INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
MRF NAIROBI
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I S S U E
BULLETIN
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O C T O B E R
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IOM Launches Low Cost 1
Housing for IDPs in Rift
IOM LAUNCHES LOW COST SHELTERS FOR IDPs IN RIFT VALLEY
Valley
IOM and Uganda’s
Amnesty Commission
2
Support Traditional
Cleansing Ceremony
“UWE SAUTI YAO”
2
Takes to the Streets
IOM Conducts Training
on Counter Trafficking
3
for Partners and Media
Vaccination For Migrants 3
Well Received
“Come Back Home”
4
Nairobi Returnees Call
Out to Kenyans Abroad
IOM Conducts Gender
4
training Workshop
IOM Helsinki Launches
4
MIDA Health Project For
“Every house has a story behind it”. This is
what IOM’s Robert Odhiambo had to say in
regard to the houses that were destroyed
during Kenya’s post-election violence. IOM,
with funding from United Nation’s Emergency Response Fund (CERF) is currently
putting up 700 low cost housing for internally displaced persons in in Molo, Uasin
Gishu and Lugari Districts in the Rift Valley
Province.
The Low Cost Shelter Project was officially
launched by the Minister of State for Special
Programmes, Hon. Dr. Naomi Shaban. The
Minister expressed the government’s
appreciation towards IOM for the support
they have given and continue to give to the
government and the people who were affected by the violence.
IOM’s Regional Representative for Eastern
and Central Africa, Mr. Ashraf El Nour,
while handing over the keys of the completed houses to the beneficiaries, reemphasized IOM’s support by reiterating the
organization’s will to continue its work with
the government and other partner agencies,
Somaliland and Puntland
International Organization for Migration
Mission with Regional Functions, Nairobi
Church Road, Off Rhapta Road, Westlands
PO Box 5504055040- 0020000200-Nairobi, KENYA
Phone: + 254 20 4444167/174
Fax: + 254 20 4449577
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.iom.int
A beneficiary is overcome by emotion as she remembers
how her husband was killed during the violence
Minster Shaban and Mr. El Nour hand over keys to a beneficiary.
as they endeavour to bring stabilization back to
the lives and communities that were disrupted by
the violence.
Mr. El Nour said that IOM was working in partnership with the community and they were actively involved in the construction of the houses.
He added that, “in order to boost the local economy, IOM is purchasing most of the construction
material locally and giving the local community
cash for work.”
The beneficiaries were happy with the shelters
and said they could not be compared to the tents
they have lived in since the violence rendered
them homeless.
The formation of the Grand Coalition
Government saw a relative return to normalcy
with the government encouraging the internally
displaced persons to return home. According to
government sources, over 200,000 IDPs have left
camps and host communities, moving closer to
their pre-displacement homes, mainly in the Rift
Valley. It is however estimated that 60% of all the
IDPs are returning to damaged or completely destroyed homes.
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IOM AND UGANDA’S AMNESTY COMMISSION
SUPPORT TRADITIONAL CLEANSING CEREMONY
“UWE SAUTI YAO” TAKES TO THE STREETS
IOM in Uganda recently facilitated the return of six exLord’s Resistance Army (LRA) combatants in Uganda and a
traditional cleansing ceremony held for them by the community.
IOM Tanzania carried out fourteen theater shows
throughout the month of August in nine districts of
Tanzania within six different regions, as an activity
within its UWE SAUTI YAO (Be their voice)
campaign.
The ceremony that took place at the Paramount Chief of
Acholi’s palace was to welcome and commence the
reintegration of the former LRA combatants, supporters
and abducted victims back into their communities.
IOM through the Amnesty Commission is facilitating these
cleansing ceremonies while recognizing the roles of the
traditional, religious and local leaders along with other key
partners in the acceptance of returning former combatants
and their dependants. These community leaders play a
critical role in conflict resolution and peace building in the
areas of return.
One regional cleansing ceremony has so far been conducted
in Gulu District while four other ceremonies have been
carried out in sub-county levels in Pader and Kitgum in the
Acholi region in the North and one in Soroti Teso region in
the Eastern part of Uganda.
The cleansing ceremony entails the ex combatants stepping
on an egg placed between a reed called Opobo and a granary stick.
The shows, which used community participatory
theatre in Kiswahili, intended to make the local public
aware of the risks associated with human trafficking. It
also involved the public in an open discussion at the
end of the show. To increase community participation,
IOM Tanzania arranged the shows to be enacted at
public places, such as bus stops and local markets.. The
different shows were well attended and received positive response by the audience.
IOM Tanzania contracted a professional theatre group
to assist in the production shows. Messages on
trafficking in persons were passed through songs and
dance, each bearing the theme “Uwe Sauti Yao”.
IOM Tanzania has been implementing a counter
trafficking initiative through a method of protection,
prevention and prosecution. The UWE SAUTI YAO
campaign aims to get in touch with people in the
community that have a voice in reprimanding the
trafficking of people. It is these people who have the
ability to make a change in the community. The
awareness campaign has resulted in more people contacting IOM offices for information on human trafficking and to report cases that they believe involves trafficking of human beings.
Ex– LRA
combatants
undergoing
cleansing.
The egg between the reeds symbolize the cleansing of bad
omens that one might have got while in abduction or rebellion. The granary stick symbolizes the opening of the food
granary for the ex-combatants to share once again with the
family.
