Safer Migration (SaMi) Programme
Introduction:
Safer Migration (SaMi) Programme is a bilateral initiative between the Government of Nepal and the Government of Switzerland. It is implemented by the Ministry of Labor, Employment and Social Security and 4 participating local governments (Dhulikhel, Mandandeupur Municipalities and Bhumlu, Roshi Rural Municipalities) of Kavrepalanchok district, Bagamati Province. Helvetas Nepal provides technical assistance to the program on behalf of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC). In Kavrepalanchok District, local levels (Dhulikhel Municipality and Roshi Rural Municipality) and the Local Service Provider (LSP) organization Civic Forum were signed on 17th July, 2022 and the program activities were implemented until the 16th July, 2023.
Objectives:
- Proper protection of foreign workers and workers’ families.
- To provide workers with information, skills, counseling and support so that they can work safely and respectfully in the destination country.
- To make foreign employment more successful by enhancing the capacity of agencies related to foreign employment.
Key Activities:
- Access to Information.
- Access to Skills.
- Access to Justice.
- Psychosocial Support.
- Financial Literacy.
Expected Results:
Men and women migrants and their families, including marginalised groups, benefit more from migration and mitigate its social implications.
All spheres of government use effective mechanisms to protect the rights of migrants and their families.
Major Achievements:
| Date | Title |
|---|---|
| The Safer Migration (SaMi) Programme successfully promoted safe, informed, and dignified foreign employment by improving migrants' access to information, skills development, legal assistance, psychosocial support, and financial literacy. The programme also strengthened coordination among local governments, the District Administration Office (DAO), and other stakeholders to institutionalize safe migration services and protect the rights and welfare of migrant workers and their families. | |
| Access to Information: The programme successfully operated one Migrant Resource Centre (MRC), which served as the primary information and counseling hub for prospective migrant workers. Through the MRC, 11,674 individuals (7,061 males and 4,754 females) received information and counseling services on safe foreign employment. In addition, 7,104 individuals (4,676 males and 2,428 females) were reached through community outreach conducted by returnee migrant volunteers. The programme also organized in-depth orientation sessions for 196 prospective migrant workers (133 males and 63 females) and community-level awareness programmes that reached 391 community members (230 males and 161 females), enabling prospective migrants and their families to make informed migration decisions. | |
| Access to Skills: To enhance employability and workplace safety abroad, the programme provided free pre-departure vocational skills training in occupations such as garment machine operation, housekeeping, kitchen assistance, plumbing, welding, scaffolding, and industrial electrical work. A total of 15 prospective migrant workers (8 males and 7 females) successfully completed the training, which also included life skills, occupational safety, health, and migration-related orientation. | |
| Access to Justice: The programme strengthened migrants' access to justice by registering 12 cases related to foreign employment, including fraud, rescue, death, and other grievances. Through legal counseling, coordination, and referral mechanisms, three cases were successfully resolved, including one rescue case, one death-related case, and one other case. The programme also facilitated NRs. 2,000,000 in financial compensation for the family of a deceased migrant worker, providing essential support during a period of hardship. | |
| Psychosocial Support: To address the psychological and social impacts of labour migration, the programme mobilized four trained psychosocial counselors. These counselors provided individual psychosocial counseling to 52 individuals (3 males and 49 females) and group psychosocial counseling to 327 participants (14 males and 313 females). These interventions strengthened the emotional well-being, resilience, and coping capacity of migrant workers and their families. | |
| Financial Literacy: The programme strengthened the financial management capacity of migrant households by mobilizing four financial literacy facilitators. Through 14 financial literacy classes, 327 participants (14 males and 313 females) enhanced their knowledge of household budgeting, savings, remittance management, investment, and income-generating opportunities, contributing to improved financial security and more productive utilization of remittances. | |
| Beyond these core services, the programme successfully organized a wide range of coordination, advocacy, awareness, and capacity-building activities. These included meetings of the Local Government Programme Coordination Committee (LGPCC) and Local Government Programme Management Committee (LGPMC), Migrant Resource Centre coordination meetings, Migrants' Rights Network coordination and capacity-building programmes, stakeholder interaction programmes, annual review seminars, International Migrants Day celebrations, support for the preparation of local migration profiles, police and journalist orientation programmes, interactions with local governments and health units, community sensitization programmes, and regular monitoring and evaluation visits. The programme also strengthened public awareness by broadcasting safe migration radio messages through Prime FM 104.5 MHz throughout the programme period and distributing 20,000 information, education, and communication (IEC) materials through the Migrant Resource Centre and community outreach activities. | |
| Overall, the SaMi Programme made a significant contribution to promoting safe, orderly, and regular labour migration by strengthening local governance systems, expanding access to essential migration services, protecting the rights and welfare of migrant workers and their families, enhancing financial and psychosocial resilience, and enabling migrants and their families to make informed migration decisions. |
Project information
- Geographic coverage 2 Local Levels
- Project duration 12 months (17th July, 2022 to 16th July, 2023)
- Project Location Dhulikhel Municipality and Roshi Rural Municipality of Kavrepalanchok District
- Budget 8,600,000.00
- Funding partner's Dhulikhel Municipality and Roshi Rural Municipality
- Implementation Partner (a) District Administration Office (DAO) (b) Employment Service Centres (ESCs) (c) Migrant Workers Rights Protection Forum
- Target groups (a) Potential workers going for foreign employment. (b) Workers in foreign employment. (c) Workers returning from foreign employment. (d) Family members of workers in foreign employment.
