Talia Khan Supports Venezuelan Migrant Children in Trinidad and Tobago

According to ACAPS, Trinidad and Tobago hosts over 44,000 Venezuelan migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers who fled the socioeconomic crisis in Venezuela. Children represent a significant proportion of these refugees and migrants. It's those children that Talia Khan seeks to help.

Over the years, Talia Khan has witnessed the influx of Venezuelan immigrants in her homeland. In the summer of 2023, almost immediately after graduating from the University of the West Indies (UWI), St. Augustine, with a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish and French, she began working with migrant children. This opportunity was presented to Talia by her professor, Romulo Guedez-Fernandez, who was responsible for integrating Venezuelan children into the Trinidad and Tobago educational system. Khan started learning Spanish at age 12 in secondary school and was fluent by the time she was 18 years old. As a result, she moved confidently into her role with the migrant community.

Serving the Venezuelan Migrant Community

The Migrant Mentorship Program was a collaboration between UWI, the Catholic Education Board Management, and the Ministry of Education. Under the guidiance of Romulo, who spearheaded the program, educators from the primary and tertiary levels participated in a three-day translanguaging workshop to integrate migrant children into the classroom.