Project Description:
The project delivers a large-scale social media campaign alongside focused schools engagement in four countries, reaching more than 50,000,000 direct beneficiaries. The target countries are diverse, but they have a common need to strengthen resistance to risky, irregular migration. Many young people grow up in environments that encourage them to invest in offers from smugglers and traffickers. They often lack reliable information and critical thinking skills to assess the risks and potential outcomes of this life-altering choice. Our project empowers them with accurate knowledge and decision-making tools, fostering a realistic understanding of challenges and encouraging informed choices for their future. This fully aligns with MMD priorities, such as the Cadiz Declaration’s commitment to share good practices of awareness raising, with a particular emphasis on children. African organisations will lead implementation, ensuring that local expertise and cultural relevance are at the core of the project.
We have interviewed over 70,000 people and completed more than 12 studies that inform this design. For example, we reviewed dozens of projects in preparing the EU’s study of Best Practices in Migration Information Campaigns. The activities and targets for this intervention are grounded in the timeframes and methods that consortium partners have successfully applied in previous initiatives. Our extensive experience running large-scale campaigns, including over 30 social media experiments, has proven our capacity to deliver effective, scalable content. These methods have been rigorously tested and refined through prior interventions, ensuring that the project will be implemented within the proposed timelines. Our evaluations of educational outreach activities in countries like Senegal and Nigeria demonstrate that our approach is both adaptable and impactful across diverse contexts. This design is rooted in practical experience and ready for scale.
Studies have repeatedly shown a common set of problems that young people face when making decisions leading to irregular migration. First, there are specific facts and perspectives that are missing or misunderstood. For example, in Senegal, only 40 percent of people aged 17 to 30 are aware of all the risks they may face during an irregular migration journey, making it impossible for them to assess options effectively. Our project delivers a large-scale social media campaign alongside focused schools engagement in four countries, reaching more than 50,000,000 direct beneficiaries. The target countries are diverse, but they have a common need to strengthen resistance to risky, irregular migration. Many young people grow up in environments that encourage them to invest in offers from smugglers and traffickers. They often lack reliable information and critical thinking skills to assess the risks and potential outcomes of this life-altering choice. Our project empowers them with accurate knowledge and decision-making tools, fostering a realistic understanding of challenges and encouraging informed choices for their future.
This fully aligns with MMD priorities, such as the Cadiz Declaration’s commitment to share good practices of awareness raising, with a particular emphasis on children. African organisations will lead implementation, ensuring that local expertise and cultural relevance are at the core of the project. .
Key Approaches:
Contextualized Curriculum Development
Developing and adapting curriculum frameworks and lesson plans that are highly specific to the local context of each target country. This approach ensures that the educational content is relevant, culturally appropriate, and tailored to the needs of both teachers and students.Collaborative Stakeholder Engagement
Engaging a wide range of school stakeholders, including administrators, teachers, and community members, to ensure the active participation and support for the project. By securing permissions and fostering strong partnerships with local authorities, the project will build the foundation for successful implementation.Inclusive Teacher Capacity Building
Providing teachers with professional development opportunities through targeted training sessions, ensuring that they have the knowledge and tools to effectively teach about migration issues. This approach emphasizes the importance of equipping educators to facilitate meaningful discussions and learning experiences on these critical topics.Continuous Support and Monitoring
Strengthening teacher capacity through ongoing support in the form of school visits and regular check-ins. This approach allows for real-time feedback, adjustments, and the creation of a supportive environment in which teachers can refine their teaching practices and better serve their students.Data-Driven Decision Making
Utilizing baseline and endline surveys to gather key data from students and teachers to assess their knowledge and attitudes regarding migration and related topics. This data will drive future decisions, ensuring that the project evolves in response to the needs and impacts observed on the ground.Comprehensive Evaluation and Knowledge Sharing
Conducting thorough evaluations and analyses of the project’s activities and outcomes, producing actionable insights and recommendations. This approach includes sharing the findings, tools, and resources on accessible platforms, enabling wider reach and impact beyond the direct beneficiaries.Targeted Digital Campaigns and Influencer Partnerships
Leveraging digital platforms and influencer networks to disseminate key messages, raise awareness, and engage larger audiences on migration issues. Through strategic campaigns on social media channels, the project will increase visibility and reach, ensuring that critical information about migration is shared with a broad and diverse audience.
