I am from Madagascar and currently in the Tai Lam Centre for Women.
I was born and raised in a very underprivileged family in Madagascar. My parents had no stable jobs. We lived in a small village where my father had a small rice field. My mother was only 16 when I was born, and my father was 19. They were not yet ready to manage a family or support us adequately.
As the eldest of four children at the time, I still remember going from village to village alone to sell fruits that my father harvested from his farm. This meant I could only attend school in the mornings; in the afternoons, I had to help my parents.
Later, because of our difficult life, my parents separated. My three younger brothers and I went to live with our paternal grandmother. Neither parent was able to take care of us — we were lucky if we saw them once a year.
My grandmother had no job, but she had a strong faith in God and passed that on to us. She had only one small room where we cooked, ate, and slept. Often my brothers and I slept on the floor with only a thin blanket, as she had just one bed for herself.
When we moved in with her, I had to stop going to school to care for my brothers while she searched for work to feed us. I also tried to help by gathering mangoes from nearby trees to sell in town. Sometimes kind people would buy them, but sometimes shop owners chased me away because of my appearance. Whenever I made a sale, I gave the money to my grandmother. She always told me to be a good girl and to have faith in God.
Thanks to her, despite our struggles, she never failed to take us to church every Sunday — it was compulsory.
Carrying the Family on My Shoulders
Then, at the end of 2021, our beloved mother passed away, leaving behind two more young daughters from another relationship. This was the darkest moment of my life. Parents are parents — whether rich or poor — and even though she could not take care of us, we always needed her.
As the eldest, I was the only one who could take responsibility for my two younger sisters, as their father refused to take them. I could not ignore them, even though we had different fathers.
Since my arrest, these two innocent girls spend most of their time on the street looking for food, coming home only to sleep. I am no longer able to care for them, and this reality weighs heavily on me. I do not know what to do, but I trust that God knows what is best for them.
No matter how hard life was, I never gave up. My grandmother always told me to be a good girl and keep my faith in God. I believe that one day, an opportunity will come. My sincere wish is for my sisters and brothers to get a proper education and have a brighter future.
Like many young women in Madagascar, I tried to seek work abroad as a domestic helper. But this required a lot of money, so I borrowed from banks and from a friend to pay for my passport and agency fees.
Faced with a hard choice, I thought about all my struggles, the needs of my younger sisters and brothers, and the overwhelming pressure and anxiety I felt from the banks and people I owed money to — in the end, I agreed to travel to Hong Kong with the drugs.
By late 2022, I had secured a job overseas and thought my struggles would finally end. Unfortunately, my then-boyfriend sabotaged my plans — he did not want me to go, so he stole my passport and ran away with it.
This betrayal, on top of my heavy responsibilities and debts, pushed me to my lowest point. I even thought of ending my life. But thanks to God, I did not go through with it. I thought of my two innocent younger sisters and how their lives and future would be ruined if I were gone.
I was so depressed because I did not know where to turn. Meanwhile, my friend told me she had a friend who could send people to work abroad. She persuaded me to talk to her.
The Choice I Will Always Regret
My friend took me to her friend’s house, where I was told to go to Hong Kong and carry a bag containing drugs, and that I would be paid upon my return to Madagascar after the job was done. The amount of money offered was huge — more than I had ever seen in my life. It could pay all my debts immediately and still leave enough to support my family.
I was reluctant to do the job. However, my friend then told me that the money she had lent me actually belonged to her friend, and that if I refused the job, I must repay it immediately — but if I cooperated, she would cancel the debt. They assured me there would be no problems in Hong Kong because everything had been arranged, so I had nothing to worry about.
Faced with a hard choice, I thought about all my struggles, the needs of my younger sisters and brothers, and the overwhelming pressure and anxiety I felt from the banks and people I owed money to. In the end, I agreed to travel to Hong Kong with the drugs, thinking it would change my life.
I know it is already too late and there is little that can be done now, but I want to express my deepest regret for the circumstances that led to my decision to come to Hong Kong.
All I want to do now is share a message with people outside — especially vulnerable and poor women like myself around the world — who can easily be trapped into drug trafficking.
Those who offer large sums of money for a quick job do not care about your life or your future; they only care about their profit.
Here in custody, I see so many innocent, poor people who were caught in illegal drug trafficking simply because no one warned them about the dangers ahead. They were living in need, desperate for money, and traffickers took advantage of their situation, persuading them easily.
I want these people to see or hear my story and my warning. I strongly believe that if they have the chance to read this, they could make better choices.
My dear sisters, brothers, and friends — you may never read this, or perhaps you may not believe me, but it is better to tell you anyway. I fully understand the hardships you face at home, because I faced them too. But please, do not get involved in illegal drug trafficking. Be aware, be cautious, and say NO to the sweet words and quick money offered by drug dealers.
Trafficking illegal drugs does no good for anyone. It harms those who consume it, increases crime rates, endangers lives — including your own — and destroys families. Those who offer large sums of money for a quick job do not care about your life or your future; they only care about their profit. They are selfish, soulless, and shameless.
If you become involved in illegal drug activities like I did, you will ruin not only your own future but also hurt your family.
Note: This letter has been edited for grammar and readability. See the original letters images below.
