This group has further identified the need for information and awareness to be introduced in a variety of familiar languages to African Communities, including: ‘Kiswahli’ (spoken in Eastern Africa: Kenya, Tanzania, Burundi, parts of DR Congo, Uganda, Rwanda & Mozambique); French (spoken in DR Congo, Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire, Rep. of Congo, Gabon; ‘Yoruba’ (a major Nigerian language) and ‘Igbo’ (pronounced Ebo) another major Nigerian language.
English is also used in the all the leaflets and a youth leaflet in English has been produced, for the many young people from African Communities are at a school here.
As part of the programme a series of drug awareness & prevention workshops with adults and separately with youth are being run over the coming months. The group has also established a network of relevant contacts with existing different local services in North Inner City and throughout Dublin.
A website will go online in the coming weeks as a key means of spreading information on drugs awareness and available services, among African communities, with links to organisations like those connected to North Inner City Drugs Task Force ( www.nicdtf.ie ), www.drugs.ie etc.
More About the Leaflets and Dissemination
The leaflets will be distributed through the African communities’ social networks including: residencies, centres, retail shops, support groups, social gatherings and places of worship.
The leaflets were devised through a number of workshops with adults & youth, They target initial straight-forward information of relevant drugs and are provided in a variety of languages reflecting the diversity of the communities
Contacts
Pastor Amos Ngugi 087 913 4326
Mel MacGiobúin
NICDTF Coordinator 087 687 1168
Further Background Information on Organisations & Initiative Involved
About ‘Acts of Compassion Ministries’
This group was established in 2003 in Ireland, to provide a series of supports, particularly to sub-Saharan Africans in Ireland including visits to hospitals, prisons, residential centres and homes and to provide help for people who are ill; who have problems with drugs; who are experiencing depression and isolation; who need to speak to someone in safety and in complete confidentiality.
About NICDTF Health Promotion Fund
Established from NICDTF 2001 Strategic Development Plan. This fund has, since 2002, supported over 10 initiatives, largely with a creative dimension including, booklets, posters, postcards, audio files, websites and harm reduction materials
NICDTF Health Promotion Fund’s primary aim is to facilitate the production of culturally relevant and sustainable resources and materials regarding problems related to drug use.
Objectives are: To encourage interagency responses to health promotion / harm reduction; To ensure that messages around health are as locally relevant and as widely accessible as possible and To make resources available to projects/groups to take planned initiatives that meet these objectives.
In 2008, it decided that applications should address identified issues related to new NICDTF strategy: Crack cocaine, Prescribed drugs; Rehabilitation tools for alcohol and cocaine; Innovative harm reduction measures (including educating the wider community); Accessibility of information on services available, especially to ethnic minority and marginalised communities. Over 40% of North Inner City population is foreign national.
About NICDTF
North Inner City Drugs Task Force is one of 14 Local Drugs Task Forces (National Drugs Strategy 2000-2008). NICDTF was established in 1998.
Operations are focused in Dublin’s North Inner City, supporting over 40 actions responding to consequences of concentrated problem drug use within local communities. NICDTF operates on a partnership based approach involving communities, non-government organisations, statutory services and publicly-elected representatives.
Source: National Documentation Centre on Drug Use, 16/08/2008
Safer Student Nights
eBulletin
Poll
