RISE UP & READ
Bringing Books to Migrant Children in a Shifting Landscape
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Until recently, most families we served were from Venezuela, part of one of the largest displacement crises in the world. Millions of Venezuelan children and families have been forced to flee their homes or move internally as access to food, clean water, safety, and education has become increasingly limited. Along migration routes, children face heightened risks of hunger, exploitation, trafficking, and long-term psychological trauma. Shifting U.S. immigration policies have added further uncertainty, leaving many families in prolonged transit through Mexico.
In recent weeks, we have seen a significant decrease in Venezuelan families at this encampment as migration patterns continue to shift and some families return to Venezuela. As this situation continues to evolve, Rise Up & Read is adapting in real time.
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Newsletter - January 2026
Since October 2025, Rise Up & Read has hosted multiple pop-up libraries in a large migrant encampment in Mexico City, distributing hundreds of books to children in Spanish, French, and English. The encampment, made entirely of tarp tents, has no formal services and is home to many children.
In response, we will be transitioning our pop-up libraries to a new migrant encampment in Mexico City with a large child population. This flexibility is a core strength of our pop-up model- allowing us to reach children wherever the need is greatest. At the same time, our permanent libraries in established migrant centers continue to operate, providing consistent access to books and literacy programming for displaced children and families.