Residence of Poland, Caracas, Venezuela, November 2024

As I sit down to write this post, I can't help but feel a sense of gratitude for the past two weeks, which were full of joy, surprises, and exciting plans for the coming days.

First and foremost, I want to share that I recently celebrated my birthday, and thanks to my incredible friends, it turned into an unforgettable experience. In fact, I had not just one, but two separate celebrations! Both parties were filled with laughter, great food and the warm company of people who made me feel truly cherished. It was a reminder of how lucky I am to be surrounded by such a caring community, especially in a place as dynamic and, at times challenging as Caracas. Thank you to everyone who made my birthday special!

Adding to the highlights of recent weeks, I had the pleasure of attending the celebration of the National Day of Poland at the Polish Embassy in Caracas. The event was truly special, and I enjoyed meeting new people, particularly members of the Polish community who have settled here in Venezuela. It was heartwarming to connect with fellow Poles, exchange stories, and share a moment of cultural pride so far from home.

On the professional front, after a longer break, I am finally heading out on a work mission to the State of Sucre. This trip has been on my mind for quite some time, and I am thrilled to be getting back into the field. During this visit, I will be checking in on various humanitarian projects, which is always a rewarding and eye-opening experience. There is nothing quite like seeing the impact of our collective efforts first-hand and connecting with the communities we aim to support. I will be leaving tomorrow and expect to return to Caracas by Wednesday evening. It promises to be a packed schedule but one that I am truly excited about.

Looking ahead, the first week of December holds much-anticipated break as I will be heading to Barbados for some holiday downtime. The thought of relaxing on a beach, exploring the culture, and enjoying the warm hospitality of the island is giving me plenty to look forward to. I can hardly wait!

A quick update on Leo: he has now been in Madrid for three weeks and is settling in well. The initial days were busy as he navigated the essentials of starting a new life in a foreign country, including opening a bank account, obtaining health insurance, and preparing all the necessary paperwork for his student visa and work permit. The great news is that his application has been submitted, and our lawyer remains optimistic about a positive outcome in the coming months. Leo is adjusting well, discovering the city, and, amusingly, experiencing his first bout of true European cold weather! He is grateful for the overwhelming support from everyone who has helped hi get to this point!

As for Christmas, I will be spending the holiday in Caracas, which I am eagerly looking forward to. It will be wonderful to celebrate with friends and enjoy the festive spirit here.

Finally, I will be updating the photo galleries from my upcoming trips and posting them online, so stay tuned on more snapshots and stories from my journeys (for now you can peep in into latest Venezuela photos, by clicking at this link).

Until next time, take care and thank you for being a part of my life's adventures!

Club Tachira, Caracas, Venezuela, November 2024

Today is my birthday, and it's given me a chance to pause and reflect on the journey so far. Celebrating here in Caracas, I feel grateful for the experiences, challenges and personal growth that this year has brought. While life here hasn't always been easy, it's shaped my perspective, reminding me of the importance of resilience, adaptability, and, perhaps most importantly, staying grounded. This birthday, I'm feeling a renewed sense of purpose and gratitude for all that I've learned and achieved, both in my work and in my personal life.

Work has kept me busy, yet lately, I've found it less overwhelming. The steady rhythm is allowing me to catch my breath a bit, creating space to appreciate each day—even amid the familiar chaos. The celebration yesterday (we had a party yesterday) felt special, shared with friends and colleagues who have become like family here. Those moments make the time in Caracas richer and remind me why I do what I do.

But as much as I love this work and place, I am also looking forward to something I haven't had in a while: a real holiday. After months of being grounded in Caracas, I've finally booked a trip to Barbados for a week, with a quick stopover in Trinidad and Tobago. It's the kind of break I've been raving for ages—a chance to unwind, explore, and simply be.

In Barbados, I am planning on taking things slow. I can't wait to explore the island, go sightseeing, and take long walks along the beaches and in the towns. I'm looking forward to absorbing the Caribbean atmosphere, discovering the local flavours, meeting new people and getting a feel of the rhythm of island life. It's a much-needed escape, and the promise of warm sun, blue waters, and a change of scenery feels like the perfect way to reset and recharge.

So here's to another year, to all that lies ahead, and to the gift of time to reconnect and reflect. I'll be sharing updates from the journey and hopefully some fantastic photos—stay tuned for a taste of the Caribbean!

Las Mercedes, Caracas, Venezuela, October 2024

Life and work continue to be challenging here in Caracas, but there are some positive developments too. My visa extension has finally been granted, which gives me much-needed peace of mind and flexibility to plan my personal life a bit better. Now, I can start thinking about travelling to rest and visiting family and friends. This is really good news.

