Yohaxa from Colombia

Yohaxa Piedad Guerrero Garcia and her family departed from their lively hometown of El Banco Magdalena in Colombia in 2018 to start a new life in Canada. Although she has successfully acclimatized to her new surroundings, she longs for the cherished memories of her hometown, particularly the annual holiday tradition of lighting candles on the streets, and the companionship of her sister, whom she had to leave behind.

A Turning Point in My Life 

by Yohaxa Piedad Guerrero Garcia 

I am from Colombia, and I am currently a Canadian resident. I would like to tell you about what made my husband and me decide to come to Canada and find a better quality of life and better opportunities for our family. 

My husband is an architect, and I am a journalist. For many years, he worked with the national government in Colombia, building houses for the vulnerable population, while I developed as a journalist. 

My husband and I got married in March 2006. Shortly after, he began working on a building project in San Andres, Colombia. The aim of the project was to build 1,200 houses for people who had been victims of a natural disaster. Due to the importance of the project, there was a lot of pressure on my husband, who was a project manager. One day he left his work but did not come home. I was very worried and called him again and again, but he did not pick up. I did not know anything about him until two days later, when I received a phone call and was informed he had been kidnapped by an illegal group. I felt horrible, and this was a difficult time for my family and for him. In this case, the police intervened, and although my husband was released six days later, our family was never the same again. We spent years in fear of these people. When our children were born, we thought everything had been left in the past, but we were wrong. The past and the insecurity of our country caught up with us. One day I was intercepted by two men who threatened my little children. This was the turning point that made us take a radical decision. We left everything behind in search of security and stability and moved to Canada. This helped us regain confidence in a social system which, despite its occasional flaws, has allowed us to get ahead with hard work.  

I chose to tell this story because in the most difficult moments we get the best experience and learning. I am grateful every day for this opportunity that God has given us. We were able to rebuild ourselves as a family regardless of the place we are in. I know that if I had to start again from zero, I would have the strength to do it if my family is complete. I don’t know what other challenges life has in store for us, but so far it has made us stronger.