“Home Again”

An ARM Of

Dr MARTIN NGEKA LUMA

For many years, developing Countries, and in particular the poorest one’s, undergo a migratory flow of their working population to industrialized nations.

The reasons for this are many; the need for employment, higher education and training goals, and want of a better way of life. Many immigrants will not return to their home country. Thus, the phenomena known as the ‘brain drain’ occurs as countries are stripped of much of the intellectual potential that will stimulate their economies, inspire their nationals and lend to their industrial and agricultural development. The consequence of this is the instability and precariousness’ that we can see in many societies today.

In addition, immigration has been failing its adherents for years. It is not rare, for those who have left to look for a better life for them and for their family to find themselves in difficult situations, disillusioned by what they experience in their host countries. Social and psychological difficulties are multiplied; employment is impacted, societies are fragmented and unassimilated and economic impacts are felt as the waves of migration threaten to disrupt the employment prospects of the native-born. With the arrival of new migrants, the cycle continues.

The goal of the HOME AGAIN project is to identify and support potential entrepreneurs or project developers to return to their home countries to work and live.  This program also relates to those who wish to work as technical co-operators or partners that bring their expertise to the countries where economic and social development needs are glaring.

Several assumptions are to be envisaged:

HOME AGAIN will create offices in key developed countries to address the needs of immigrants, and mitigate the growing costs to the host country. The offices will also serve to ensure that all the necessary repatriation information both from the departure country to the home country is properly researched and made accessible to participants. HOME AGAIN will serve as facilitator and enabler to participants to ensure that they and the projects they will manage are properly supported- through bespoke management- through the repatriation process.

> The Office

The objectives of the HOME AGAIN programmes are as follows:
 

1. To contribute to restoring the dignity, health and potential of individuals that have been touched by the immigration process. To develop people first, and communities next.
2. Help the countries in the process of development to improve the industrial and agricultural sectors with technical assistance for their nationals to go Home. In order to do this, HA will has to do scoping exercises in the countries. For Example :

Community profiling building up a picture of the nature, need and resources of a community with the active participation of that community;
Feasibility studies - studies conducted to investigate the viability of a project or a product. In the process, various aspects can be reviewed - environmental, technical, financial-economic and social aspects. Feasibility studies can be carried out with respect to broad outlines, as a preliminary study or can focus purely on one aspect, or be very detailed studies covering all aspects. Moreover, feasibility studies are sometimes carried out in connection with scenarios proposing preconditions for sustainable development. In such cases HA might be:

.Developing instruments.
.Conducting zero and effect measurements of livability and/or environment for neighborhoods.
.Investigating wishes and ideas of interested parties. (HA would work in partnership with professional, voluntary and statutory organizations and community representatives to form consensus and collaboration on project plans)
.Assessing plans as to their effects on livability and/or
 The environment. 
.Providing advice on improving performance in this field (this information would form the basis of the project objectives e.g. improving irrigation in rural areas through the use of solar powered water pumps).
.Process management; encouraging and organizing participation of those involved.
.Advice on and assessment of neighborhood management.
.Evaluating policies: ends and means.

3. Create infrastructures of repatriation in the concerned countries.

"Home Again" foresees two levels of repatriation

– direct and

-staggered/supported.

3.1 With direct repatriation the “Home Again” candidate would be a project/development manager or entrepreneur.

The infrastructure would include the incentives the“Home Again” is able to secure from Host Governments as tax breaks, land, equipment etc – as well as the membership of professional orgs, and other facilities that enable resettlement.

3.2 With staggered repatriation, the “Home Again” candidate might be a professional/ trainee or recent graduate in need to supported employment and placement. An example of this would be the pilot program that is anticipated with ‘Universal International School’ in Lagos Nigeria. The school is a pioneer of Inclusion set up by an educationalist returning to Nigeria to meet the needs of children with learning and behavioural challenges within a framework of full school inclusion. The directors have requested for staff of African heritage with some experience abroad. They are offering in their incentive package (to be negotiated and agreed by “Home Again”  directors) that “Home Again” candidates that are given a year’s employment contract will be given accommodation, paid in US D and offered a subsidy if their children are given school entrance at UIS. The agreement “Home Again” has with such serve as infrastructures of repatriation.

Here “Home Again” can also be seen as brokers of employment.

4.Help to develop projects adapted to the economic and social conditions of the countries. (see scoping exercise, community profiling and feasibility studies)

5.Identify the potential candidates for “Home Again” repatriation projects  “Home Again” can pioneer work that focuses of facilitating the inclusion of women and the disabled and provide bespoke training and support for the same.

“Home Again” can engage/employ candidates in 6 main ways

5.1 As project managers, entrepreneurs that are candidates for repatriation

5.2 In Head offices as engagement/contact workers to support and identify the needs of potential candidates. These should have experiential knowledge of immigration or asylum issues.

