Leading children’s charity ECPAT UK has launched this animated film aimed at tackling the growing issue of Vietnamese children being trafficked to the UK for cannabis cultivation (Anti-Slavery Day, 18th October 2017).
The Secret Gardeners, created by Ruth Beni of Animage Films and Oscar-nominated animator Erica Russell, aims to inform professionals about the plight of children who are forced by organized crime gangs to grow drugs in houses across the UK but who often face criminalization and prison.
The film, which is based on real-life experiences of children ECPAT UK has supported, also aims to educate members of the public who use cannabis about the ‘dirty’ supply chains of marijuana that may include child exploitation.
The Secret Gardeners will also be launched in Vietnam in partnership with the Pacific Links Foundation as part of an innovative education programme in schools to help prevent young people being trafficked.