By: Flavio Di Giacomo

Crickets chirping was all that could be heard on that mid-August day in the Sicilian countryside, where temperatures hit 40°C, almost melting the roads.

The typical Sicilian Summer heat is unbearable for most people, making it intolerable to walk in the streets during the day. Cars are also a rare sight.

A girl walks up and down the road, wearing a suffocating red wig. Her shoulders hunched, she is overtired from patrolling the same street for more than two hours. Her head starts spinning. As she begins to stumble, feeling more and more lightheaded, Italian police officers drive by. The officers notice that something is not right and escort her to the nearest police station.

Promise* had no documents and claims to be 21 years of age. She explained that she was on her way to visit her sister, who lives in Palermo city, when she fainted. Through checking records, the police officers realized that Promise is actually 17 years old and from Nigeria. She had arrived in Italy by sea — alone — five months earlier.

*Promise’s name has been changed to protect her identity and this story has been published with her full consent.

The officers reached out to the IOM’s, UN Migration Agency, field team active in that part of Sicily. They rapidly found her a safe place to stay at a protected centre for young people under the age of 18. While initially reluctant to speak out, Promise began to open up to an IOM counsellor.

After a few ice-breaking sessions, Promise could not stop the flood of words pouring out.

“Yes, I’m 17. I wanted to come in Italy because I had been told I would work at a hair salon but as soon as I arrived, I found out that none of it was real. The job was a lie. They forced me to become a prostitute. That was the only way to pay off the debt of the journey, which they had told me before I left that I did not need to pay for.”

Promise’s story is sad but not unusual. The “promised job gimmick” is a typical recruitment technic used to trafficking women for sexual exploitation.

“That girl, who had never experienced any sexual encounters before leaving her country, was forced into prostitution. She had to be out in the streets for 12 hours a day. She is also afraid that she had contracted a disease,” explained the IOM counselor who first heard Promise’s story.

“As it usually happens, she was subject to a voodoo ritual and the madame knows her family. We met her every day for a month. At first, she could not sleep at all. She was too afraid that the voodoo curse would kill her. She would often run away from the centre by knotting sheets and climbing down the window. Other times she would pack all her things but then stop right at the door. At last, the fear of being forced to get back on the streets prevailed and she decided to press charges against her traffickers. Even though her family back in Nigeria was receiving violent threats, Promise had their support. She now lives in a protected shelter, far from Sicily. She speaks Italian perfectly and is currently studying to become a cultural mediator.”

The abuse Promise endured is a common fate for many Nigerian girls, who reach Italy by sea. According to IOM counter-trafficking teams, 80 per cent of Nigerian women and girls that arrive through Libya are potential victims of trafficking for sexual purposes. Traffickers target younger and younger victims. They advise the girls not to reveal to authorities that they are underage so, that they will not be transferred to a minors’ centre, where it is more difficult to run away from, making it harder for them to start working on the streets.

“Young people represent the most vulnerable of the migrant population that come to Italy by sea,” explained Federico Soda, Director of the IOM Coordination Office for the Mediterranean. “We have heard many other horrific stories, which do not exclusively belong to victims of trafficking. Just to name one from a few weeks ago, there was a baby girl, 15 months old, who was rescued but left orphaned, after her mother died at sea during the crossing. Many children and young people tell us they had to leave their parents behind in Libya. Not having enough resources to pay for all the family members’ crossing to Italy, mothers try what they can to send their children to Europe first, in order to spare them a longer stay in a country where migrants are subject to daily violence and abuses.”

In 2016, 25,846 unaccompanied migrant children arrived in Italy by sea, compared to 12,360 from the previous year. The number of child arrivals actually marks a higher increase than the overall number of migrants’ arrivals last year. Most are in their teens; some migrated to Libya to find a job there, others were dreaming to go to Europe from the very beginning, but they fall all the same into the spiral of violence and abuses there. For those who did not plan to come to Europe in the first place, crossing the Mediterranean becomes the only way out to survive. Then, there are the young girls who are trafficked, whose fate has been already sealed in the country of origin, and who are psychologically manipulated and then “escorted” to Italy.

IOM is actively providing assistance to young migrants through dedicated projects, from legal counselling at landing points to assistance to victims of trafficking and interventions at the minors’ centres. IOM field staff in charge of assistance to vulnerable groups are always trying to find solutions for children and teenagers that, at their age, should have the right to go to school and lead a safe life.

