Sonia, Raúl, Georgina and Jesus do not know each other, they are not the same age nor have similar responsibilities, but they share the dream that led them to migrate to Italy some years ago.

Today, they have returned to El Salvador to restart their interrupted lives thanks to the Assisted Voluntary Return Programme, (P.A.R.T.I.R. III, by its Spanish acronym) funded by the Italian government and the European Union and carried out by IOM offices in Rome and San Salvador.

In possession of a tourist visa, the four Salvadorans migrated to Italy for different reasons, but with the same idea: find a job in the European country and send remittances to help their families back home.

"I left four years ago because I wanted to help my mom who was sick. While I was there I realized that she needed to return to El Salvador, so I stayed behind working to continue helping the family," explains Georgina, a 22 year old beneficiary P.A.R.T.I.R. III.

Georgina, like other Salvadorans who have benefited from this IOM-managed programme, experienced difficult times.

Sonia had trouble finding a job to continue helping her family.

"I was unemployed and alone there, while my little girl was in El Salvador. I needed to return home, but I wasn’t able to prepare my trip back from Milan," says Sonia.

Thanks to P.A.R.T.I.R. III, the four managed to return to El Salvador, where their relatives were waiting anxiously, but also with some trepidation thinking of their economic future without the financial support the remittances contributed to their households.

P.A.RT.I.R. III, launched in July 2011 and ending on 30 June 2012, provides assisted voluntary return and reintegration schemes to vulnerable migrants living in Italy.

"The main objective is to facilitate the return of migrants and to provide a viable reintegration in their country of origin. They receive support to return, but most important to set up businesses in order to ensure financial support for the family," says Cecilia Ramírez, Coordinator of the IOM programme in El Salvador.

"With this help I will be able to move forward. The truth is that it has been very useful. You come back thinking you won’t be able to find a job, but the opportunity to start your own business is a good thing," explains Raúl Navarrete, another beneficiary who has set up a welding shop and also assists in automobile repairs.

For Georgina, the amount provided by the programme allowed her to start a small clothing business and to become a partner in the grocery retail store owned by her grandparents. "I was lucky that in this area there are many pregnant women, so I sold a lot of clothes and other stuff to them," adds the smiling young businesswoman.

Jesus managed to address some health issues and is now continuing his studies so he can explore better opportunities to fulfill his goal of helping his family without having to travel abroad.

With a shy smile, but encouraged by the cheerful support of her sisters, Sonia says she set up a pupusa business; a local dish consisting of prepared corn flour stuffed with either cheese, beans, or ground pork, or all three together. Thanks to this business, she manages to support her daughter, and to see her grow up in their country of origin.

For more information, please contact: Yulissa Guevara, at IOM El Salvador; Tel: +503-2521-0500 Ext. 27; Email: pressiomsansalvador@iom.int