COFAMIDE, the Committee for Families of Deceased and Disappeared Migrants, El Salvador, was founded and is led by family members of migrants who disappeared en route from El Salvador to the United States. Their mission is to provide psychosocial support and advocacy training to other families affected by El Salvador’s migration crisis, and to collectively advocate for recognition and aid from the Salvadoran government and the international community. Their membership includes 350 families, mostly headed by women, who have experienced the disappearance of a loved one and are bearing the psychological, social, and economic effects of this loss.

Last year, the group hosted a series of workshops where members received advocacy and legal training to learn about and to assert their rights, domestically and internationally, as relatives of disappeared persons. Additionally, they received training in coping with the emotional effects of the disappearance and gained psychosocial support from other members. The group’s leadership team, who are themselves survivors, also participated in these self-care workshops to sustain and strengthen the organization. The group initially projected that they would hold a total of 13 workshops; however, they exceeded this and were able to host 21 workshops.

In 2017-18, COFAMIDE plans to develop technical training for its member families focused on both the Universal Declaration on Human Rights and international treaties and laws regarding disappeared persons and their descendants to which El Salvador is a signatory. They will also continue to host workshops for member families on self-care and psychosocial assistance, including a focus on self-esteem and leadership development. Finally, members of the leadership team will accompany some member families in repatriating the remains of deceased family members who have been located and identified.