A child should be free to lead a life with a strong and untroubled sense of discovery, excited about what the future will bring. For an unaccompanied migrant child, too often, danger, abuse and even death is a reality they have to face.

Flavio Di Giacomo is IOM’s spokesperson in Rome. For further information, please contact him at IOM Italy, Tel: +39 347 089 8996, Email: fdigiacomo@iom.int

By: Toby Greenfield

While IOM recognizes the importance of Word Day against Trafficking in Persons, we know the fight against trafficking must happen every day. Our regional offices and country missions work throughout the year to raise awareness about what human trafficking is, the risks and precautionary measures that can be taken, in addition to the work they do with their partners to assist and empower victims of trafficking. Here are four campaigns from this past year that show just some of what IOM’s regional offices and missions have created.

DIMENSIONS³ (Ukraine)

IOM Ukraine opened a public installation DIMENSIONS³ to educate the public about the nature of trafficking in persons, safe travel and safe employment advice, and dedicated counter-trafficking hotlines. The campaign intended to motivate Ukrainian communities to join in the fight against human trafficking.

Has Someone Forced You to Do Things Against Your Will? (Bulgaria)

IOM Bulgaria launched an awareness-raising campaign titled, “Has someone forced you to do things against your will?” in an effort to inform migrants on the risks and protection measures associated with smuggling and human trafficking, and who they can contact if they need assistance. The campaign includes posters and brochures, and an animation film in 5 languages — Arabic, Kurdish, Dari, Pashto and English, and the main target group is migrants accommodated in open and closed reception centers.

InformArte en Movimiento (Costa Rica)

The Mesoamerican Regional Migration Program conducted workshops to teach young people with high risk of vulnerability how to create radio commercials on the risks and consequences of irregular migration, including human trafficking. So far, over 100 participants, between 11 and 20 years old, mostly youth leaders with some experience in organization and human rights advocacy in their communities, learned how to make radio spots from the script to broadcasting that can be used in local radio stations or cultural festivals.

SAFE (Slovakia)

IOM Slovakia created a new mobile application called SAFE, which points out the risks of human trafficking by means of interactive games and useful information. The application provides key information about human trafficking, how to recognize signs of trafficking and tips for safe migration and working abroad under the tagline, “Be prepared, spread the word, and recognize the signs.”

These projects highlight only some of the campaigns created by IOM teams around the world. Information campaigns and outreach projects complement IOM’s capacity building and direct assistance programs that have helped over 90,000 victims of trafficking over the past two decades. We are committed to educating people about trafficking in persons, helping those who have been victims and taking steps to end the practice once and for all.

For other campaigns, publications, videos and posts about IOM’s efforts to combat trafficking in persons, please check out our webpage.

Toby Greenfield is in charge of communications for the Migrants Assistance Division at IOM headquarters. For more information, please contact her at IOM HQ, Email: tgreenfield@iom.int

At this year’s European Development Days (EDDs), IOM, the UN Migration Agency and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) held a joint brainstorming session on “Remittances and Development in the ACP-EU Dialogue”. This session aimed to creatively explore how communities receive and integrate remittances.

Questions:

1. What challenges exist to accessing remittances, especially in rural areas?

2. How do we maximize the use of remittances for raising people/communities out of poverty (financial inclusion)?

Context: the moderator opened the discussion by highlighting a few key facts on remittances, migration and development:

• 1 billion people are directly involved with remittances (1 out of 7 people in the world), with indicatively 200 million migrants sending remittances to an estimated 800 million people;
• Over USD 30 billion a year is spent on average on the cost of transferring that money;
• 40% of remittances go directly into rural areas, raising the issue of a need for better financial inclusion (the process of moving people from unregulated to regulated management of their finances) programs;
• Cash remains the main source on the market;
• “Formal” remittances, as we understand the concept, is still an issue for many rural areas without access to formal banking institutions;
• Each region (Africa, Caribbean and the Pacific) needs a specific approach, owing to their diversity and their different formal banking systems. Participants highlighted that even within these regions countries needs to be approached individually.

