Legal Rehabilitation for Flood Emergency – Estefita’s case

Estefita Vidal Gómez heard about Microjusticia Perú from a neighbor that attended one of our legal orientation campaigns in the Human Settlement “Nuestra Señora de la Salud” located in the district of Punchana, Maynas Province, Loreto. We chose this area because the Peruvian Red Cross requested our presence due to the high number of undocumented people. The Red Cross needs beneficiaries’ ID numbers in order to provide them with emergency kits and supplies. This way they ensure control, accountability and fair distribution.

In the peri-urban areas of Loreto, women and children often lack identity papers, which means they are denied some of their most fundamental rights as well as access to proper and appropriate emergency attention and recovery.

Estefita lost her National Identity Paper (DNI in Perú) in the most recent floods in 2015. Estefita’s children are not in the birth registry system so they don’t have a birth certificate or an ID, and thus do not exist for the Peruvian state. The children are between 3 and 13 years old. Every year it becomes more difficult for them to access health, education and other governmental services due to this lack of documentation. This year, the older daughter couldn’t attend high school because of this.

The reason Estefita’s children are not registered is the lack of information and miscommunication from public registrars. Estefita’s partner does not have an ID either. Years ago, without the father’s ID it was simply not possible to register children. Currently the mother can do so without the father’s approval or documents to protect their children’s identity rights.

Pier is studying Law in the University “Científica del Perú” and will get a certificate for his studies and for his volunteer work with Microjusticia Perú, thanks to an agreement between Microjusticia Perú and the University.

Estefita and her six children now have their identity papers and Pier is now helping Estefita’s husband to obtain his ID for the very first time.

With these simple and basic legal documents, Estefita’s family members can now access the public health insurance (SIS), her children can go to school, and she can get a formal job. They can now also apply for reallocation support or humanitarian aid after the floods.

Estela García,
MJP Director