Burkina Faso/Protection and assistance to migrants in Burkina: FDS strengthen their capacities

The Catholic Organization for Development and Solidarity (OCADES), CARITAS Burkina and Welthurgerhilfe are building the capacity of the Defense and Security Forces (FDS) on November 28 and 29, 2022 in Ouagadougou on the protection and assistance to migrants.

This activity is part of the implementation of the Support Project for the Protection of the Most Vulnerable Migrants on the Sahel Migration Routes (PROMISA). This project aims to ensure the protection of the most vulnerable migrants and their access to basic services. This workshop is part of that effort.

According to the Secretary General of OCADES CARITAS, Abbé Constantin Séré, the objective of this workshop is to strengthen the understanding and operational skills of the SDF on human trafficking and the link between gender and migration. "Today, the issue of migrant protection remains topical despite the crisis that our dear country is going through (...) And when migrants arrive safely in their countries of destination, the challenges overcome along the way are not so great.And when migrants arrive safely in their destination countries, the challenges they face along the way can affect their physical integrity or their mental health," he said.

The modules that will be given during these 48 hours of exchanges are related to the psychology of the vulnerable person and the confidence building of migrants.

Understanding the realities of the field

The director and founder of Besity AS, Nimbela Yasna, explained that the exchanges will focus on the realities on the ground, because it is the FDS who are on the ground. This Norwegian social enterprise specializing in migration and integration was hired to accompany the implementation of the advocacy. "It is also important for us to understand their realities and how we can adopt the different tools that are available to us," said Nimbela Yasna.

The Project to Support the Protection of the Most Vulnerable Migrants on the Sahel Migration Routes (PROMISA) is one of the activities of the European Union's Emergency Trust Fund for Africa (EUTF) for the protection of the most vulnerable migrants in West Africa. PROMISA is carried out by a consortium of organizations led by Caritas Switzerland (CaCH), namely Catholic Relief Services (CRS), OCADES Caritas Burkina, Caritas Mali and Welthurgerhilfe (WHH).
On the side of Caritas Switzerland, they expect the FDS to appropriate the tools that have been developed within the framework of the project, said Program Officer Gilbert Rugira.
PROMISA operates in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger. It began in January 2020 and has a duration of three years.

Source: lefaso.net