Over 5 Million People Have Fled Venezuela. This Is The Largest Displacement of People in the Western Hemisphere.
TheBetterTogether / JuntosEsMejor Challenge crowdsources, funds and scales innovations that support Venezuelans and host communities impacted by the regional crisis
The Regional Crisis
Venezuela’s political and economic crisis, marked by devastating hyperinflation, has led to severe food and medicine shortages. As of January 2020, it has driven nearly 5 million people to flee this once prosperous country.
We are facing the largest external displacement of people in the Western Hemisphere’s history. 1 in 7 Venezuelans have left their homeland, more than 5 million people who have left behind best friends, family members, and loved ones.
In 2017, a majority of the population lost an average of 25 pounds, and 80% of the population did not have a reliable source of food. As a result of this and other issues, the outflow of Venezuelans to neighboring countries in Latin America and the Caribbean has had a growing impact on healthcare systems, public services, labor markets, community relations, and infrastructure.



Where We Work
All proposed solutions are being implemented in one or more of the following countries: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Panama, Peru, Trinidad and Tobago and Venezuela*
*USAID funds the implementation of solutions inside Venezuela.
What We Do
- Elevate Venezuelan voices and ingenuity to answer needs across the regional crisis;
- Connect Venezuelans, host communities, and the world’s collective genius to develop innovative solutions;
- Fund, test, and scale solutions; and
- Build a marketplace of tested, market-ready solutions
The Challenge is no longer accepting applications. At this time, we do not plan to reopen the window.

Learn more about our 32 innovations in 10 countries, supporting Venezuelans and their host communities in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Although 2019 was a record year for business start-ups and innovations led by women, the United Nations warned that the COVID-19 pandemic could cause a setback. Today more than ever we must continue to promote innovation led by women.
This helps us reap the benefits of inclusive innovation that incorporates the perspectives of more than half the world’s population. For example, studies have shown that increasing inclusivity and participation of women in an organization leads to better performance and greater innovative capacity.