“It felt like a weight was being taken off of my shoulders”: findings from an intervention to support migrant adolescents and young people in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Abstract

In South Africa, many young people relocate from rural to urban areas for education, attending day schools while residing in rented accommodation. Migration exposes them to risk, including alcohol and drug abuse, sexual exploitation and violence. We developed and assessed a support system for young migrants, aged 14-24 in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Five trained peer navigators conducted needs assessments for 283 young internal migrants between June 2021 and October 2022. The intervention included mobile phone support and streamlined referrals through a call centre, connecting young migrants to a study social worker, local healthcare facilities, and peer assistance. To assess the intervention, we conducted repeat in-depth interviews with 20 participants and 5 interviews with peer navigators, in-person and by telephone. Most young migrants rented rooms in unsafe areas to be near their schools, which presented physical, psychological, and mental challenges during the transition from living with parents/carers. The young migrants valued the intervention, including access to sexually transmitted infection treatment, psychosocial support from the social worker, and assistance from peer navigators in tackling general challenges. They appreciated that the peers provided a confidential space to engage and share openly with little fear of being judged. Our findings show that protection for young migrants can be provided through supportive structures such as peer-led interventions.