By Nelson Manneh
The Migrant Media Network (MMN) Project- the Gambia has on Friday 11th June 2021 updated the media on its ongoing activities.
The MMN Project was founded in 2019 focusing on Ghana to tackle irregular migration through social media and community engagement. Initiated by the German-Berlin based organization Agency for Open Culture and Critical Agency for Open Culture and Critical Transformation, the project is funded by the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The MMN – Gambia project, officially launched in April 2021 in the country where it brought together stakeholders in the field of migration and local partners, is operating in 4 regions, namely West Coast Region, Lower River Region, North Bank Region, and Upper River Region.
Mr. Dembo Kambi, Country Coordinator-The Gambia, said since the launch of the project the local coordinators have organized two community outreaches and a roundtable on migration choices and migration dynamics in The Gambia.
“The Gambia being among high-risk countries in the Sub-Saharan regions that highly emerged on irregular migration through the so-called Back-way route to Europe especially to Germany and the need to curb or find solutions to the high inflow migrants, the German Foreign Ministry decided to fund the MMN-Gambia project in order to create a platform around migration to help our potential migrants make right decisions,” he said.
Kambi said the MMN-Gambia currently works with four local coordinators in LRR, URR, NBR, and WCR, including a research assistance and the country coordinator overseeing the project and its activities for a successful implementation for The Gambia, especially on the ongoing and upcoming activities.
He said they are also working on the implementation and use of the USSD System Hydrate. He said the system, also referred to as Quick Codes, is important as it informs people free of charge on regular phones without internet and in a manner which is well known throughout the country.
“The system will provide people in The Gambia who are thinking about migration to get informed, {about} an offline device used to prepare and inform would-be irregular migrants currently under implementation for use. The MMN is also working on implementing radio/TV talk-shows on various community radio stations. This is in line with our aim for an effective community engagement and sensitization on irregular migration and the advantages and disadvantages of the use of social media in curbing irregular migration,” he said.
