Connecting Diaspora – IOM Nederland

After the successful first edition of Investors’ Session, Africa Works! 2024 Conference, themed 'Africa’s Green Industrialisation/Made in Africa’, is thrilled to announce its return. Express your interest today for the chance to pitch your business to five impact investors and 250 attendees, potentially securing the funding you need. To participate, companies must meet specific criteria: 📍 Location: Registered in an African country or based in the Netherlands with significant operations in Africa. 💼 Operational Experience: Minimum 3 years of operations. 📈 Financial Stability: At least EBITDA positive with 3 years of financial accounts. 💶 Revenue: Minimum annual revenue of EUR 500,000. 🌱 Investment Need: Seeking external funding ranging from EUR 500,000 to EUR 20 million. Swipe through to learn about applicant criteria and key points to highlight in your pitch. Express your interest and apply https://buff.ly/48HhrvD to be part of the second edition of Investors’ Session. Africa Works! 2024 will take place on the 23rd of April at the Royal Tropical Institute in Amsterdam. This conference is made possible by the NABC and our official conference partners: TNO, Wageningen University & Research, and IDH . Learn more at www.africaworks.nl #ConfidenceinAfricanBusiness #AW2024MadeinAfrica #InvestmentPitch #InspireConnectEnable #ImpactInvesting

💡 Have you ever wondered about the outcomes of many years of diaspora engagement? Good news! A scientific evaluation of the Connecting Diaspora for Development (phase 2) project is now published on our website. The United Nations University-MERIT and Maastricht University identified why diaspora members and host institutions in the target countries were motivated to participate, and how they experienced their participation in the project. 💐 A special thank you to all involved researchers, who captured the inspiring contributions of diaspora experts and host institutions in the report! 📚 The overview of all available reports can be found via the link below. #diasporaengagement #evaluationreport #connectingdiaspora

🌱"People on the move are powerful drivers for development in both their origin and destination countries", says IOM's Director General Amy Pope. On International #MigrantsDay, IOM recognizes and celebrates the many opportunities of migration.

🌐 ✨On the last day of the #GlobalDiasporaWeek, we want to highlight the important work of one of our ambassadors in the recently ended Connecting Diaspora for Development project. In Sierra Leone, Abubakarr Bangura, a committed ambassador for our Connecting Diaspora for Development project, led workshops to support the tailoring platform. His support of entrepreneurship and access to microcredit facilities has played a significant role in one of the largest job-producing sectors in Africa. Abubakarr remarked: “There is a lot to do, but I am very happy that the skills and knowledge transfer I conducted during the CD4D programme are now being applied to the tailoring sector.” After his assignment, Abubakarr continues to collaborate with the tailoring sector in Sierra Leone by selling unique bags made of African cotton and Dutch second-hand fabrics. 💡Diaspora members' profound cultural insight about their home countries significantly contributes to better knowledge sharing and drives industry transformation. 📙Read Abubakarr’s full story and those of other ambassadors in our booklet: https://lnkd.in/ebEaZbaj

📣 New opportunities! IOM's Better Regional Migration Management (BRMM) programme is launching three short-term placements for Ethiopian diaspora experts in Mechanical Engineering (particularly in Computer Numerical Control, equipment and software) and ICT. 💡 The assignments will take place from January 2024 to March 2024 for three months. Are you an Ethiopian expert eager to contribute your skills and knowledge to projects in your home country? Apply!   ✍ Deadline for applications: 15 November 2023.   More information and how to apply: ➡ Mechanical engineering, Hawasa, Sidama, Ethiopia: https://lnkd.in/eFZR2dTn ➡ICT, Dire Dawa, Ethiopia: https://lnkd.in/eGc4fPt7 ➡ICT, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: https://lnkd.in/eYN22Qvv

Earlier this week, I had the privilege of joining important stakeholders at the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation in Madrid for the European Diaspora Dialogue 2023 on invitation of the OIM España. The critical and important roles diasporas play in sustainable national development both at their home countries as well as their countries of residence were once again put under the microscope. The IOM The Netherlands’ Connecting Diaspora – IOM The Netherlands (CD4D) program has been a strong enabler in harnessing and connecting diaspora professionals to key projects of national importance in their home countries. Participating in the CD4D2 phase of the program was an enriching experience. Collaborating with colleagues from NIGERIAN COMMUNICATIONS SATELLITE LIMITED (NIGCOMSAT) and National Hort Research Insitute NIHORT on different assignments sure had a lasting impression on me. Thank you, Nina Staal for the invite.

Storytelling is an important and valuable component of diaspora engagement. Together with 20 diaspora experts that participated in the CD4D project, IOM the Netherlands put together some of the most inspiring stories about the achievements of diaspora experts in one booklet! 🌍 Curious to read about the individual experiences of the experts? You can download the booklet below. ⬇ https://lnkd.in/evYtxZha #DiasporaEngagement #CD4D