Journey – NGO

Qui sommes-nous

Journey is a Maldives-based non-governmental organization (NGO) that focuses on the use of drugs and HIV (human immunodeficiency virus). The organization was officially registered on November 29, 2005 with the Ministry of Home Affairs of the Republic of Maldives and functions within the premises of the Maldivian legal and regulatory system.

Journey is a unique organisation to make the people aware about the fact, that in the case of drug users "Recovery is Possible" and to change the social belief or social stigma ´Once an Addict always an Addict´.

Mission:
• The prevention of drug experimentation among young people.
• The prevention of HIV vulnerable behavior among young people.
• Raising public awareness on drug addiction, HIV and related issues.
• To assist substance users with the process of "recovery" and avoiding relapse.

Goals:
• Provision of supportive aftercare service for recovering drug users.
• Prevention of substance abuse and HIV.
• Intervention.
• Creating awareness of drugs, drug addiction, sexually transmitted disease (STD), HIV, and drug-related issues.
• Facilitating the provision of peer-to-peer support for young people to refrain from substance abuse and experimentation with drugs.
• Dissemination of information on infectious blood-borne diseases.
• Support for a "harm reduction" approach to substance use and STD-prevention.

Journey was established by recovering addicts who had gone through all the suffering and misery of ceasing drug use. In addition, the NGO is managed and run by recovering drug users. Journey believes its staff members are extremely helpful as they can feel and understand the experiences of their addicted brothers and sisters. This is the main reason why Journey took the initiative to help and assist others through their recoveries from drug dependency.

Campaigns
Journey has started three HIV and drug prevention campaigns to prevent youth from experimenting with drugs and engaging in risky activities which can lead to HIV.
• "Wake up" Campaign in collaboration with UNICEF.
• "I Control My Brain" campaign with support from UNODC, UNDP and local agencies. (UNDP´s HIV/AIDS programme supported Journey (NGO), to launch the "I Control My Brain" drug prevention campaign, which focused on using the media to educate and enable Maldivian youth to reject illicit drugs, prevent drug abuse and encourage current users to quit.)
• "Parental Guide-Successful Parenting" booklet for HIV and Drug prevention with support of UNODC.

Mohamed Shueb is the Chief Executive Officer of Journey NGO.

For other net participants we can offer an expert guidance through trained staff, give an expert opinion, procure expert information and establish new contacts in the field of our work.