1. Access in Rural Areas

The following were identified as ways to facilitate payments in rural areas:

• Credit Cooperatives, Postal offices and mobile carriers can become remittance disbursement hubs (the case of MPESA in Kenya was highlighted);
• Local stores were mentioned as places where remittances could be disbursed safely and act as a one-stop shop;
• It was agreed that different countries have different realities and that there is no one-size-fits-all solution (regulatory frameworks vary between countries, one rural area may be different from its neighbor, etc);
• Participants identified that big organizations/governments underestimate habits associated to sending remittances. Many people feel suspicion about organized forms of money transfer when it comes to sending funds directly to help their relatives. It is important to include the Diasporas in the process and sensitize them as to the best way to remit. TRUST in the system (weather regulated or unregulated) is a key factor.
• Building partnerships among different actors (Diaspora, Government, Transfer agents, etc.), and especially engaging the private sector to create of environments that enable a variety of avenues for accessing remittances will make great strides to lowering the costs.

2. Use of Remittances to End Poverty: Promoting Financial Inclusion

Context: The debate revolved around the question on how migrants can be supported in better planning to use the money they are remitting.

Key points raised:

• Education on financial literacy is critically important. Those sending money need to have basic financial knowledge;

Because remittances are a private flow between two individuals there is a strong case for stating that governments should not get involved in what they decide to do with the money. However, all participants agreed that engaging all stakeholders (including migrants and their counterparts) in discussions about the productive use of remittances would promote responsible investments in communities.

• The diasporas need to be engaged. Involving the diaspora in a conversation about the use of remittances is key. Bringing together community stakeholders encourages senders to remit;
• Communication with the diaspora is crucial — more work needs to be done in communicating opportunities for diaspora involvement;
• Involve the whole community. Remittances when used efficiently can have a productive impact on a community. More work needs to be done with migrants, and with the communities that received their funds, in order to locally encourage the productive use of remittances;
• Remittance costs are too high — Governments must commit to lowering remittance costs so that the money saved could be productively invested. This can be achieved through more capacity building on financial inclusion, regulatory changes and pressuring the money transfer operators (MTOs);
• Governments could provide additional ideas/resources about how to use and invest money in and within the community.

Outcomes:

Trust is a major factor to be addressed on the receiving side.

Tailored solutions for different circumstances need to be developed.

Diasporas need to be an intrinsic part of any initiative and answers will only be found by working with all the stakeholders.

SO NOW WHAT?

Tell us what YOU THINK?

Share your stories, impressions, suggestions and concerns below. Join the conversation and lets all work toward lowering the price of remittances.

Read on:

IOM — Global Compact Thematic Paper on Remittances

IFAD — The Use of Remittances and Financial Inclusion

IFAD — Sending Money Home: Contributing to the SDGs, One Family at a Time

This article is written by Mathieu Jacques, programme manager of the ACP-EU Migration Action, with thanks for the superb facilitation of Mauro Martini, Migration, Remittances and Development Officer with IFAD. It is the second of a three-part series tackling questions related to remittances and the path towards SDG 10.7. You can also read the original op-ed: The Walls Between Remittances and the People Who Need Them as well as pt. I Conquering the High Cost of Remittances: 9 Easy Steps. Stay tuned for pt. III on The Impact of Remittances.

Every time I see a child, I see the future. Our future lies in the hands of our children and grandchildren and this is why as the CEO of USAIM for IOM, the U.S.-non partner of the International Organization for Migration, I make the commitment to protect our children against all forms of exploitation.

As adults, our first priority should be to provide our youth with nurturing and education. We must ensure that our children grow in a safe and peaceful environment where they can blossom and make up plans for their future.

However, in a world tormented by protracted conflicts, wars and natural disasters, an increasing number of individuals, including children, are facing poverty and insecurity, making them a valuable resource for human traffickers.

When civilians live in an area afflicted by armed conflict, they face a loss of economic opportunities, a lack of access to justice, and decreased security. Aside from being susceptible to these vulnerabilities, women and children — most of them forcibly displaced — are particularly at risk of exploitation through human trafficking.

Per the Palermo Protocol, human trafficking is defined as the act of recruiting, harboring, transporting, providing, or obtaining a person for compelled labor or commercial sex acts through the use of force, fraud, or coercion. Worldwide, 28 percent all trafficking victims are children, according to an UNODC report. Children account for 62 percent in Sub-Saharan Africa and 64 percent in Central America and the Caribbean.

This is why, since 2007, USAIM for IOM has mobilized its resources — human and financial — to support the efforts of the IOM’s mission in Ghana to rescue children trafficked to work in the Lake Volta.