Objectives
Overall objective
To strengthen shared knowledge and decision-making about irregular migration among a significant proportion of the African population.
Specific objectives
1. To increase the capacity of 1,200 teachers to improve irregular migration knowledge and decision-making with over 65,000 teenage students in Nigeria, Senegal, Kenya and Morocco.
2. To deliver social media content with proven influence to over 50,000,000 individuals in Nigeria, Senegal, Kenya and Morocco.
3. To support social media campaigns by NGOs in Ethiopia, Uganda, Tunisia and Gambia (“neighbour partners”).
Project Duration
17 months( March 2025– July 2026)
Project Budget
1,354,296.12 EUR
Funder
European Union via International Center for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD)
Project Implementing Partners
Seefar Foundation, The Youth Empowerment Society (YES), The Youth Cafe (TYC), Association des Jeunes pour le Développement Local (AJDL) and Media Coalition and Awareness to Halt Human Trafficking (MeCAHT)
Location/ Target area
Nigeria, Kenya, Morocco, Senegal, Ethiopia, Uganda, Tunisia and Gambia
Target Groups
Secondary school Teachers and students in Morocco, Kenya, Senegal and Nigeria
EU/MS, international NGOs, local CSOs, educators, and communicators working on migration
Influencers.
Youth considering irregular migration in Nigeria, Senegal, Kenya and Morocco
Expected results/ outcome
Enhanced Curriculum Frameworks and Lesson Plans
Through the review and adaptation of existing curriculum frameworks, four tailored frameworks will be developed for each target country. As part of this process, lesson plans will be modified to address local contexts, teacher needs, and timing, ensuring educators have the necessary tools to deliver relevant and effective content.Strengthened Stakeholder Engagement and Authorizations
To facilitate smooth program implementation, engagement with school stakeholders will take place to secure the necessary permissions. Authorisations from YES, TYC, AJDL, and MeCAHT will be obtained to ensure seamless collaboration with a sample of schools in each country.Improved Teacher Training and Knowledge Enhancement
As part of the teacher training sessions, 1,200 secondary school teachers will receive training focused on the risks of irregular migration, the realities of life in Europe, and alternative migration pathways. It is expected that 60% of participants will gain increased knowledge and prioritize the education of youth on migration issues within their classrooms.Increased Ongoing Support for Teachers
Under this outcome, 620 school support visits and 1,000 support calls will be conducted across the target countries. These efforts will provide teachers with continuous guidance, enhancing their ability to implement the adapted curricula effectively.Comprehensive Baseline and Endline Surveys
Baseline surveys will be administered to 7,000 students and 220 teachers to assess initial knowledge and attitudes toward migration and social media. The data collected will guide the adaptation of training materials, and follow-up endline surveys will be conducted to evaluate the changes in knowledge and assess the program's impact.In-depth Evaluation and Knowledge Sharing
Based on a detailed analysis of baseline and endline data, an evaluation report will be produced to capture the outcomes and lessons learned. Key findings, tools, and resources will be shared via the Future Comms Platform, ensuring that the knowledge generated from the project is accessible and can be utilized beyond the project’s scope.Expansive Digital Campaigns and Influencer Partnerships
Campaign accounts will be set up on Facebook and Instagram for each target country, and influencer partnerships will be established to adapt and amplify project messages. Content testing, both online and offline, will identify the most effective communication strategies. Additionally, 20 ad campaigns on Meta and TikTok will be launched, aiming to reach over 50 million individuals and raise awareness of migration issues.