Vientiane – The International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the Skills Development and Employment Department (SDED) of Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare (MoLSW) organized a two-day training for radio professionals to enhance safe migration messaging efforts to rural populations.

Modules covering the migration decision, human-trafficking, and recruitment process were delivered to 45 participants, including 28 radio staff from four provinces and Vientiane Capital where high migration flows are spotted. The interactive training set to strengthen broadcasters’ capacity in disseminating safe migration knowledge to migrants through the Lao National Radio, community radio stations, and community loudspeakers in Bolikhamxay, Khammouane, Salavan, and Sayabouly province.

Houavue Yamak, a radio broadcaster for Hmong Language, found the training very useful as it was her first time learning about safe migration. “The session on job recruitment was particularly interesting for me, I will definitely share the knowledge at work, and with my friends and family,” she said.

Limited access to information leaves people in remote areas sandwiched with neighbouring countries among the most vulnerable groups involving unsafe migration. Through capacity-building for broadcasters and safe migration radio programming, IOM’s Radio Communications Campaign provides a platform for people to receive information relevant to their needs and interests, share experience, and help them make informed decisions.

“This radio programme plays a very important role in the efforts to inform migrants, including the marginalized and disadvantaged. We very much appreciate this collaboration between IOM, UNDP and the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare to address migrants’ vulnerabilities,” said Cuénod Jean-François, Regional Director of Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), in his opening remarks.

The workshop was a collaboration between IOM’s Poverty Reduction through Safe Migration, Skills Development and Enhanced Job Placement (PROMISE) project and UNDP’s Enhancing People’s Participation through Community Radio (EPPCR) program.

PROMISE, which is in its third year of implementation, sets to improve migrant workers’ access to safe migration and decent employment opportunities, eventually contributing towards poverty reduction. The four-year regional program is generously supported by SDC.

For more information please contact Karen HO at IOM Vientiane. Tel. + 856 (0)21 267 734. Email: kho@iom.int