Several hundreds of children — some as young as 4 years old — are forced to perform a tiresome labor. Deprived of education and often malnourished, these trafficked children are also exposed to various injuries and health problems. This is not what childhood should be!

In partnership with the IOM’s mission in Ghana, USAIM for IOM was able to take back several of these children like Enyonam* to the classroom because this where she and other children belong to.

Enyonam was among 36 trafficked children rescued by IOM Ghana in 2008. Her mother, who was poor and struggled to take care of her children, gave her away to a fisherman at the age of 5. The fisherman promised her that Enyomam would be well looked after and would receive an education. It was a false promise. For over seven years, Enyonam was forced to work from dusk till dawn, casting and pulling nets, scaling, smoking and selling fish. Most days, she went to bed exhausted and hungry. Thanks to IOM Ghana and USAIM for IOM’s commitment to rescue her, she was able to be reunited with her mother and enrolled in school.

There is also the story of Simon and James who were rescued by IOM Ghana 11 years ago. Both are now teachers after they graduated from college last year. Like thousands of trafficked children in Ghana, they spent several years of their childhood exploited by fishermen in the Lake Volta.

These stories are the reason why we, together, have to keep fighting this crime. Together, we can turn these vulnerabilities into second chances and these tragic beginnings into bright futures.

As today marks the UN’s World Day against Trafficking in Persons, I want to renew USAIM for IOM’s commitment to stand against all forms of exploitation. Silence is not an option. We must speak out and raise our voices for all the victims who fear for their lives.

This is why, we will continue to raise awareness and ensure that everyone is well aware that no country is immune of human trafficking. As surprising as it may be, every single day, individuals are being trafficked around us without knowing it. The United States is not exempt. Although there are no agreed upon statics on the number of trafficking in persons in the U.S., the 2016 Global Slavery Index estimates that 57, 700 individuals — U.S. citizens and immigrants -are victims of modern slavery. In 2016, the National Human Trafficking Hotline, operated by Polaris, registered more than 26,700 calls and recorded 7572 cases of human trafficking.

Human trafficking is not a foreign topic but a reality that is also happening in front of our doors.

Additionally to the protection of victims and survivors of trafficking, we must also address the social and economic factors that drive this crime. Without addressing the root causes of the crime, our efforts might fall short.

The elimination of all forms of trafficking is and will remain one of our top priorities. USAIM for IOM will continue to support the UN Migration Agency, IOM, in order to give the victims of trafficking a second chance to rebuild their lives.

Human trafficking is a crime that neither you nor I wish to see happen. We must fight it for our children and the generations to come.

• The name was changed to protect her privacy

Author: Luca Dall’Oglio is the CEO of USAIM for IOM. He is also the Chief of Mission of IOM Washington

At this year’s European Development Days, IOM and IFAD held a joint brainstorming session on “Remittances and Development in the ACP-EU Dialogue”. This session aimed to find out-of-the box solutions to remittance transfer cost problems.

Question — How do we reduce the price of remittances?

(Context) 95% of remittance transactions originate in cash and terminate in cash, in spite of the growing number of electronic options available. Cash is an inherently expensive and inefficient means of transferring money. So why is it still the number one way people choose to send money home?

The discussion was moderated by international remittances expert Leon Isaacs. Participants from Senegal, Barbados, Ghana and elsewhere in the ACP region shared some of their perspectives and personal experiences when remitting money. Some points they raised were:

• Cash is viewed as reliable, tangible and is trusted more than electronic money.

• People don’t use mobile/digital payments because:

• Mobile money or electronic platforms don’t have a face/person to complain to or talk to if needed;
• People don’t like money transfer companies, e.g. there is a type of “cartel” regarding money transfer operators, they are not interested in reducing prices or going into electronic models;
• People sometimes need to remit money at the last minute, and then they might use mobile transfer operator that offers a same-day service;

The group also made the following recommendations:

• Need for greater marketing/awareness/education by the new players in the money transfer market.
• If users identify humans behind the electronic platform and find them easy to access, more users will go into electronic;
• It was reported that telephone banking is a key element in the development of mobile money. In countries where telephone banking operations are established, mobile money is also widely used;
• Make sure that the service works. A number of respondents said that they had used mobile payments and it had not worked the first time. This made them very reluctant to try any service again;
• Access to basic necessities such as electricity and having a mobile phone with internet connectivity are the key for the widespread of the use of mobile money;
• Regulation: it’s very important for the proliferation of mobile money services that governments put in place the necessary conditions to protect the customer whilst ensuring that the climate is not too restrictive.
• Governments need to officially support the work of these new enterprises in order to generate trust in them from the general public;
• Encourage people to use formal remittance channels. Informality arises through exclusion from formal mechanisms. This must be addressed in order to make real progress.

