| Programmes |
WELFARE
AND ADVOCACY
RESETTLEMENT
FPWP / HIBISCUS JAMAICA
VOLUNTEERING
/BEFRIENDING
|
Education & prevention
campaigns |
GHANA
2007
Maame goes to London
NIGERIA
2006
Bola gets rich quick
JAMAICA
2005
Eva goes to foreign |
| Services |
WHAT
WE DO |
| Conferences |
8th October
2007
Conference:
How to Reduce Needless Prison Overcrowding -
Some Practical Solutions
more
|
| Media news |
25th October
2007
Stopping Ghana's Drug Trade
London based charity Hibiscus, which
looks after foreign nationals in British
prisons, has been to Ghana to educate
young people about the dangers of
becoming drug mules. Visit the BBC
website for a report by Guy Smith on
Hibiscuscampaign in Ghana
more>>
15th June 2006
Charity Awards
The winners of the Charity
Awards 2006 were announced at
a gala presentation dinner on 15
June. Hibiscus received the
overall award for excellence in
charity management...
more>>
19th January 2006
BBC Story follows a mother who
returns home to Jamaica after
serving her sentence in the UK.
more>>
3rd October 2005
Visit the BBC news website
where they are featuring a Drug
couriers story.
more >> |
| Resources |
READINGS
STATISTICS
FAQs
LINKS |
| Job opportunities |
| WORKING
WITH HIBISCUS |
| |
|
Eva
Goes to Foreign
An educational campaign launched in Jamaica during 2002. |
 |
The
campaign uses posters, comics, and beer mats to show the story
of Eva and her arrest and imprisonment in the UK, it is now an
integral part of the work in Jamaica. During 2004-5 over 60,000
primary and high school children attended a presentation about
the dangers of drug trafficking. We were able to persuade 15 ‘returnees’
to take part in the presentations and workshops, ensuring that
the true story of imprisonment, isolation and desperation was
communicated to those who are most at risk of becoming involved
in this trade.
Following the 1st conference recommendations in 2001, the number
of Jamaican couriers arrested fell from a high of 30-40 a day
to less that 5 per month. However we are concerned to note that
the number of Trinidadian and Nigerian couriers arrested has dramatically
increased.
In June 2005 we launched the animated film of EVA in Jamaica,
this 90 second animation was shown on all major TV stations and
contributed to re-enforce the education and information work being
undertaken by the Hibiscus Jamaica office. |
To order a copy
of the DVD please call +440207 2787116.
|
 |
The campaign (including
the film) was launched in Trinidad with a new voice-over and text
that has been changed to reflect the Trinidadian culture. |
Bola
Gets Rich Quick
Drug education campaign first launched in Nigeria in 2006 |
IMAGE
TO
COME |
The
campaign in Nigeria was first launched in November 2006. Hibiscus
returned to the country in the Autumn of 2007 to set new foundations
for the re-launch of the campaign that will take place in the Spring
of 2008.
The first successful launch in Nigeria
of Bola Gets Rich Quick educational anti-drug
trafficking campaign included posters and a short animation film.
Like Eva Goes to Foreign, the campaign is aimed at warning vulnerable
women who are targeted by drugs barons about the dangers of carrying
drugs for them. |
|
| Maame
Goes to London
Ghana, November 2007, FPWP/Hibiscus in partnership with
the British High Commission in Accra, launches the public information
campaign ‘Maame goes to London’
|
|
|
In
line with our belief that education is a most effective weapon against
drugs importation, FPWP/Hibiscus and the British High Commission
in Accra, launched a public information campaign in Ghana in November
2007. This campaign is targeted at women and children who, through
poverty and desperation, are lured into becoming drugs mules. The
posters and animation warn of the dangers and consequences of importing
drugs into the UK.
The storyline in the poster was drawn up by Ghanaian women in prison
in the UK, telling their story. Before setting off, these women
were ignorant of the real danger and the long prison sentences that
they faced when caught in the UK. They wished their story to be
told to prevent others from being drawn into carrying drugs, and
save them from the suffering of being separated for years from their
homes, their children and their families. Ms Heavens adds:
The consequences are terrible. The women leave their children
to fend for themselves, they can end up on the streets, turn to
prostitution and drugs. The guilt for these women is their real
sentence. |
 |
| |
Accra, Ghana November
2007, Ms Heavens talks to univerity student. |
|
|
Preparation
for the campaign involved establishing local partnerships and meeting
the community leaders, the market women, as well as media representatives,
who would all play their part in carrying the message of the campaign
forward into the community, the universities and the schools.
The launch of the campaign in Novemebr 2007 at the High Commission
was introduced by Gary Nicholls, Head of Press and Public Affairs
to the British High Commission. Olga Heaven, Director of Hibiscus,
gave an overview of the campaign and its aims. A number of addresses
from important community leaders followed, including contributions
from the National Chief Imam and the General Secretary of the Christian
Council. In a video message specifically recorded for the occasion
Michael Essien expressed his support for the campaign: |
Drug
trafficking destroys democracy, rule of law, good governance and
ruins people’s lives, ordinary people who are duped into drug
smuggling by the so called 'barons' on the promise of financial
gain. The barons do not tell you about the dangers of drug smuggling,
at best you will be caught and end up in prison for a long time,
at worst you will die, if drug pellets burst.
Government ministers also backed the campaign. The President of
the National House of Chiefs, the Government of Ghana Interior Minister,
and guest of honour Dr Kim Howells all reiterated the importance
of the message. |
|
Dr Howells emphasised the scale of the world-wide problem, stating
that a recent United Nations report valued the drugs business at
$300 billion dollars a year, with 200 million consumers around the
world.
The campaign has been very well received and has received maximum
media coverage in Ghana. Radio and Television stations, such as
Joy FM, Atlantis FM, TV Africa, TV3, continue to play the animation.
Ghanaian newspapers such as The Ghanaian Times, the Daily
Graphic, Accra Daily Mail, Ghana Review,
have all contributed to publicity that surrounds this campaign.
Guy Smith of the BBC, flew out to Ghana and produced in depth reports
for the BBC news which was shown on UK news at 6 o’clock and
10 o’clock.
This was considered very important as it reached Ghanaians living
in the UK who, on returning home for a visit, may be targeted by
the drugs barons and encouraged to carry drugs on their return back
to the UK.
It is vital that the message reaches the young. The Ministry of
Information & Education has incorporated it into their information
programme for the rural areas. The campaign will also be promoted
in schools and universities.
We intend to monitor the trends of women from Ghana being caught
for drugs importation in the UK for the next six months. So far
the signs are that the campaign is successful. Numbers of women
from Ghana being caught in UK airports has fallen dramatically.
We would like to thank all those who played their part in making
this campaign a success.
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
