The International Organisation for Migration’s (IOM) in West Africa has sought to prevent exploitation by empowering young people to make informed decisions about their future, both at home and abroad.
It explains in a statement that a non-governmental organization, WAKAWell, has moved beyond raising awareness to averting behavior change. It does this by applying a Communication for Development (C4D), an evidence-based and participatory framework to design its activities.
The statement further disclosed that the NGO is funded by the Federal Republic of Germany, and works closely with communities, civil society organizations, government agencies, and returned migrants and youth groups across West Africa, with a focus on Guinea and Nigeria.
The report also disclosed that the WAKA Well which means move in Pidgin English by IOM x is working closely with youth and their communities to produce media content for television, radio, online platforms and community screenings. This community-led content seeks to raise awareness about local opportunities and risks associated to irregular migration, it added.
All WAKAWell media content is available free-of-charge.
TheWAKAwell by IOM X campaigns, an info online platform, is optimized for learning, storytelling and social sharing–it provides information to young aspirant migrants’ in West Africa that will help them make informed decisions for their future, at home and abroad. The platform features community-specific landing pages which include:
Videos created by communities in Nigeria and Guinea; Success stories about how people define a life of success; Safe migration information (including how to get a passport, how to apply for a visa, lists of required documents, embassy contact details, and more).
Opportunities for education, employment and entrepreneurship in the communities in which Waka activities are taking place.