CNN’s Nick Paton Walsh, travels with a group of migrants as they make the arduous trek on foot through Central and South America. The journey through the Darien Gap is a perilous jungle crossing between Colombia and Panama that many migrants must face as they head north to seek asylum in the United States. Over five harrowing days, Paton Walsh hikes the full 66-mile roadless route, documenting the heroism of everyday people, milked for cash by drug cartels and unwanted by any country, as they battle the dense rainforest in search of a better life.
Many of the individuals served by OWS have endured this perilous journey (more widely known as the Darién Gap) to arrive here in the Midwest, and as a result, they often suffer from health problems, PTSD, and other issues. These people were forced to leave their home country because staying meant certain death. Despite the dangers of the journey, they embarked on it in hopes of finding a better future for their children. We highly recommend watching all five of the videos to understand the realities of their situation and to see why the least we can do is treat these people with dignity and respect.