SO NOW WHAT?

This is what we came up with — but what do YOU THINK?

Share your stories, impressions, suggestions and concerns below. Join the conversation and let’s all work toward lowering the price of remittances.

This article is written by Mathieu Jacques, programme manager of the ACP-EU Migration Action. It is the first of a three-part series tackling questions related to remittances and the path towards SDG 10.7. You can also read the original op-ed: The Walls Between Remittances and the People Who Need Them. Stay tuned for pt. II on Receiving Money, and pt. III on The Impact of Remittances.

In 2016, remittances (money migrants send home) to developing countries totalled 429 Billion USD. Increasingly recognized as a powerful engine for development, remittances are more consistent and reliable than other sources of financing because they usually reach individuals and are dispersed directly to local economies through a diverse network for a wide range of purposes.

Since 2015, the ACP-EU Migration Action (implemented by IOM) has proudly worked with governments, regional economic communities, and non-state actors on 21 projects aimed at improving remittances flows throughout the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) states. In addition to these on-demand Technical Assistance projects, the Action held a Peer to Peer meeting in the fall of 2016 that brought together a diversity of stakeholders from across the three regions to discuss challenges, approaches and best practices for managing remittances. Later that year, the Action published a report that identified six key challenges that are applicable across the ACP regions and proposed nine concrete recommendations that can be easily implemented, including:

1- Improve domestic payment infrastructure and access, particularly in relation to new technologies

2- Improve irregular migrants access to formal remittance channels

3- Use remittances as a tool for financial inclusion

4- Increase transparency (of remittance prices)

Following the launch of the report, at this year’s European Development Days (EDD17), IOM, the UN Migration Agency, and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) held a joint session to brainstorm on ideas for “Remittances and Development in the ACP-EU Dialogue”.

The session was focused on three main questions:

1. How to reduce the costs of sending remittances?

2. How to increase access to receiving remittances?

3. What are the impacts of remittance flows for communities?

Professionals and experts from a wide variety of backgrounds attended the meeting, many of whom had sent money home themselves, offering a rare opportunity to catalyze rich discussions on these topics. The session brought to light interesting trends and new information about the practicalities of sending, receiving and using remittances.

The session was considered both novel and useful because it provided an enabling environment where all participants could learn from each other. Now, over a month after the EDD17, and with the aim to take the gathered knowledge beyond the brainstorming session, IOM will be launching a series of three short publications sharing the highlights of this session. The aim is to take the discussion outside the EDD context by inviting you to share your thoughts in the comments section of the post. Please respond to the challenges and recommendations, or share your own insights and experiences on this topic. The first post will look at ways to overcome the inefficient and costly reliance on cash as the number one method for transmitting remittances. Another post will look at how to maximize the productive use of remittances. And the third post will look at the positive and negative impacts of remittances for communities, and how these can be managed. Stay tuned for more in the coming days.

This is just one of the many ways the Action offers opportunities and insights for strengthening migration and development. The Action’s diversified access means it has a unique capacity to identify and map trends and influence outcomes, which makes it a powerful tool for forecasting within the ACP regions and beyond. By feeding the findings into the larger ACP-EU dialogue, the recommendations have the ability to impact some of the most remittance-dependent States in the world.

The recommendations emerging from the Action’s work can be leveraged to transcend national interests and regional constraints and adapted to work globally making them relevant and central to the realization of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). By reducing the transactional costs of remittance transfer to 3 percent (SDG 10.7C), we can transfer an additional 32 Billon USD to the people who it was always destined for. The clear recommendations produced through the work of the Action, easily adapted to any context worldwide, are a first step in providing practical tools that will reduce the cost of sending money home. The first post, available today, will address the “Stickiness of Cash”. Please join us in seeking solutions to this worldwide problem.

