Category Archives

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Diaspora Engagement Efforts in Afghanistan Real-Time Review

Diaspora Engagement Efforts in Afghanistan Real-Time Review

by Administrator

Diaspora Emergency Action & Coordination (DEMAC), Afghanistan

 

On 16 August 2021 the Taliban announced that they had gained control of Afghanistan. The takeover resulted in a heated public debate about the two-decade war, the humanitarian implications of the withdrawal, and the future of women and civil society in Afghanistan. To capture Afghan diaspora engagement in the current political crisis, Meraki Labs conducted a Real-Time Analysis in the immediate aftermath of the Taliban takeover in Mid-August.
The report, commissioned by DEMAC - Diaspora Emergency Action & Coordination, takes two main approaches to data collection: 1) online media monitoring from 15 August 2021 to 30 September 2021 of 60 Afghan diaspora organizations, and 2) key informant interviews with representatives of ten ADOs, as well as Danish Refugee Council Diaspora Program staff. In this report we document the rapid response and self-mobilization of ADOs, as well as their efforts in fundraising and direct support in Afghanistan. The report also looks at some of the challenges faced by these organizations and provides recommendations on the way forward.

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The State of Referral Systems in Yemen

The State of Referral Systems in Yemen

by Administrator

Cash Consortium of Yemen (CCY), Yemen

 

With millions of people currently in humanitarian need in Yemen, it is critical for humanitarian actors to use resources effectively, including by developing effective and efficient referral pathways between sectors. Meraki Labs conducted this research to support the Cash Consortium of Yemen (CCY) to better understand how cash and other sectors interlink, what referral systems already exist and what pathways should be established or integrated with the CCY program.

This report is based on both primary and secondary research. It draws on a literature review of referral
mechanisms in Yemen specifically and the broader Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, as well as an analysis of documentation available from key clusters. In addition, 30 semi-structured key informant interviews were conducted with 20 agencies.

 

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Displacement in Northeast South Sudan and the borderlands

Displacement in Northeast South Sudan and the borderlands

by Administrator

Danish Demining Group, South Sudan

 

 In order to implement conflict-sensitive peacebuilding and resilience programming in Northeast South Sudan, the Danish Demining Group (DDG) needed to develop an evidence base on current issues and dynamics driving displacement along the South Sudan-Ethiopian borderlands. This project included conducting primary qualitative research in Pibor County  to conduct a contextual analysis of communities, conducting a root causes analysis, evaluating cross-border policies and practices affecting resilience and economic wellbeing of communities, and mapping existing community-based resilience factors and peacebuilding processes and initiatives. Following the research, Meraki Labs supported DDG in developing a project concept and accompanying theory of change. 

 

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Women’s Experiences as Transit Migrants in Yemen

Women’s Experiences as Transit Migrants in Yemen

by Administrator

International Organization for Migration, Yemen

 

 

In 2019, women and girls formed 21% of migrants travelling irregularly from the Horn of Africa to Gulf countries; the majority of these women were from Ethiopia. Existing research provides anecdotal evidence that irregular migration journeys are gendered, highlighting that women face specific issues that are distinct from the overall risks of the journey.

In this gender study, Meraki Labs has examined the risks faced by Ethiopian women on the irregular migration route to the Gulf, and the factors that affect their vulnerability to trafficking.

  

 

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Analysis of Return Migrant Reintegration in Ethiopia

Analysis of Return Migrant Reintegration in Ethiopia

by Administrator

NORWEGIAN REFUGEE COUNCIL, ETHIOPIA

Meraki Labs was commissioned to conduct primary research to support the Norwegian Refugee Council to analyse the gap in the governmental, private sectors and humanitarian response to return migrant needs in Ethiopia. This included a review of policy frameworks, existing literature on root causes of migration and existing programming, as well as a stakeholder analysis at different levels.

In additional to a literature review and a legal and policy analysis, Meraki Labs conducted 104 interviews with returnees, families of returnees, and government officials in Oromia, Amhara, and Addis Ababa Regions of Ethiopia as well as 20 additional interviews with migrants in Saudi Arabia, Sudan, and Djibouti. The findings report was aimed at providing detailed and realistic recommendations for protection, livelihoods, and education programming.