Another piece of good news is that, together with some good friends, we are about to finalise a deal to help someone in need secure a scholarship for studies in Spain. I will refrain from providing all the details yet, as some final arrangements still need to be made, but things look positive for the young person in question, and this makes me very happy! Hopefully, by the end of October, I will be able to share all the details about this exciting development.

I hope all of you are well, wherever in the world you may be reading this message.

Naiguata, Venezuela, September 2024

Lately, I've found myself caught in the relentless tide of stress at work. The demands and pressures have been overwhelming, leaving me feeling drained and exhausted. Each day seems to bring a new challenge, a new hurdle to overcome. Unfortunately, I can't delve into the specifics of why things are so complicated, but trust me, it's been a tough ride.

Yet, amidst this whirlwind, I've noticed a subtle shift within myself. I'm beginning to adapt, to fund a rhythm in the chaos. The stress, while still present, no longer feels as insurmountable as it did at the beginning of August. It's as if I'm learning to dance in the rain, finding moments of calm and clarity even in the storm.

In these challenging times, I've found solace in the small joys of life. Whether it's spending time with friends and positive people, watching a good movie, or simply enjoying a quiet moment with a cup of green tea, these positive personal experiences have been my anchor. They remind me that there is still beauty and happiness to be found, even when things seem bleak.

I hold onto the hope that the coming months will bring solutions and a sense of balance. I believe that with time, both my work and personal life will improve, and I'll find myself in a better place altogether.

To anyone else facing similar struggles, know that you're not alone. We all have our battles, but together we can find our way through the storm.

Stay well everyone! Greetings from rainy but beautiful Caracas.

Naiguata, Venezuela, September 2024

The past few weeks in Caracas have been incredibly stressful work-wise. Without going into too much detail, I've essentially been working around the clock since the end of July, and I must admit, it has started to take its toll. I'm feeling quite tired.

The good news is that I have some wonderful friends here in the city. We make a point of looking out for one another, ensuring that none of us gets 'burned out.' In this spirit, a few days ago, I was invited and kindly ‘convinced’ to take a Saturday off at the beach in Naiguatá, on the Caribbean Sea (about 30 km from Caracas).

We had a fantastic day out in nature – chatting, enjoying some delicious food, and sharing plenty of laughter. It was a perfect day, filled with great company and forgetting all the worries of the world!

I certainly managed to recharge my batteries a bit! If you’d like to see how we enjoyed the day, just have a look at this link and scroll down to the bottom of the album.

View on Altamira, Caracas, Venezuela, July 2024

I realise that I've been rather quiet over the past few weeks. I haven't been able to stay in touch or write updates as I've been extremely busy with work, and I genuinely have been working hard these last few weeks.

For those who are concerned, I want to reassure you that I'm doing well—just a bit tired, but all in all, very well indeed!

As soon as I have a bit more time, I'll write a longer post. In the meantime, I wish you all the best and hope everyone is doing well!

Centre Caracas, Venezuela, June 2024

Latest newsletter:

Dear Friends,

I hope this email finds you all well and happy. Those in the northern hemisphere enjoying summer, while those in the south are hopefully getting some pleasant chills and perhaps even the joys of winter!

In a few weeks' time, I will be celebrating my first anniversary in Venezuela. When reflecting on my time here, the first thing that comes to mind is a sense of utmost gratitude and privilege to be spending a part of my life in this country. I dare say that I have simply fallen in love with Venezuela and its people. The country is breathtakingly beautiful in terms of landscapes. Towns and cities are full of colour and charm. Surprisingly, even Caracas, which internationally has a poor reputation, is nothing like what I initially expected. Despite all the odds, it is an exciting and bustling metropolis, filled with culture, charming cafés and restaurants, and very distinctive neighbourhoods. Some parts of the city may not be ‘obviously beautiful’, they could even be considered ugly, but when you give them a try and immerse yourself slowly in their cultural and social textures, you suddenly have to give in and fall in admiration! I suppose you have guessed what I wanted to say… it is more about the people rather than just buildings. All of a sudden, when you enjoy and appreciate people, everything looks colourful and tempting, even grey blocks and endless shanty towns. Again, you may have guessed it: I find the people of Caracas, and Venezuelans in general, to be some of the friendliest on the planet. As people are so easy and accommodating, I have managed to make multiple friendships. I have come to know a variety of local people who have kind of adopted me and look after me here. They represent people from many walks of life. Some are families of befriended taxi drivers, some are local shop owners, casually acquainted artists, or business people. It is probably one of the few times that I remember that during my professional posting I have more local than international friends (although I have some amazing international friends and colleagues as well). I like my life here very much!