This article is written by Mathieu Jacques, programme manager of the ACP-EU Migration Action. It introduces a three-part series on remittances and the path to SDG 10.7. Pt. I is Conquering the High Cost of Remittances: 9 Easy Steps.

Growing up poor in West Africa, thirteen-year-old Jonathan* fantasied about bringing his family to Italy. He dreamt of becoming a professional football player, earning a lot of money and eventually having enough to bring them all to Europe.

“I would like to play for Juventus!”

When an opportunity to leave for Europe presented itself, Jonathan took it. Paying around USD 900 to smugglers, he began the nearly 7,000 kilometer journey from Senegal in a 4x4 truck, through Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger and lastly, from southern to northern Libya.

Jonathan was held captive three times along this perilous route through the African continent. He endured torture and ill treatment. In southern Libya, Jonathan was kidnapped by smugglers for the second time and was only released after his relative and friend managed to pay the criminal gang USD 550.

The thirteen-year-old then travelled to Tripoli, Libya’s capital. There, he worked as a cleaner. He was trying to raise the 500 Libyan Dinar (USD 360) to buy his passage on one of the inflatable rubber dinghies, departing on a regular basis from the Libyan coast, packed with migrants hoping to reach Europe. But once again Jonathan was held captive.

“My relatives had to send 300 dollars and they released me.”

When Jonathan first tried to cross the sea to Europe, his group was ambushed by smugglers and they were stopped from disembarking. In his second attempt, Jonathan made it to sea but the unseaworthy boat was not fit for the journey and he was rescued by the Libyan Coast Guard.

After two failed attempts to cross the Mediterranean Sea, one of the world’s most dangerous routes, Jonathan’s journey ended, like for so many others, in one of the Libyan capital’s migrant detention centres.

In thirteen of the current 29 government-led detention centres there are around 140 unaccompanied minors, according to IOM, the UN Migration Agency, Libya’s Displacement Tracking Matrix’s detention centre mapping tool.

“Detention centre is not a place for children,” emphasized Karolina Edsbacker, IOM Libya’s Protection Officer. “We work closely with the Libyan authorities to try to find alternative solutions to detention and efficiently assist those wishing to return home.”

Whilst trying to minimize the time spent in detention, IOM also supports children through recreational activities and psychosocial first aid.

Jonathan is one of the around 120 minors that IOM Libya has helped return to their country of origin. Today, he is back at home with his family, where he continues to dream about becoming a professional football player.

*Jonathan’s name has been changed to protect his identity

This article was written by Christine Petre from the UN Migration Agency’s Libya office. You can contact Christine via email: chpetre@iom.int.

By Iulia Tvigun (Editor: Jorge Galindo)

Imagine being born in the Republic of Moldova and not speaking the native language. This is the reality for more than 40,000 Moldovan children in over 30 countries across the globe. Moldovan parents bring up their children in countries that bear little or no resemblance to their homeland. Their social and cultural ties gradually erode. Sometimes, they stop identifying with Moldova altogether.

Many Moldovans living outside the country are known to get together to explore their culture, sometimes organized by their parents, diaspora associations or even by churches in their local communities. However, one important aspect of cultural identity these sessions seem to miss out on is language, at a time when the positive impact of bilingualism on children’s cognitive skills is uncontested. Luckily, through a project supported by the UN Migration Agency’s (IOM) Development Fund*, children of the Moldovan diaspora are able to attend weekend school classes on Romanian language -the language that is spoken in Moldova -, culture and history in one of the ten Diaspora Educational Centres.

The ten centres located in Portugal Italy, France, Belgium, Ireland, Kazakhstan and Canada received a grant of USD 3,500 each to support educational activities. In June 2016, IOM Moldova, the Diaspora Relations Bureau (DRB) of the State Chancellery and the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Moldova launched the grants scheme to set up the centres. With this financial aid, the centres can cover costs such as renting the premises, purchasing books and technical equipment — printers, projectors or microphones for festivities. But despite the financial support, there are other persisting drawbacks. For example, there are not enough books or space to hold the classes and the teachers are often migrant workers who during weekdays perform jobs that take place far from the centres.

