Safer Migration (SaMi) Project
Introduction:
Safer Migration (SaMi) Project 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, Mandandeupur Municipalities and Bhumlu, Roshi Rural Municipalities) and the Local Service Provider (LSP) organization Civic Forum were signed on 25th December, 2019 and the program activities were implemented until the 15th July, 2022.
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) Project successfully promoted safe, informed, and dignified foreign employment in Dhulikhel Municipality, Mandandeupur Municipality, Bhumlu Rural Municipality, and Roshi Rural Municipality of Kavrepalanchok District by improving migrants' access to information, skills, legal assistance, psychosocial support, and financial literacy. The project also strengthened coordination among local governments and relevant stakeholders to institutionalize safe migration services at the local level. | |
| Access to Information: The project established and operated one Migrant Resource Centre (MRC), which served as the primary information and counseling hub for prospective migrant workers. Through the MRC, 10,665 individuals (6,275 males and 4,390 females) received information and counseling services on safe foreign employment. In addition, 19,957 individuals (12,985 males and 6,972 females) were reached through community outreach conducted by returnee migrant volunteers. The project also organized in-depth orientation sessions for 622 prospective migrant workers (461 males and 161 females) and community-level awareness sessions that reached 822 community members (347 males and 475 females), enabling prospective migrants and their families to make informed migration decisions. | |
| Access to Skills: To enhance employability and improve workplace safety abroad, the project 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 33 prospective migrant workers (14 males and 19 females) successfully completed the training, which also included life skills, occupational safety, health, and migration-related orientation. | |
| Access to Justice: The project strengthened migrants' access to legal support by registering 116 cases related to foreign employment, including cases of fraud, rescue, death, and other grievances. Through legal counseling, coordination, and referral mechanisms, 52 cases were successfully resolved, including 34 rescue cases, 6 death-related cases, and 12 other cases. The project also facilitated NRs. 2,950,000 in financial assistance and compensation for affected migrant workers and their families, providing critical support to victims of exploitation and hardship. | |
| Psychosocial Support: To address the emotional and social impacts of labour migration, the project trained and mobilized four psychosocial counselors. These counselors provided individual psychosocial counseling to 163 individuals (10 males and 153 females), group psychosocial counseling to 519 participants (3 males and 516 females), and psychosocial counseling to 54 individuals (50 males and 4 females) during quarantine and isolation related to the COVID-19 pandemic. These interventions significantly strengthened the psychological well-being and resilience of migrant workers and their families. | |
| Financial Literacy: The project enhanced the financial management capacity of migrant households by developing and mobilizing four financial literacy facilitators. Through 27 financial literacy classes, 567 participants (2 males and 565 females) improved their knowledge of household budgeting, savings, investment, remittance management, and income-generating opportunities, contributing to the more productive use of remittances and improved household financial security. | |
| Beyond these core services, the project successfully organized a wide range of coordination, networking, advocacy, 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, the formation of returnee migrant networks, capacity-building programmes for Migrants' Rights Networks, stakeholder interaction programmes, annual review seminars, International Migrants Day celebrations, support for the preparation of local migration profiles, and regular monitoring and evaluation visits. The project also strengthened public awareness by broadcasting safe migration radio jingles through Prime FM 104.5 MHz for three consecutive fiscal years and distributing 50,000 information, education, and communication (IEC) materials through the Migrant Resource Centre and community outreach activities. | |
| Overall, the SaMi Project 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 prospective migrant workers to make informed migration decisions. |
Project information
- Geographic coverage 4 Local Levels
- Project duration 30 months 22 days (25th December, 2019 to 15th July, 2022)
- Project Location Dhulikhel Municipality, Mandandeupur Municipality, Bhumlu Rural Municipality and Roshi Rural Municipality of Kavrepalanchok District
- Budget 30,470,000.00
- Funding partner's Dhulikhel, Mandandeupur Municipalities and Bhumlu, Roshi Rural Municipalities
- 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.
