Awartmali’s migration commitment won’t stop

After a year and a half of intense work, the project “Awartmali” has reached its conclusion and is at a decisive step that allows to give continuity and sustainability to what has been built within the project and to start future activities in a new perspective for international cooperation policies in Mali and the entire Sahel.

In the last phase there was the ability by the coordination of the project partners to reshape and rethink the activities despite the difficulties caused by the Covid19 emergency, reaching all the objectives set.

The difficulties have been overcome thanks to the valuable field work carried out by the Malian NGO Le Tonus, always directed by the project central coordination, which has carried out five thematic workshops addressed to the stable system of local relations and operational organisations in the field. During the activities a strong local network of stakeholders has been developed, first of all, the Association des Migrants de Retour dans le Cercle de Kati (AMRCK), set up following the contacts established by the project staff during the awareness activities carried out by the theatrical caravan tour between rural villages.

The project, funded by DG Home Affairs, Migration and Security Funds, Financial Resources and Monitoring, Union actions through the Asylum Integration and Migration Fund (AMIF) of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, saw Tamat as the lead, non-governmental organization engaged for 25 years in international cooperation projects, in partnership with some Italian companies such as Fondazione ISMU (Institute of Studies on Multiethnicity), the communication agency Giusti Eventi and the cultural association Teatro Farneto. The project also includes two Spanish partners, active in promoting opportunities for migrants in Spain, Congenia and Intrategies, and the Cypriot non-profit organization for research and development Cardet, specialized in technological training and information apps for migrants.

The project Awartmali worked to raise awareness about the migration risks among Malians and migrants from neighbouring countries transiting across Malian territory and inform them about the economic opportunities in Mali.
How? Through a preliminary phase of field research on the needs and methods of media access; the realization of a video-documentary to collect testimonies of the Malian diasporas in Europe (Italy and Spain); the launch of a communication strategy and a  spot campaign broadcast through local radio, information posters, the creation of the TAMA365 app, with which the local population can find out about the possibilities of investing diaspora remittances in their territories and about job opportunities and reunification, the Malian tour of the travelling theatrical show “TOUNKA, l’aventure”, which directly involved Pan-African actors and musicians who have helped us to enter into direct contact with the local populations benefiting from the project.

On these premises, through the propulsive role of the diasporas and the coordination of Tamat and Le Tonus, the most important result that has been achieved is certainly the creation of a network of local stakeholders. The goal is to draw up by September a “memorandum” in which the continuity of the campaign will be expected through the taking charge by the network itself of all communication and information products created.

It is a matter of giving concrete continuity to the project in a perspective of autonomy and sustainability, where the beneficiaries themselves will manage the communication and awareness-raising tools alongside concrete actions of development and creation of job opportunities.
The success and farsightedness of the project “Awartmali” lie in the activation of the local network, that is, the group of partners and society who will continue to manage specific requests to international cooperation to meet the needs of creating concrete opportunities to ensure the stay in Mali of potential migrants: the project created opportunities to establish a local association of returnees.
In this sense, Tamat has already anticipated the times. A new project, funded by the Ministry of Internal Affairs will focus on creating employment opportunities in the agricultural and craft sector, involving the network of “Awartmali” as the orientation and direction structure of the different initiatives on the ground.

The projects that achieve real and visible results, in reality, never end, but are modified, updated, especially continue in the perspective of solidarity and sustainable development. This is Tamat’s commitment for today and tomorrow.