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Developing innovative participatory research methodologies for youth on the move

Developing innovative participatory research methodologies for youth on the move

by Administrator

UNIVERSITY OF GENEVA, GLOBAL

Youth are a challenging demographic for humanitarian and development agencies to reach. Innovation and technology offer new possibilities for engaging with youth, but the effectiveness of these mechanisms has yet to be demonstrated due to the challenges with population transience and the fragile contexts where projects are implemented.

Meraki Labs is working with the University of Geneva and InZone to develop a participatory methodology for youth engaging in projects to evaluate their effectiveness. The project aims to develop a toolkit that is appropriate for a variety of contexts, to enable comparison and broader learning.

Protection of Children on the Move along the Southern Migration Route

Protection of Children on the Move along the Southern Migration Route

by Administrator

DESTINATION UNKNOWN, AFRICA (HORN OF AFRICA, EAST AFRICA, SOUTHERN AFRICA)

Little is known about childen and youth on the move in Africa. Girls and boys are typically included as small portions of larger reports on migration and, due to poor data and access, are often get few opportunities to express their own realities, motivations, and aspirations as it relates to their migration journey. Protection of children and youth continues to be a major concern, particularly in light of the known risks of detention, abuse, and trafficking not to mention gaps in education and civil documentation.

Meraki Labs is leading a multi-country study that seeks to better understand the specific experiences, motivations and aspiration as well as protection risks and protective capacities of children following the Southern Migration Route, from the Horn and East Africa to Southern Africa.

Determining the ‘tipping points’ for Would-be Migrant Decision-making in Ethiopia

Determining the ‘tipping points’ for Would-be Migrant Decision-making in Ethiopia

by Administrator

MIXED MIGRATION CENTRE, ETHIOPIA

The Ethiopia Migration Programme (EMP) is a GBP 21 million programme, funded by the UK Department for International Development (DfID), aiming to enhance the protective environment for migrants and would-be migrants whilst reducing unsafe irregular migration through and from Ethiopia.


Meraki Labs designed and produced a research report based on large scale quantitative surveys, focus groups, and in-depth interviews with Ethiopian, Somali, and Eritrean young people considering (re)migration. The study questionned the existence of ‘tipping points’ in migration decision making processes, including if and the extent to which commonly understood ‘migration drivers’ function in communities.

Protection Risks and Human Smuggling on the Eastern Migration Route

Protection Risks and Human Smuggling on the Eastern Migration Route

by Administrator

INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR MIGRATION, YEMEN

Close to 150,000 migrants move from the Horn of Africa through Yemen to Gulf countries. Many migrants on this route face life threatening protection risks ranging from starvation to abduction by smugglers. However the ongoing civil war in Yemen has left limited space for humanitarian agencies to meet the needs of migrants given the scale of the humanitarian crisis within Yemeni communities.

Meraki Labs conducted research intended to support IOM in identifying major protection risks facing migrants, as well as coping mechanisms that migrants have adopted over time. Meraki Labs provided programming recommendations that account for the fragility of the context and the vulnerability of the target population.

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Protection risks facing migrants, refugees and returnees in Ethiopia

Protection risks facing migrants, refugees and returnees in Ethiopia

by Administrator

MIXED MIGRATION CENTRE, ETHIOPIA

The Ethiopia Migration Programme (EMP) is a GBP 21 million programme, funded by the UK Department for International Development (DfID), aiming to enhance the protective environment for migrants and would-be migrants whilst reducing unsafe irregular migration through and from Ethiopia.

Meraki Labs designed and produced a mixed-methods protection analysis to determine the protection risks faced by migrants, would-be migrants, as well as camp and out-of-camp Somali and Eritrean refugees in Ethiopia considering onward movement. Meraki Labs provided programming recommendations aiming to strengthen the protective element of migration programming, focusing on harm reduction and integration services for returnees.