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The Burkinabe are back, the vast majority of them returning from Libya. This effort is funded by the European Union 's Emergency Trust Fund for Africa.
Social Action, with the technical and financial support of the IOM (International Organization for Migration) and in collaboration with other actors involved in child protection, provided them with a medical, psychosocial and educational support, as well as counseling and vocational training for older children.
"When I was 13, my brother persuaded us to go to Niger, then to Libya. We crossed the Sahara; we were thirsty, very hot but also very cold at night. Many have died of hunger and thirst along the way, "said Catherine, 17, who recently returned from Libya.
"We stayed there for four years. I worked as a housekeeper for 20 dinars (14 USD) a month. Now I'm back and IOM supports me for tailor-made training. I want to become a famous tailor! She added.
Tenkodogo is one of the largest cities in the east-central region of Burkina Faso, where the migration rate is the highest in the country – with 60% of outgoing migrations.
On the occasion of the International Day of the African Child, IOM organized events and activities on June 16, bringing together 300 children from the host community and those from migrant workers. return. Performances including dance, songs, poetry on migration and graffiti took place throughout the day.
"An activity like this promotes exchanges, sharing experiences and social cohesion. This day reminds us that children need a safe and healthy environment, with their parents at their side, "said Social Action Regional Director Marie-Thérèse Sombougma.
Djémilatou, 16, lives in Tenkodogo and was touched by Catherine's story. He said, "I did not know it was like that. I am sad when I hear what they have experienced. To all parents who have left, I encourage them to go home. Their children are unhappy without them and need them … to feed themselves, to clothe themselves, for their health, for everything! "
Madina's brother went to Benin three years ago and said, "He calls us sometimes to tell us that everything is fine and that we should not worry about him. But when I hear these stories, I realize what my brother has gone through and I am sad. In any case, I do not want to leave; I want to stay in my country. "
"Our country is Burkina Faso; what we think we can do elsewhere is where we can find it. I think of my children; I do not want them to go through what I've done, I want them to be happy here. We are doing our best with the assistance of IOM. We are able to pay for education and care, "said Boukary, a young Burkinabé.
"We often identify unaccompanied children. Depending on their age, we send them to school or training and, if they are minors, we offer them other activities, "said Niampa Safiatou, assistant reintegration assistant. 39; IOM.
"Children are also a priority for food and sanitation support. For returning migrants, we consult with parents to decide what they want for their children. IOM also provides psychosocial support. We discuss with them what they have experienced when they feel the need to share them. We also use Red Cross specialists or hospitals when the trauma is too severe, "she added.
IOM coordinates with its partners who provide assistance to minors, including Social Action, UNICEF, Keeogo, Terre des Hommes, Save The Children and its operational partners. This network covers a wide range of services that migrant children may need, especially when they are separated or unaccompanied and in situations requiring specific assistance, such as family mediation.
IOM works closely with the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) in the area of assistance to refugee, asylum-seeker and / or stateless children, as well as with other organizations such as the International Committee of Refugees. International Red Cross Society for the Search for the Family and the Burkinabé. Red Cross in the health sector.
These activities took place as part of the #FasoNooma campaign, which aims to sensitize Burkinabe and non-migrant migrants to the risks and alternatives to irregular migration, with a focus on local opportunities.
The campaign is funded by the EU-IOM Joint Initiative for the Protection and Reintegration of Migrants, the Italian and Belgian Governments through the project "Youth, Employment and Migration in the Central-East Region" and by the UK Ministry of International Development through the project "Security, Support and Solution along the Road to the Central Mediterranean".
It has already reached 9,062 people through an awareness caravan in several regions of Burkina Faso. A Maracaña tournament will also take place next month in the Central East and Central regions. The campaign will run until December 2019.
An IOM report was tabled in Tenkodogo, Burkina Faso.
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