Global Goalscast: "My Number was 453" – one migrant shares his story
More than 30,000 African migrants have died crossing the Mediterranean. Ibrahim Kondeh narrowly escaped becoming one of them.
But through luck and courage, he made it to Italy, although he paid a terrible price on the way. Claudia Romo Edelman and Edie Lush complete the story of this one migrant. "The story of migrants should be told more," Ibrahim says in this episode.
"People tend to follow what the media tells about migrants and refugees, seen as people who come in to steal jobs, criminals. So as a result no one knows what our actual stories are. Positive stories can change the mindset of people," Kondeh said.
He has encountered frustration and racism in Italy. But he also has been helped along the way, particularly by an innovative use of text messaging called U-Report.
Tanya Accone of UNICEF explained that U-Report connected Ibrahim and other migrants and refugees with experts who can advise them when they are at their most vulnerable, alone in a new land without language or resources.
With the help of U-Report, Ibrahim has navigated the Italian immigration rules and enrolled in high school.
"A simple SMS," said Tanya Accone. "Can it change your life? I think Ibrahim would say, yes, it has."
One of the creators of U-Report, Mathias Devi Nielsen of UNICEF, said it's a tool for all young people to "raise their voices."
U-Report currently operates in 65 countries with 8.5 million uses. It is growing rapidly. Mathias invited companies, agencies, NGOs and youth groups to partner with U-Report to help provide migrants and refugees with answers to their question.
Is it possible to change the world? Can we still make the planet a better place for us all to live? U.N. special adviser Claudia Romo Edelman and Hub Culture executive editor Edie Lush -- hosts of the Global Goalscast -- believe the answer is a resounding 'yes,' and that everyone can play a part. Subscribe to the podcast here.
