This second edition of IOM’s Promoting Safe Migration magazine covers learning on awareness-raising under the EU-IOM Joint Initiative. While the focus is on West and Central Africa and migration, the takeaways apply globally and across topics. The COVID-19 pandemic had devastating effects on people, communities, and economies, but at the same time opened doors to new adaptive mindsets: exploring the full potential of public, outdoor spaces; generating local solutions in response to closed international borders, allowing for further connection between migrants and communities; and acting fast for rapid prototyping, testing, and reiteration. IOM awareness-raising teams across the region mainstreamed COVID-19 messaging into community outreach actions, while IOM staff played an essential role in regional and national interagency taskforces, supporting other organisations and facilitating coordination on the ground.