Colombian family proud to call Marlborough home

Between closing her last cleaning business in Colombia and starting her new one in Marlborough, Maritza Renteria experienced enough hardship for many lifetimes.

Maritza and her two sons left Colombia for Ecuador under advice by police, due to her standing up to local criminals threatening her cleaning and hairdressing businesses and having her sons targeted for recruitment by guerilla gangs.

Now, after three years of trials, troubles, loss and hard work alongside Marlborough’s Red Cross resettlement team, Maritza’s efforts to learn English, provide for her sons Eder and Juan and start business BlueGem Cleaning have her feeling at home once more.

“I arrived in New Zealand three years and six months ago after fleeing from Ecuador, because Colombian police literally told me that, “you’re a strong woman, but you need to leave for your own safety because we can’t guarantee it.

“There I was working as a traffic warden and selling fruit on the side of the road with my sons, just scraping by, before I was directed to the UN’s refugee agency.”

From there, Maritza spent months collecting the correct files and personal details, before being accepted.

“I was offered here or the USA, and I felt New Zealand gave my boys a safer life and a better chance to be good people”.

However, even after leaving Ecuador for a safer life in New Zealand, having three family members pass away within two months of each other left Maritza lost and isolated on the other side of the world.

“Coming to Marlborough still wasn’t easy at all though – it’s a completely different country, language and culture.

“I was going through depression and loneliness especially after my dad, aunt and sister all passed away - I didn’t want to learn English or be social, because I was so sad.

“However working with the Red Cross team and seeing my sons’ happy and succeeding, Juan studying medicine in Auckland and Eder wanting to join the Police, has helped so much”.

Since July 2024, the Red Cross Blenheim Pathways to Employment team has supported 14 people towards gaining employment in the Marlborough region.

“Our teams consist of dedicated staff skilled in supporting former refugees to secure meaningful employment”, says Blenheim Pathways to Employment manager Charlotte Wood.

“We work with them to understand their career goals and then develop a plan to help achieve them. We help them with job searching, writing a CV, preparing for interviews and into employment, which may be their first job in New Zealand.

“It can take time for former refugees to feel safe again, get used to new systems and a new culture, learn English, build networks, and find employment, but having the support of a volunteer and the local community makes it easier, and we are always looking for more volunteers.”

And, while the settlement processes may not always be easy, they are always well-supported and Maritza says their help in her case is appreciated more and more each day.

“I miss Colombia every day, but thanks to the Red Cross for the first time since leaving, I can say I’m happy - I’m running my own business, I’m seeing my sons succeed at their passions, and I’m proud to live in Marlborough,” she added.