Products made by internally displaced
Colombians, former child soldiers and victims of anti personnel
mines and endorsed by IOM, were a great success this week at the
International Trade Fair (Macrorueda de Negocios Agroindustria)
held in the city of Cartagena.

Jewellery, leather goods, clothing, foodstuff
and handicrafts were presented to buyers from all over the world
who participated in the trade fair.

Andrea Jaramillo, the IOM Officer in charge of
this initiative explained: "It was a way to show that people who
have suffered injuries, trauma and displacement can still be
productive members of society. These products were not only
welcomed by the buyers, but also produced quite a stir. IOM is
committed to helping these brave Colombians to get back on their
feet and to assist them in getting their products sold
internationally."

The IOM initiative is part of the Social
Marketing Strategy funded by the United States Agency for
International Development (USAID).

IOM began marketing the products at the
international level last September at a real estate fair organized
by the Colombian Chamber of Construction and held in New York. In
Colombia the products are sold at boutiques and specialty shops in
Bogota and Cartagena (Makú, El Balay, Tienda Artesanal, and
the Hilton Hotel, amongst others).

During this week's fair, IOM sold more than 60
products and established contacts with potential buyers from
Belgium, Canada and Italy. Proexport, the governmental organization
in charge of promoting non-traditional export items, foreign
investment and tourism to Colombia, will promote and market the
IOM-sponsored products in all its international offices.

In 2005, IOM began the Social Market Strategy
to help vulnerable populations to become self-sufficient. Since
then sales have increased by about 30 per cent. It is expected that
by the end of 2006, total sales will reach US$ 100,000.

For more information on the Social Marketing
Strategy and to see the products, please visit the IOM Colombia
Website. "http://www.oim.org.co" target="_blank" title=
"">www.oim.org.co.

For more information and press queries
contact:

Rocio Sanz

IOM Colombia

Tel: 57.311 5619495 or 57.1.622 77 74 ext. 114

E-mail: "mailto:rsanz@oim.org.co" target="_blank" title=
"">rsanz@oim.org.co