Bernadette: a New Start at Home

Meet Bernadette, a Filipino lady with a piggery and a beneficiary of the Assisted Voluntary Return and Reintegration (AVRR) programme of IOM Cyprus.

In 2006, she left her little village in the Philippines to travel 9,000 kilometers to Cyprus. With many dreams in her suitcase, Bernadette tried her best to support her family from the little island of the Mediterranean.

Within these 15 years in Cyprus her life had pleasant moments: Bernadette’s two children graduated from university and started to dream about their future. When she was no longer able to find work and support her ill husband, she decided to go back home to be next to her loved ones.

Bernadette showed interest to return voluntarily to Baguio City and IOM Cyprus was there to support her, through the AVRR programme. Contacting IOM Cyprus and becoming a beneficiary of the programme materialised her wish to return back to her family and make a new beginning.