On Monday, June 21st, 2021, the graduation ceremony of the 100 Venezuelan entrepreneurs living in Panama who participated in the second edition of the Migrando al Emprendimiento program, implemented by the Activados Panamá Foundation and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), was held virtually.

The program was carried out thanks to the financial support of the Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration (PRM) of the United States Department of State, and was accompanied by the Cámara de Empresarios Panameña Venezolana (CEPAVEN).

"Today we conclude with 100 more reasons to value the contribution and talent of our Venezuelan migrants in Panama," said Adriana Rincón, president of the Activados Panamá Foundation.

Santiago Paz, Head of the Global Administrative Centre and OIM’s Mission in Panama, said that "sustainable development means progress for all and not just for some. To achieve this, we must create fairer societies that include migrants, regardless of their status."

The promotion of this type of program encourages entrepreneurship, supported by national policies that create ecosystems that enable opportunities for migrants and host communities. It is also an important mechanism to boost integration and can accelerate the contributions of migrants and refugees as development agents in the process.

Entrepreneurship is increasingly seen as an effective mechanism to overcome some of the challenges of integration, by offering a way to receive income as well as employment for people with limited access to the labor market.

The second cohort culminated with the graduation of 100 Venezuelan entrepreneurs. At the event, Amina Trespalacios, project manager of Migrando al Emprendimiento, named the 30 outstanding ventures that will benefit from significant seed capital. On the part of the entrepreneurs, Carolina Martínez and Luis Venegas, highlighted the benefits of the program and encouraged with their testimonies of the process the participants of future editions of Migrando al Emprendimiento.

For more information contact Mayteé Zachrisson, IOM Panama Communications and Media Assistant, at mzachrisson@iom.int.