As far as work goes, I enjoy working here a lot as well. The team I work with here in Caracas, but also in my regional office in Panama City and finally at HQ in Brussels, is very competent, hard-working but also extremely friendly and what I call ‘human’. The humanitarian context in this country is very complex and worrying at the same time. For various reasons (one of them being that I do not want to bore you) I will spare you the details, but just mention that levels of poverty are mind-boggling, and more often than not these translate into humanitarian suffering for millions of people. Access to basic health, potable water, widespread food insecurity, and conflicts cause unnecessary deaths, malnutrition, and diseases, and also force people to migrate within the country or out of it. These migrations frequently cause abuse, and assault and tend to end up tragically with people often falling victim to slavery or, in many cases, dying. It feels frustrating to be able to do so little to assist. Despite working really hard, because of strains on resources, very limited access to people in need (for a variety of political, logistical, or physical reasons), we only are able to reach a small part of those who should be supported. Sometimes, I think that working in this ‘business’ for such a long time, I should get used to this reality, but somehow this is not happening. Seeing the people suffer the way they do here genuinely makes me feel impotent, sad, and sometimes angry. It takes a lot of energy to work with these negative feelings, so that they can be a source of motivation. I need to admit, this is a difficult posting from that perspective.

I do have some ‘out of Venezuela’ experiences as well! Just a few months ago, I visited Mum in Poland, and together we ventured on a wonderful trip to Japan. We visited Tokyo, Mount Fuji, and Kobe. You can’t even realise how happy and glad I was to be able to travel with Mamma. Experiencing a new country, which is so different to Poland or Europe was so special. While I loved Japanese food and architecture, Mum seemed to have enjoyed the parks, plants, and nearly-perfect organisation 'of everything'. Besides Japan, we also travelled around Poland, with a memorable visit to the breathtaking city of Wroclaw and the nearby (Disney-like) Castle of Ksiaz. When travelling around Japan and Poland, Mamma and I had a chance to meet some of my former colleagues and friends whom I had not seen for ages. My Japanese friend, currently based in Tokyo with whom I used to work in South Sudan, and then my Australian friend, visiting Warsaw, based in Ukraine, with whom I worked in Ethiopia. Meeting them was wonderful. It was also great that Mum had a chance to get to know them, as somehow, it gives her a bit of insight into why it is that I enjoy my work so much.

I should also mention to those of you interested in following the life of Tahir that he is well. He and his sweetheart, now wife, Amna, live on the outskirts of Toronto, and are happy! I only regret that I have fewer chances to see them personally. The fact that Tahir still does not have a Canadian passport, and the fact that travelling out of Venezuela is a bit more challenging and costly compared to a lot of other places, makes these reunions difficult. Hopefully, Tahir will soon be able to finalise his Canadian naturalisation processes, and this should make his travels less restrictive. Can’t wait to see them both, even if we speak and communicate often.

Talking of naturalisations, I am also pleased to inform you that I am now officially a naturalised citizen of Portugal (hurrah), and therefore a proud dual national of my native Poland and adopted Portugal.

Finally, I should advise you that in a week, Venezuela goes to the polls to choose the new president. While observing the politics and the electoral process is very interesting to me, as a foreigner, many Venezuelans are worried about the future of their country, even if at the same time, there is a strong sense of optimism as well. While no one really knows how the situation will evolve, there is a possibility (even if not hugely likely) that after the election, the country may experience some disturbances. This, in turn, may mean cuts to the internet and challenging communication. I am writing about this, as it may be somehow challenging to contact me. If that happens, please rest assured that I am well looked after by my organisation and well prepared to go through whatever may be coming.

I will be finalising this message before it becomes too long. Please do write when you can. I will be so happy to hear from you. As a reminder, you can reach me either at info@romanmajcher.eu.

And here is the link to my latest photo albums in case you would like to have a look: https://www.romanmajcher.eu/blog-2/files/7d9a8e4ebb1ee5b2dbdf379b7235313b-141.html.

Sending my warmest regards to all of you,
Roman

Simon Bolivar's image on the mural, Caracas, Venezuela, January 2024

There is only one week left until the presidential election in Venezuela. The entire country is in the midst of preparations for the event. Political rivals are campaigning, and people are making up their minds on how to vote.

As a foreigner, I feel excited to observe the process and look forward to the outcome. Yet, I am aware that the results will have an immense impact on the lives of millions in this amazing country. While I will refrain from expressing my preferences, I genuinely hope and wish that the election will be a great celebration of the wishes of the people of Venezuela.

While we all hope that the process will be peaceful and joyful, I wish all my Venezuelan friends that their dreams come true, whatever those dreams may be!