Carmen and José Luís, in their 70s
Carmen and José Luís, both in their 70s, have lost three sons to the ongoing conflict in Colombia between government and guerilla armed forces.
After their last son was killed right in front of them in their home, they gathered their few possessions and moved from the south west coast of Colombia, to the hills near the capital, Bogota.
"This is not our home"
Things are not easy for them. José Luís, who has been a fisherman all his life, is unable to earn an income without access to a river or the sea.
Carmen, who has been making baskets since she was a child, finds that although she can get materials for her work, the altitude makes them rot.
Carmen says, "After our last son was killed, we had to leave. Now we are here I cannot do anything. This is not our home. Now, we rely on help from community organisations. Sometimes the church priest shares some food with us...when there is food we eat."
Struggling to access support
The couple's problems are made worse by the fact that where they live falls between two jurisdictions, both of which are overwhelmed by housing demands from displaced people.
This means that Carmen and José Luís are struggling to access any support. They have documentation papers from their home municipality, but have been sending these round from office to office without any real response or help.
HelpAge supports couples like Carmen and Jose Luis by providing legal assistance to internally displaced families. We have given temporary accommodation to those in need and organised community activities that help displaced people feel normal again.
Older Colombians are tired of being ignored. Hear what they have to say:
