Inmates open up on experiences during Miss PNG’s visit

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A FEMALE nurse who is also an inmate was among 44 people who listened to inspiring stories from Miss PNG Lucy Maino and the Miss Pacific Islands Pageant Committee (MPIP) on Wednesday.
A statement by the MPIP PNG yesterday said Grace Api Pouru’s story was a story to tell, because all she did was to protect her beloved children and ended up behind bars like most of the other 44.
“Pouru’s heart-wrenching poetry she cited at our visit reflected her life away from her family, and living without the freedom to hold her loved ones – all because she tried to protect them.”
According to the statement, about 70 per cent of the women in jail were there because they murdered their partners after years of abuse.
Director of Family and Sexual Violence Division (FSVD) of Police Delilah Sandeka said PNG had nine FSVD units.
There has been a lot of gender-based violence issues, she said.
Sandeka urged women to seek her help if they needed support from the FSVD unit.
“We are here to encourage you to understand that whatever space you are in, you have dignity as women and as mothers,” she said.
Maino spoke of her experience as co-captain of the PNG soccer team and of the discipline one requires to face such challenges.
“We have our own stories to tell, we all come from different provinces and backgrounds,” she said.
“In life, we learn from our mistakes, we are corrected and the lesson is not to repeat the same mistake.
“We face challenges every day from the smallest to the biggest, whether physically, mentally, emotionally, psychologically or spiritually, but we are constantly challenged.” The group visited the women inmates with gifts and had the opportunity to tour the workshop where they were learning tailoring, handicraft making and baking.