Remittances,
Diasporas and
Development
24 May 2008, Utrecht

The Potential Role of
Remittances in Achieving the
Millennium Development Goals
Leila Rispens-Noel
Programme Officer
Bureau Popular Campaigning
leila.rispens-noel@oxfamnovib.nl

Migrant’s Life/Best of Both Worlds
One foot in Holland,
Another foot
in Homeland
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Goal 1 Wipe out extreme
poverty
Goal 2 Get all children a
primary school education
Goal 3 Women
empowerment
Goal 4 Health
Goal 8 Global partnership
for development
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MDGs and Migration
Goal 1 Over 60% of remittances is spent on
Reduce Poverty food, shelter and clothing
Goal 2 Children of mgirants stay longer in
Universal Education school; HTAs support education
Goal 3 Empowerment of women; over 65% of
Women empowerment those who receive remittances are
women; over 50% of migrant workers
are women
Goal 4 Remittances are used to imporving
Health health of family members; HTAs support
hospital; conduct mobile clinics
Goal 8 MFI-diaspora partnership; private-sector-
Global partnership for development diaspora partnership’; HTAs
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Some examples:
INAFI-AFFORD- DFD
DFD Partnership Diaspora Forum for Development
After the conference in Benin, a partnership was established
between INAFI (International Alternative Financial Institutions),
Africans for Development (AFFORD UK), and Diaspora Forum
for Development (Netherlands composed of 36 migrant
organisations representing 25 countries) in harnessing the
development potentials of remittances through:
Investments
Knowledge sharing and transfers
Financial Literacy
Capacity building for MFIs in 12 countries to provide remittance-
products and services to migrants and their families
STATUS: the three-year proposal is being proposed.
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GHANA: SANKOFA
• SANKOFA Foundation was founded in
2001 by Ghanian diasporas.
• Projects:
- Technical and Training Center for peasant
women who are members of Sankofa Family Poultry project (50
members and due for expansion)
Partners in Ghana: GNAFF (Ghana National Association of
Farmers en Fishermen; GAPNET
Total amount extended: Euro 145.000,00
Direct beneficiaries: 32 women Indirect: 150 women members
Entered Partnership with Rural Bank of West Dangme
www.sankofa.nl
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Ethiopia: DIR
Founded in 2000, DIR Foundation is an Ethiopian organization
which initiates projects in the Netherlands and Ethiopia.
Projects funded by Oxfam Novib:
- Coffee Processing Plant and housing project for prostitutes in
Addis Ababa
- Hiv/AIDS mainstreaming project
- Housing and employment (brick production) project for ex-
soldiers in Addis Ababa
Partner since 1998
Number of direct beneficiaries reached:
www.dirnet.nl
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SOMALIA: HIRDA (Himilo International
Relief and Rehabilitation Association)
• A non-profit organization founded in 1998
by Somali refugees in the Netherlands
• Total amount extended from 1998 to 2007 –
• Total number of outreach:
• Amount of project (2005-2007): Euro 559.877,00
• Types of projects: education, agriculture, peace
building, women empowerment, relief and food distribution, youth
development (NL and Somalia)
• Partners in NL: Oxfam Novib, NCDO, Hivos
• Partners International: UNICEF Somalia, Red Cross New Zealand,
Somalis in Diaspora in various countries
• Direct beneficiaries: 5.310 Indirect: 9.355
www.hirda.org
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Gintong Aral
(Golden Education)
A project of
DAMAYAN
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Main programs to support diaspora organisations
(from the margins to mainstream)
1. Capacity building – facilitate conduct of trainings (project cycle management,
proposal writing, microfinance, strategic planning, fund raising, deepening
knowledge and understanding of development, etc.)
2. Technical and financial assistance (development projects in the countries of
origin and in the Netherlands/LINKIS front offices)
3. Support and stimulate broad alliance building of transnational networks
of migrants – national and international levels – through dialogues and
meetings
4. Influence policy making – coherency in migration and development policies
through conduct of expert meetings, workshops, debates and conferences and
ensure participation of migrant leaders in important conferences/meetings
5. Remittances and Conduct of financial literacy training (personal finance,
social investments, encourage diaspora philanthropy, link with MFIs)
6. Linking and learning / exchange visits (Past activities: educational trips to
Mexico, Philippines, Burundi, Moluccas/Indonesia, Sudan, Somalia, and
Ethiopia)
7. Scaling up viable development projects.
5 aims: sustainable development; education and health; peace and security; social
and political participation; and gender
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THANK YOU
www.oxfamnovib.nl
www.linkis.nl
Contact:
linkis@oxfamnovib.nl
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