‘Uwe Sauti Yao’ theater group performs to the public
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IOM CONDUCTS INTRODUCTORY TRAINING ON COUNTER TRAFFICKING
IOM Kenya has continued to receive requests for
partnerships with media houses and NGO partners as
a means of intensifying its anti-human trafficking
campaign, launched in June 2008.
In response, IOM held a one day introductory training session in August targeting 15 Non Governmental
Organizations (NGOs), Community Based Organizations (CBOs) and Faith Based Organizations FBOs), to
train participants on various means of combating human trafficking. These organizations are partners of
IOM involved in assisting vulnerable populations,
including victims of human trafficking. The training
gave participants an opportunity to interact with one
another in their various capacities as service providers
for victims of trafficking.
IOM’s Noela Barasa gives a talk to journalists on human trafficking
Separately, IOM held a training workshop for journalists, in partnership with the Association of Media Women in Kenya (AMWIK). The workshop aimed to empower the
journalists on how to approach and write stories on trafficking of persons, while protecting the rights and identity of the
victim.
IOM recognizes the role the media plays as an important vehicle of dissemination and with this workshop, hoped to equip
the journalists with skills that would successfully bring issues of human trafficking to the notice of the public and policy
makers.
VACCINATION FOR MIGRANTS WELL RECIEVED
The IOM Eastleigh Community Wellness Centre in Nairobi has been a beehive of activity since the July 2008 launch of
vaccination campaigns for urban migrants and refugees. The centre also offers VCCT and comprehensive care for tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS.
Vaccination campaigns are provided monthly in joint partnership between IOM and the district health office, and were
initiated after the health authorities and local communities recognized
the urgent need to improve access of migrant populations to basic
health services.
Rosalind Kariuki, an IOM counsellor at the Wellness Centre says “the
facility is popular with the urban migrants and refugees in Eastleigh,
based on the fact that they see IOM as an icon in resettlement.”
After five years of offering tuberculosis services in Eastleigh, IOM has
expanded the clinic and moved to a location more accessible for local
Kenyans and marginalized target groups, the vast majority of whom are
undocumented international migrants.
A patient is given medication at the Eastleigh Community Wellness Centre
The community is characterized by high levels of mobility, potential for disease outbreaks, and poor access to health promotion services due to immigration status, language differences, and socio-cultural barriers.
IOM and government partners believe that maintaining the health of migrants will also have a positive effect on host communities. Through the Wellness Centre, IOM is able to execute its core mandate of building Member State capacity to manage migration health, through developing, coordinating, and providing “migrant-friendly” services.
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“COME BACK HOME”, NAIROBI RETURNEES
CALL OUT TO KENYANS ABROAD
Kenyans in London listen to Nairobi returnees via video link
“IOM can help you return home and there are better
opportunities here too,” was the call that returnees in
Nairobi sent out to Kenyans in the UK through a live video
link between Nairobi and London.
The video conference was an initiative of IOM London
in collaboration with IOM Nairobi, through the Voluntary
Assisted Return and Reintegration Programme (VARRP).
Through VAARP, IOM assists migrants to return home and
facilitates activities aimed at helping them get reintegrated
back into their communities.
While calling out to their colleagues to come home, the
returnees expressed their appreciation at IOM’s efforts, as
going back home they say was a move that has greatly paid
off.
“Through VARRP IOM has facilitated the return of several
Kenyans who failed to secure asylum in the UK and had no
means to return home. IOM also helps the returnees start
life anew by helping them start their own businesses or paying fee for vocational training for them”, says Mariana Kipsy,
IOM Kenya’s Assisted Voluntary Return Assistant.
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IOM CONDUCTS GENDER TRAINING WORKSHOP
The drive to mainstream gender issues in
MRF Nairobi activities
received a major boost
after a gender training
workshop that was
held in IOM Nairobi
last month.
The workshop that Participants at the workshop act out gender roles
was held at IOM
Nairobi offices was aimed at creating a common understanding among IOM MRF staff on basic gender concepts
and gender analysis frameworks; enhance IOM MRF staff
appreciation of global and regional issues on gender and to
equip IOM MRF staff with practical skills on mainstreaming gender in IOM projects
While opening the gender workshop, the IOM’s Regional
Representative for East and Central Africa, Mr. Ashraf
El Nour acknowledged that a gender-sensitive approach to
migration management is one of the ways of ensuring that
IOM’s programmes adequately meet the needs of both
women and men migrants. He noted that women constitute a substantial proportion of migrants and that it was
IOM’s mandate to make sure all projects and programmes
were gender sensitive.
Mr. El Nour emphasized that IOM has long standing commitment to provide equal opportunities to men and
women and has made great strides in mainstreaming gender into all its projects thereby increasing the programmes’ efficiency and relevance.
The workshop was an IOM Kenya initiative in partnership
with UNOCHA, Food and Agricultural Organization
(FAO) and United Nations Development Fund for Women.
IOM LAUNCHES MIDA SOMALILAND AND PUNTLAND HEALTH PROJECT IN HELSINKI
IOM Helsinki, on 21st of August, launched the MIDA Health
Somaliland-Puntland pilot project, which aims to strengthen the
human resource base of the regions’ public and private health-care
institutions.
The launch was chaired by IOM’s project coordination team,
Saed Guled and Juan Reyes, and brought together 30 prospective
health care professionals from the Finland-based Somali Diaspora,
representatives from the Finnish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and IOM
Helsinki to discuss various ways of implementing the project.
IOM Finland’s RR Mr. Thomas Wiess opens the launch
The project aims to contribute to the reconstruction and capacity
building of the human resource base health sectors of Somaliland and
Puntland.