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WakaWell: Informed youth and equipped advocates for safe migration

WakaWell: Informed youth and equipped advocates for safe migration
What is WakaWell?

WakaWell helps young people make safe and regular migration decisions by providing tailored, relevant information and empowering volunteers to promote safe migration. 

First launched in 2019 to respond to the challenges many young people in Africa and the Middle East face finding accurate, accessible information about migration, WakaWell 2.0 went live in January 2025 in French and English featuring: 

  • Visa and legal migration info 

  • Education & skill-building guidance

  • Safety and health advice

  • Tips for cultural adaptation and financial management

  • Local volunteer opportunities

  • Tailored content for different countries

 

Slide showing where WakaWell users come from

 

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WakaWell & Social and Behaviour Change

When the first iteration of WakaWell was launched in West Africa in 2019 as part of the IOM X campaign, it was based on IOM's finding that 80% of young respondents in Guinea and Nigeria intended to travel abroad but over half had difficulty finding accurate information about migration and local opportunities. 

WakaWell became an accessible, relevant resource that could be promoted across project activities to guide people on what to do and when, making it easier to adopt safer migration behaviours.

Having a measurable, relevant call to action (CTA) is crucial in Social and Behaviour Change (SBC) initiatives.

 

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Get involved

Wondering how you can use WakaWell as a migrant protection practitioner or policymaker? Here are a few suggestions: 

  • Promote WakaWell as a reliable migration information platform in your community engagement activities; 
  • Share local initiatives for young people who want to volunteer as #safemigration advocates or find resources related to migration and local alternatives; 
  • Provide official information about regular migration pathways;
  • Partner with us to add multimedia content in local languages.  

Contact wakawell@iom.int to learn more. 

 

WakaWell is powered by COMPASS, a flagship programme of the International Organization for Migration (IOM). COMPASS (Cooperation on Migration and Partnerships to Achieve Sustainable Solutions) works to enhance the protection of migrants and promote safe and regular migration pathways. Through this partnership and the generous funding of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, WakaWell brings together the expertise and resources of IOM to support migrants and their communities.