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About Us

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Finding the right information on migration

Recent studies show that young people in many African countries do not know where to get accurate information on regular migration procedures. That’s why the International Organization for Migration (IOM), launched WAKA Well in 2019. The website makes it easier for young people, their families and communities to learn about regular migration procedures, available local opportunities and who to speak to in person. The aim of WAKA Well is to enable young people to make informed decisions about their futures, at home and abroad.

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The WAKA Well Community

Waka Well is more than a website. It also has a real-life network of young people in  Africa advocating for safe migration.

As part of the IOM X project, IOM and youth together produce media content for television, radio, online campaigns and on-the-ground activities promoting safe and regular migration within their communities.

Through a participatory framework and evidence-based programming, the project’s activities and goals reach beyond awareness raising, to affecting behavioural change. This is what we call our Communication for Development (C4D) approach.

WAKA Well in numbers

38,847
people

have visited WAKA Well since 2019, with visitors from The Gambia, Guinea and Senegal topping the list

25
community-led 
WAKA Well events

have taken place in West Africa 
from 2019-2021

191
seconds

the average number of seconds each visitor spends on WAKA Well, and most visitors return more than once

30
videos

have been produced by the WAKA Well community, generating over 40,000 views

427
young people

have participated in the design of WAKA Well activities, including 173 females, since 2019

4,036
young people

have asked questions about migration procedures through WAKA Well platforms since 2019

AWARENESS RAISING BY IOM

IOM implements innovative awareness raising projects across West and Central Africa to support informed decision-making around migration, with an aim to reduce vulnerability to exploitation associated with irregular migration.

advocacy

Learn

IOM’s 300+ Migrants as Messengers use art, film, media and sport to talk to young people about migration and local opportunities.

about

Act

Through WAKAWell.info, IOM provides young people with information on migration, local opportunities and who to speak to.

about

Share

IOM‘s Yenna.org provides tools and resources for awareness raising practitioners to carry out their own activities.

The WAKA Well Community

WAKA Well is supported by young people who contribute articles about their own experiences, professionals who map community level services, and governments who support the operation of the platform. Specific IOM projects contributing to WAKA Well include IOM X West Africa, Migrants as Messengers, COMPASS and the EU-IOM Joint Initiative, with support from the following donors:

federal foreign office logo
ministry of foreign affairs logo
IOM logo