It is well known that Moldovan children living abroad have different educational needs than their peers in Moldova. This is why IOM hired two acclaimed national experts on Romanian language teaching who developed a curriculum aimed at seven to twelve year-olds from the diaspora. The curriculum is easily adaptable and will best serve the needs of the second-generation diaspora regardless of where the centres are based. Training on how to implement the curriculum will be also conducted for the ten centres and other professors from the diaspora willing to conduct Romanian language courses that follow a standard approved by the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Moldova. “One curriculum means one set of standards for all children in the diaspora” said Natalia Griu, a Ministry of Education Representative.

This is also important as some children return to Moldova once their parents have secured stability for their families. While one can debate extensively on the impact of such decisions on the children in general, at a minimum, these measures help address the challenges that come with reintegrating into the education system of Moldova. This curriculum can also help to ease the transfer and recognition of course credits obtained abroad, which will enable children to prove their fluency in Romanian. All they have to do is present a certificate proving they attended a Romanian language course based on the IDF’s Romanian language curriculum.

So far, only ten centres and a few other professors have been instructed to implement it. But there will definitely be more as the demand for training increases. The project implementers announced the organization of a second training of teachers that will be held during the Diaspora Days of 2017.

Iulia is the UN Migration Agency’s Media and Diaspora Outreach Assistant in Moldova. She can be reached via email: itvigun@iom.int

Jorge works with the UN Migration Agency’s Media and Communications Division and Department of Migration Management in the Organization’s Swiss Headquarters. He can be reached via email: jgalindo@iom.int

*The project is titled called Enhancing the Development Impact of the Moldova through Engagement with Diaspora-Homeland Partnerships. For more information go to: http://www.iom.md/enhancing-development-moldova-through-engagement-diaspora-homeland-partnerships-idf

“I thought that I couldn’t fulfill my dreams if I stayed in Sierra Leone. Mauritania is known to us as a country with a lot of history and knowledge. For a child who does not have his or her father or mother or a member of his family there, it is not easy to integrate.

“But I felt that I just had to do it.

“I just needed to go there and chase my dreams. As the oldest son in the family it is my responsibility to take care of my family. I had to do all I can to improve my life and make my mother happy. This is what my father wished. I must be a man, so I can’t be afraid.”

Those are the words of 16-year-old Gabriel*.

He travelled to Mauritania with a member of his family to become an Imam, the person who leads prayers in a mosque. Gabriel comes from the suburbs of Waterloo, an impoverished city in the west of Sierra Leone, home to a relatively large Muslim community. Gabriel’s father wanted him to get a good education in order to ensure a stable future for him and his family. A future that he did not see as possible in Sierra Leone.

A few months after Gabriel’s arrival in Mauritania, his father fell ill and died quite suddenly. Gabriel reached out to IOM, the UN Migration Agency, asking for support to return home for his father’s funeral.

“I am the oldest child. It is my responsibility to take care of my family.”

Gabriel returned to Sierra Leone last December.

IOM is covering the cost of two years of Gabriel’s school fees and is helping his mother develop a small business. In March, the IOM team visited Gabriel and his family. Talking to the mother and visiting his house allowed IOM to better understand Gabriel’s reasons to leave but also to come back home.

The assistance IOM provides to children on the moves, particularly unaccompanied children, is increasing. Unaccompanied migrant children have been separated from both parents and other relatives and are not being cared for by an adult. Those children often undergo long journeys alone and face challenging life experiences not appropriate for a child. They often become mature earlier and develop strong decision-making capacities. When helping them, IOM ensures to actively involve the children in decisions regarding their future, including the decision to continue their education, to work (for older teenagers) or to combine both. The Organization is committed to promoting and protecting the rights of unaccompanied migrant children, having their best interests as the top priority in all of its activities.

Since October 2016, IOM Mauritania, in collaboration with other missions in the region, assisted six unaccompanied migrant children returning home, entering the formal educational system and their families to engage in various type of business. All this is done to strengthen their resilience and improve the living conditions of the household.

*Names have been changed to protect the identity of the people involved

This post was written by Flavia Giordani in IOM Mauritania and edited by Tijs Magagi Hoornaert in IOM’s Regional Office for West and Central Africa and Olivia Headon in IOM HQ.

Kachin State, Myanmar — As fighting resumes in Kachin State in the far north of Myanmar, a group of displaced women have turned to traditional weaving to generate much needed income.

The conflict between Government and Kachin Independence Army forces erupted again on 4 June and there are ongoing concerns for the safety of stranded civilians.

South of the current fighting, close to the State capital Myitkyina, is Pa La Na Padauk Myaing camp for displaced persons.

