Dr Bilisuma Dito wins WOTRO Impact and Innovation (WI&IG) grant

Dr Bilisuma Dito has received a grant of €50,000 from the NWO WOTRO Impact and Innovation grant scheme for the project  ‘Only Time will Tell: How the Well-being of Stay-behind Migrants’ Children Develops Over time.’

This project will study the multiple long-term effects of parental migration on stay-behind children’s well-being using unique longitudinal data on stay-behind children in Ghana spanning a 7-year period from 2011 until 2018. The project, which will run for 24 months, is a spin off of the previous WOTRO funded Transnational Child Raising Arrangements between Ghana and the Netherlands (TCRA) project (www.tcra.nl).

The project is motivated by existing studies on stay-behind children’s well-being which are to- date based on cross-sectional data and therefore cannot take the changing conditions of children over time into account. It is therefore crucial to be able to analyse well-being diachronically. Stay-behind children are often separated for a long time from their parents, especially when parents migrate to destinations with restrictive migration policies. The project innovates by conceptualising well-being as a process, incorporating changes over time and contexts. It contributes new knowledge to debates on migration and development and will provide insights for stakeholders that aim to improve the lives of migrants’ children in the Global South.

This project will result in five tangible outputs with various target groups in mind: 1) two open access publications in peer reviewed academic journals to disseminate empirical findings among academic scholars. 2) One fact sheet summarising the key findings of the research for stakeholders aiming to improve the lives of stay-behind children. 3) One policy brief to reach policy makers influencing the consequences of migration. 4) A Webinar with stakeholders  (UNICEF, International Organization for Migration, and policy makers,  e.g. Ministry of Women and Children’s Affairs in Ghana) to enhance research-practice linkages. 5) Training activities to contribute to capacity building aimed at migration researchers in the Global South.

Here is more information on the WOTRO Impact and Innovation grant scheme: WOTRO Impact and Innovation Grants (I&IG) | NWO