Founder’s Letter - Spring 2026 - My Sister’s Keeper
Hey Babes!
I hope you are well and settling into the longer days and hotter nights.
It feels like every time I sit down to write this letter, we are facing new challenges, tribulations and tests as a society and community. Belfast riots, union jacks galore, rise of the far right, ANOTHER prime minister. I wonder if this will change at all. I wonder if it is a constant reality. If I need to shift into a level of radical acceptance that is accompanied by a commitment to change. The acceptance couldn’t be passive. It would sit as a compass towards a better world. It's hard to change what we can’t name, right?
So I want to name things.
(Content Warning: mention of incarceration)
Joy during our Blood Drive.
My Sister’s Keeper
On a Tuesday morning this spring, I got a call from an unsaved number. I heard an unfamiliar voice, a hello, a question to confirm my name. Then words that haunted my heart and spirit in ways hard to explain. One of our babes, a member of our team and a personal friend, was in remand, accused of taking action against a company making parts for Israeli weapons.
Questions, more questions and difficult answers. Are they okay? Do they need anything? How long will they be there? Despite guidelines stating that remand should last no more than 6 months, she could be there until July 2027.
Can we see her? How can we reach out to her? Clarification of emails, online texts and visitation protocols. There was a process of turning this information into accessible steps for the community to support her. Once this was pulled together and the initial message was sent to the group, what followed next moved me.
Numerous messages, emails, offers of support, queries about visits, and brainstorming about what we can do as a collective. There was an outpouring of love, kindness and solidarity that reminded me that we are not alone. That we are our sister’s keeper.
On my first visit to see her, once the noise of the locks and doors settled, I caught a glimpse of her at the furthest seat in the corner of the room. A bittersweet reunion. Long hugs, big screams and being reminded by security that we needed to sit down. We yapped, we chatted, we laughed, tears welled even though she said she was fine.
“I feel more free in here than I did out there”
We spoke of the babes and what we had been up to. She spoke about the lack of care and support within prison, especially for those who are racially minoritised, neurodivergent or mentally unwell. Despite being on remand, she was still fighting for the rights of those around her being denied medication, appropriate sleeping arrangements and heat management tools.
She spoke about changemaking and the fact that we need to be rested to resist. She recommended the book ‘Radical Rest’ and reminded me that everyone has a part to play in resisting oppressive systems. Some may march, some write, some repost on socials while some may fundraise. Some may visit friends who are political prisoners.
What she impressed upon me is the collective power and responsibility to make the world we want for ourselves.
No one is coming to save us, so we must save ourselves. No shifts in history came through the good will of the oppressors. It was a reminder that we must hold ourselves or risk falling through the cracks of a broken system.
Our babe Joy is still awaiting a trial date while appealing being held on remand. When I think of all the criminals I personally know walking the street despite their violence against women and girls, it cuts that bit deeper. A reminder that not all ‘crimes’ are equal.
This world often feels unfair. While we may not all agree on politics and world affairs, there is a shared humanity and responsibility to create our reality. It need not sit on the shoulders of a few; the load would be much lighter shared. So wherever you are and with whatever you have, I hope you can find ways to be your sister’s keeper.
I wish you well until we speak again.
Lots of love
Vivienne x
Support Jamaica - https://www.gofundme.com/f/CaribbeanHurricaneFund
Support Haiti - https://give.hopeforhaiti.com/campaign/739906/donate?c_src=hurricane-melissa
Free Haiti - https://hopeforhaiti.com/
Free Congo - Tiktok & link to the petition
Free Palestine
- https://palestinecampaign.org/
- https://bdsmovement.net/Guide-to-BDS-Boycott
Free Sudan - Thread of ways to support
Suggestions of ways to support numerous causes, including Hawaii, Lebanon & Yemen
About Vivienne
Vivienne Isebor is a Creative Social Entrepreneur & Womanist, blending community activism, advocacy, psychology, and the arts to drive social change. She is the founder of ADHD Babes, the UK’s only community organisation dedicated to supporting Black women and non-binary people with ADHD, and a qualified Clinical Associate in Psychology from UCL. Beyond her advocacy and psychological work, Vivienne is a combined performing artist, incorporating storytelling, music, poetry, spoken word, and performance to create immersive, community-driven experiences.