Since 2011, fighting in Kachin State has resulted in the displacement of at least 100,000 civilians, who now live in official displacement sites or in camp-like settings.

The 207 families who live in Pa La Na Camp were forced from their homes in Sumprabum Township by the fighting four years ago.

“It was one of my toughest decisions. We had to leave our home and all our belongings to save our lives. But there is still hope alive in our hearts,” said one camp resident.

Four years of camp life have been difficult for families in the Camp. Most of the men work as labourers and struggle to find employment for half the year.

Residents depend heavily on external aid and, in 2015, there was an 80 percent cut in aid deliveries of food and dry rations.

The stories told by Pa La Na Camp residents are not unique among Kachin State’s 1.7 million inhabitants, many of whom have endured decades of fighting.

Kachin is home to many of Myanmar’s jade, gold and amber mines, which generate huge revenues for mine operators. The State, which borders China, is also known for illicit drug production.

Pa La Na Camp was originally designed as a temporary solution for displaced people. When IOM, the UN Migration Agency, and a local partner, Karuna Mission Social Solidarity (KMSS), began working in the camp to improve camp coordination and camp management earlier this year, they quickly recognized a range of unmet needs.

For example, new births in the camp and increasing numbers of children had resulted in an urgent need to invest in schools. Older children were being forced into child labour or into parenting roles, while their mothers looked for paid work.

The agencies also identified an acute lack of livelihood opportunities, particularly among women. The problem was that most of the women were only familiar with farming and agriculture.

But some women in the Camp did have experience in traditional handloom weaving. So, IOM and KMSS decided to work with them to pilot a collective livelihoods initiative.

Seven experienced weavers from the Camp agreed to mentor and train a group of 22 women interested in learning to use handlooms to generate income and provide for their families. With help from KMSS, the women persuaded camp leaders to provide space for a handloom unit, where women could receive a month’s formal training in weaving.

Setting up the building, with help from a local church, was a community-driven process. The women and other camp residents helped with the design and skilled local men were hired to construct it. IOM purchased the handlooms and other equipment, and the raw materials were procured locally by KMSS.

KMSS development programme manager Seng Nu, herself formerly displaced, mobilized the community, encouraging camp residents to think independently ‘outside the box.’

“For me it was about empowerment and creating jobs for women to give them the power to deal with other issues. It was challenging at the start and it took time to persuade the community of the benefits,” she said.

After receiving basic training, the women began on-the-job training, supported by a master trainer and the experienced weavers. They soon picked the necessary weaving skills and acquired the confidence to learn new designs and techniques.

After several months, the unit now functions eight to ten hours a day with a core group of 22 women and has begun to establish itself in the local market. Members of the collective now earn between 50,000 and 100,000 kyat per month (USD 36-USD 73).

“Now I have a say in the family. Since I started earning money, I decide where to spend my earnings and how to support my children. We are not making as much as we used to before displacement. But this job is a relief and is something other than farming. Our husbands have started believing in this and respecting us,” said Htu Hkam.

“When you asked for a small loan in the past no one gave it to you because they knew we had no jobs. Now, people will lend us money without hesitation because they know we have the capacity to pay it back,” said Hka Ing.

While other agencies have worked to improve education in the camp, women in the weaving group say that another reason for improved school attendance in the camp is their new income. “Many of us now send our kids to school regularly because we can now afford it,” said one woman.

Other Pa La Na residents note a change in attitude among young women in the camp since the handloom business was established. A number of mothers who participate in the weaving group also say that it has reinforced their role in the family.

“I have five children and am not educated, so I have many challenges in my life. But now I have a job and I earn some money that can cover my children’s school fees and medical fees if they are sick. My husband’s job is unstable as it is only day labor. We are OK because of my income. I can take care of my children,” said Bawk Ra.

The weaving collective in Pa La Na is now growing with KMSS’s help. This has included helping the group to register as a business and training in business management, branding and marketing.

IOM is also planning to support the expansion of the business by bringing electricity to the building housing the handlooms and providing more training and technical support.

This blog was written by Liam Best, IOM Myanmar’s Communication Officer. For further information please contact Konrad Clos Project Manager — Emergency, Preparedness and Post Crisis Unit at IOM Myanmar, Tel: +95 9 252–546–697, Email: kclos@iom.int