Prisoners skip meals for charity

FIFTEEN low-risk prisoners from Bomana, NCD, have been skipping meals for charity.
Their efforts were rewarded last Friday when they visited Port Moresby General Hospital to donate food, laundry soaps and toilet rolls to three children’s wards.
The prisoners were part of the Prison Ministry Group that carries out community-based activities in the prison and around the city.
Alloys Arebebe, a prisoner serving a year’s sentence and a ministry leader in prison, said they had to skip meals to save the cost of food to raise funds for the hospital visitation.
“This is the first of three visits that we will carry out this year.
“There will also be other visits conducted for the Cheshire Homes and the communities that need to hear our testimonies of hope in Christ,” Arebebe said.
“The prison ministry’s theme for this year is ‘Handicap helping the handicap’ which, I believe, makes a lot of sense.
“As prisoners, we are handicapped in so many ways but the work of the ministry has helped some of us come out of that spiritual captivity.
“We have raised more than K400 from the prison ministry and bought some of these goods for donation and we are looking forward to more activities to raise funds,” he added.
Arebebe said the efforts were for the spiritual well-being of prisoners and called on business houses and Christians to support the prison ministry in cash and kind to sustain the efforts and programme.
National Capital District Commission law and order, Village Court and land mediation manager Temu Eli said the Yumi Lukautim Mosbi and the youth desk of NCDC were working in conjunction with the prison ministry to instill what they called a “breakthrough initiative and behavioural change communication”.
“If we can target the prisoners while behind bars by allowing them to participate in community-based activities such as the prison ministry’s activities, then I believe we are taking the first step towards change.
“There will be a personal viability course that will be conducted in prison, which is a positive sign towards achieving what we have set for the prisoners.
“Many of these prisoners need that support to help them change their mindset on the road to recovery mentally, spiritually and physically,” Mr Temu said.