order to draw on their previous training and work experience in Venezuela, with a goal for finding better job opportunities and improvements in their life in Brazil.

As a form of participation of these groups in social programs, the suggestion was to carry out joint efforts, to help them both in documentation and in accessing those benefits, thus having more financial independence within the shelters, while looking for a more stable source of income.

With regard to education, the analysis showed that the majority of the Waraoand E’ñepaare interested in continuing their studies in Brazil, whether in technical areas or university courses. Although there is a significant number of people with a completed education, which includes high school to graduation, including professional courses, the lack of certification that proves this schooling becomes an obstacle to be resolved, as well as the validation of higher education courses in Brazil, for those who already have certificates of completion issued in Venezuela, and want to enter the job market.