MSF. Colombia
MSF began working in Bogota and Cali, Colombia in the summer of 1998. Because of the more than 30 years of wonton violence among the military, three main guerilla groups, the drug lords and countless innocent peasants victims. MSF were greeted with suspicion. It has been very difficult to establish trust with the thousands of refugees who had fled violence and relocated in sprawling favellas around Bogota and Cali. The MSF staff is made up of all local doctors, nurses, social workers and staff, except for three European directors who oversee them. Even with their local expertise and connections it has been slow going. Enric Grau, Bogota, spends a lot of time visiting new encampments to try to establish a working relationship with new refugees.

The Camps house thousands of people seeking refuge. Their handmade homes sprawl over the foots hills and climb the slopes of the grand mountains that encircle the two cities. The flood of refugees started 30 years ago and continues unabated. The refugees are on their own and get no help from the government. But they are hand-driving survivors and slowly work and build new communities. One of the most notorious is Agua Blanca in Cali. It is a huge, lawless settlement that is controlled by youth gangs that rule their turf and live from the spoils of violence and crime against the thousands of people in Agua Blanca. The police will not go into the area. "You're on your own".

The gangs fight and kill each other and then demand retribution. Often young men will be carefully shot in the lower back, not to kill but to maim, to carry the curse for life.

MSF has gone into areas, to help in a medical clinic and to establish a rehabilitation center for victims of violence. They spread the word that they help to rehabilitate anyone. Much to their surprise and delight victims came to check them out, and their words of acceptance spread. Now young men from different gangs are brought to the rehab center by MSF for treatment where they eagerly and determinedly struggle to give new life to their bodies. No one seems to bring up past grievances.

MSF also works closely with the women, young and old, in the settlements. Two huge problems are teenage mothers and violence against women. MSF runs workshops, clinics and works in homes with families to try to help with these intractable situations.

The paramilitary in Colombia has deemed itself the guardians of the society. For thousands of people life is grim, lacking in everything except violence-much of it planned, orchestrated violence. For years the paramilitary has regularly cleansed the society of those they designate as 'disposables' gang members, beggar kids, gays, waste hailers, drug addicts, cripples, the poor all are subject to periodic clean-ups. They kill and display the bodies on garbage heaps.