5.3 As mentors/professional/experts that will invest expertise, knowledge and resources on development projects in the home countries and serve as employees of “Home Again”

5.4 As partners on community profiling and feasibility studies providing appropriate cultural understanding to each stage of the project.

5.5 Trainees

5.6 Researchers

In identifying the candidates the following groupings may apply :

A.Candidates that have lived and worked in Europe and have a number of years of assimilation into European/US society and are educated (this can include non-formal education such as several years of specialized business experience in a management role). [Note there will need to be greater incentives for these as countries give special consideration to skilled workers. This is what has classically contributed to the ‘brain drain’]

B.Recent graduates/school leavers with years of assimilation into European/US educational system but no work visa or job prospects. [Note these can be placed with companies that sponsor or are in partnership with "Home Again"much like the J-1 visa in the US]

C.Generally educated immigrants with no specialized, managerial skills. Can include illegal immigrants.

D.Asylum seekers and special case immigrants.

E.Candidates from Home Again’s Euro/African/World partnerships that serve to alleviate the problems of unemployment by engaging candidates in ‘tours of duty’. Candidates can gain experience and add value to projects much Peace Corps in the US.

6.Identify the potential investors/sponsors of “Home Again” repatriation projects.

Sponsors can be those (individuals or companies/corporations) that provide funds, free services or products or multinational companies in host countries that will ‘employ’ “Home Again” candidates on the staggered repatriation programme.  “Home Again” can look to getting certification as a training body that confers a diploma that incorporates the core values and aims of the Foundation.

7.Develop programs of humanitarian aid.

8. Organize training schemes in collaboration with universities, training centres, companies.

9.Study of the needs compared to the projects.

> Promotion

"Home Again" will set up various actions to make known its activity and to promote the return to the country.

1. Media plan: televised and radio advertisements.

2.Thereafter, HOME AGAIN will be made known to universities and training institutes (by the means of the advertisements), or organizing meetings/workshops of information and orientation. In the same way, the embassies and the cultural centres could also take part to make known the project by informing their public.

3.Internet site: creation of Internet site "Home Again", indexed in the yellow pages and the search engines.

4.Event-driven: to organize sensitizing and briefings, or create events to develop "Home Again" brand.

> Process of selection and accompaniment

2.Selection : after a study time for consideration of the file of the candidate, if the candidate is selected, the second maintenance will be necessary to finalize the candidature.
The potentiality of the projects, their capacity to create richness in the sectors where the activity will be exerted, the potential of jobs creation, the viability of the organization, local identity respect and the guarantee of a socially ethical activity that will be determining criteria for the validation of the candidatures.
HOME AGAIN will take into account the capacity to train the rising generation in the host country: Notably training for a craftsman or creation of a school at the same time as the activity (a baker which uses its bakery to train young apprentices, hotel who takes young people in training in his hotel, a restaurant chief, a veterinary surgeon etc...) according to decent conditions for the apprentices.

3.Planning and formalities of assistance to return Home:

> Home Country

> Reception facilities

> Investors

Home Again office will assist in the management of all individual investments. This will be ensured and controlled through the assistance of an international Management company and an International Accounting firm of great importance. To benefit from Home Again Funds, the Proponent must provide the following:

1. A feasibility study of the project and a business plan
2. Must work according to certain pre-set criteria. Obtain the approval for their projects by our Professional Bodies outlined on our Websites, Who are represented worldwide.
3. Must help in the installation at the host country, (Lands and infrastructures of their future projects.
4. Assist in the relocation and planning within their countries..

> Humanitarian programs

Home Again ensures that humanitarian and social programs including travels will be sponsored to enable the proponents discover the Home Country. Travels target will be on culture, the traditions and social fabric of the Home Country. The aim will be to sensitize the candidates on their cultural and social responsibility as a future economic actor for the Country. This will be carried out with objectives of sustainable development, and the respect of the history, the environment of the Home Country.
Sustainable tourism, agriculture, exploitation of the natural resources and the respect of ecology. Documentary reports will be made for the Television services.
To circumvent to help the carriers of projects to return in their Countries of Origin.

> International Institutions

Home Again will work with the International Institutions such as the O.N.U (United Nations), the O.U.A (the Organization of the African Union), and the European Union. Prime banks, World Bank, IMF, OECD Member Countries, Asian and Arabic Economic Development institutions worldwide.

> Companies

As much as possible, major economic entities and industries will be solicited to contribute to the success of the project. For example, certain manufacturing companies and industrialists can send surplus stocks (clothing, shoes, home items, chemicals for Agriculture, etc.).Home Again will collect these gifts and will enable small business proponents or candidates to open sales points, thereby creating publicity for such Companies and New Markets for their products.