The Mitra|WA project was completed by December 2024. This Website is updated frequently for new publications.
West Africa is a region of migration par excellence. However, contrary to the popular image of a dominant West African-European migration nexus, 90% of international migration from West Africa takes place within the region (IOM, 2021). In addition to these estimated 8 million international migrants, millions of people migrate within their country, temporally, seasonally or permanently. Analyses of these mobilities either tend to focus on social and economic impacts in migrants' places of origin or at their destinations.
Klöpf, T., Scheven, C., Vorhold, P., Ungruhe, C. (2025): Researching Migration in West Africa. A Systematic and Reflexive Review. Comparative Migration Studies. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40878-025-00474-8
John Narh, Stefanie Wehner, and Christine Schmitt: "Odum Will Take Forever to Grow" (2025) — A Thoughtful Exploration of Agroforestry through the Lens of Political Ecology. Access: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tfp.2024.100771
As an outcome of our project, our team published several policy briefs, available on the WASCAL-Website:
During our dissemination workshops in December 2024, farmers from our five research in Northern Region (villages of Limo, Zinindo, Gaa, Pumo and Bulugu) brought up the topic of tree planting.
They see reforestation and agro-forestry for fruit production as an important and feasable response to the biodiversity, climate and food security crisis they are facing.
Thanks to our facilitator, Mr. Ozman, and some private source of funding, we could support farmers to plant trees on their land and in the school yard.
Mr. Ozman, who has GIZ training in organic farming and agro-forestry, runs a small nursery in Tamale. He has been supporting schools and women groups to plant trees throughout the Northern Region for many years. Thus he could provide saplings and knowledge about planting and nursing for our farmers and students in Gushiegu district. He will also monitor the trees to ensure their survival.
As a total, 995 trees were planted in our five research villages in June 2025. Some were planted in school yards, some on private land. Farmers, teachers and students were not only taught to plant and care for the trees, but also how to build fences against roaming goats.
In some years, people will be able to harvest Cashew nuts and Mango fruits. Furthermore, they will be able to harvest shade, firewood and benefit from improved micro-climate and other ecosystem services these trees will provide.
As an outcome of the field research and a as a building block for consolidating and transferring research results into practice, members of the Mitra|WA team Passau started the Care4Her Foundation as a non-profit organization.
The aim is to support female migrants from rural Northern Ghana, which work under precarious conditions in Accra and other Ghanaian cities as with scholarships to pursue education in health profession, particularly nursing.
For more information, visit the Care4Her e.V. Website or enjoy the podcast with Emerenz magazine Series: Ein Herzensprojekt in Ghana, Episode 17.
On Monday 18th and Tuesday 19th 2024, the closing event of the Migration and Translocality in West Africa Project took place at the University of Ghana, Legon.
Monday 18th, we shared our project findings concerning planning and policy making with an audience of stakeholders from politics, government agencies, traditional authorities, academia and NGOS. The highlight was definetiely the lively Policy Dialoguewith members from immigration services, private industry and different ministries, moderated by our team members Prof. Yaro, provost of the College for Humanities, UG and Dr. Adeola from University of Ibadan.
Tuesday 19th, we internally discussed final tasks, reflected on the last 3,5 years and enjoyed a final lunch together.
