Our Work and Impact
As a United States-based non-governmental organization (NGO) registered in Colombia, TodoSomos, through the collection of first person handwritten testimonials by Venezuelan refugees, has created an archive of individuals’ and families’ stories in this crisis—the exodus and their experience as part of the Venezuelan diaspora.
The TodoSomos archive is available to everyone—journalists, aid agencies, donors, researchers, government and United Nations officials, and the general public. On a periodic basis TodoSomos selects, transcribes, and translates a selection of the writings that reflect the greater body of work.
These selections have so far been published in a bilingual book (Que Pasa Venezuela? 2019), presented at live readings in theatres in Colombia and in Portland, Oregon, and shared in podcast and radio formats.
Together with population-based data, this shines light on the Venezuelan crisis in a way that engages the attention of the global community. This in turn helps to insure the needs and voices of ordinary Venezuelans are heard, and that they are louder than politicians and powerful special interests. It is our goal to make these voices part of Venezuela’s—indeed, the world’s—historical record.
Our methodology ensures that those who choose to write will understand our respect for anonymity, the value of handwritten testimony, and the greater purpose of our work in advocacy and creation of a permanent archive.
This work is important. As of October 2019 the UN estimated that more than 4.5 million Venezuelans had left their country. The majority crossed on foot through a high Andean mountain pass (3,900m) near Cucuta in Colombia. At the height of the crisis, more than 10,000 Venezuelans made this crossing each month.
Our Method
The Storybook Methodology
At the core of TodoSomos is a simple but powerful approach: inviting people to write their own stories, by hand. Known as the Storybook Methodology, this process honors each participant’s voice, preserves the emotion of their words, and creates a permanent, unfiltered record of lived experience.
01.
Ethical Outreach →
We engage migrants in shelters, border towns, and transit zones through trusted local partners, ensuring that every interaction is grounded in consent, safety, and respect.
04.
Translation & Transcription →
Each testimony is carefully transcribed and translated to maintain its original meaning while making it accessible to a wider audience across languages.
02.
Handwritten Testimonies →
Participants are invited to share their story in their own handwriting, preserving their voice, rhythm, and emotion—without filters or interpretation.
05.
Archival Preservation →
Testimonies are added to our growing digital and physical archive, organized for researchers, journalists, humanitarian agencies, and future generations.
06.
Public Sharing & Advocacy →
Select writings are curated into bilingual publications and multimedia stories, with the aim that these lived experiences inform policy, aid, and public awareness.
03.
Trauma-Informed Practice →
We center dignity and agency in every step of the process, never pressuring anyone to participate or to share more than they choose, and ensuring anonymity in all public-facing archive content.