Nathalie Sayago

After the Darien

By Clavel Rangel & Katie Scarlett Brandt | Photographs by Nathalie Sayago

Venezuelan migrant children and the mental health journey they face.

This is the story of thousands of families, violently uprooted from their homeland, now struggling to build new lives and opportunities for their children. Schools, community members, and human rights organizations have played a crucial role in addressing their mental health needs and integration. Yet, as these families face ongoing hardships, the strength of those support systems is tested every day.

For El Tiempo Latino & Chicago Health Magazine
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Nairobi Colmenares (34) carries her daughter Naomi while they were walking through the Brooklyn Bridge in NYC.
Naomi (6) is standing near the East River at the Brooklyn Bridge Park in Dumbo, Brooklyn.
Kendri (8) walks in front of a street sign in Brooklyn after visiting the court office in Manhattan
Kendri (8) sits at the swing in the park in Dumbo, Brooklyn while eating a snack
Rosa Bramble, founder and director of the Venezuelan Alliance organization that works and supports immigrants in NYC. She talks with a group of women during a support session on December 5th 2024
Naomi (6) used her phone at a pizza restaurant in Brooklyn. Naomi has a Venezuela flag on her phone.
Nairobi Colmenares (34) shows her track application on her phone on November 4th 2024. Nairobi and her kids crossed the border between Mexico and the USA almost a year ago. Since then, they have been living in shelters around NYC.
Facade of the Royal Hotel in the Bronx where Nairobi Colmenares (34) and her two children: Naomi (6) and Kendri (8) were relocated after their previous shelter closed its doors.
Nairobi Colmenares (34) is on the bus on her way to pick up her kids at the school
Nairobi Colmenares (34) picks up her kids at the school located in the Bronx
Facada of Naomi and Kendry’s school.
Kendri (8) shows his notes from school.
Kendri (8) draws a black rainbow with a river during a support session at Venezuelan Alliance in Queens
Silhouette of Nairobi and her kids after picking them up
Kendri (8) says goodbye through the window of the bus after spending our time together at the park
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