By Seyifunmi Adebote
‘Desperate Journeys’ details the adventure of an unadventurous Lovina, who in a bid to satisfy her ‘loving’ father and yield to economic pressures explored all options available to cross the borders of Nigeria with hopes for a greener pasture in Europe.
For Pius – Lovina’s father and his friend, (as with many parents), the aim was simply to have a child working in Europe and sending home, Euro. The movie profiles some of the unforeseen conditions that befall desperate sojourners. Lovina had a great share of it, she contracted the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), she grew to become a sex slave and a drug addict, later lost her psychological balance and emotional expression for Ronald, her brave boyfriend. The vulnerabilities could be more – death, like in the case of her friend – Precious.
The Danish Embassy sponsored movie, though plotted in Nigeria (with scenes in South Africa and Denmark), merges clean visuals, rich graphics effects, and pure audio quality to clearly portray and wittingly educate the public about horrible experiences of illegal migrants across Africa, as well as, the extreme and inhumane escapades of the human trafficking cartels.
Amidst so much drama, aroused emotions and stick-to-your-memory actions; the message remains unsubstituted. Desperate Journeys is keenly suspense-filled and could keep one at the edge of the seat for the entire 1 hour 50 minutes. With a veteran like Alex Usifo and a host of other talented acts, Anna Abok, unmistakably and will continuously impress on the mind and memory of viewers how silly it is to embark on such Desperate Journeys.
As a response to the Anti-human trafficking message preached through the movie – Desperate Journeys, the public is urged to join hands with relevant groups and agencies like the National Agency for the Prohibition of Traffic in Persons (NAPTIP) and Media Campaign Against Human Trafficking (MeCAHT) to end illegal migration and human trafficking. Embassies and Diplomatic communities should join forces to set the perceptions right for young desperate folks.
Furthermore, the roles of trauma centers and rehabilitation homes in reintegrating affected people back to the society should not be undermined, rather more supports and funding should be made available to boost efficiency. Equally important, corporations, security, and legal organizations should up their games to sustain economic growth, peace, and justice, to end human trafficking and illegal migrations.
