The Children’s Ministry of PIWC-Graceland in the Teshie-Nungua Area of The Church of Pentecost has donated assorted items worth GH¢5000.00 to the Senior Correctional Centre of the Ghana Prisons Service in Accra.
The items, which include foodstuffs, detergents, toiletries and an undisclosed amount, were presented during the ministry’s visit to the facility as part of this year’s National Children’s Ministry Week celebrations.
The Senior Correctional Centre, formerly known as the Borstal Institute for Juveniles, is a centre for rehabilitating persons under 18 years who have been convicted of criminal or civil offences.
Presenting the items, the District Leader of the Children’s Ministry, Mrs Sylvia Ohene Andoh, said that the objective for the visit was to remind the inmates that, irrespective of the circumstances in which they find themselves, they are still the future of the church of God and the nation.
“God is preparing you to take up that task. So, by extending the love of God to you through this donation, we are encouraging you not to lose hope, but to trust that God is preparing you for a better future,” she said.
Receiving the items on behalf of the inmates, the Assistant Director of Prisons, Mrs Millicent Owusu, expressed appreciation to the church for the kind gesture. She said that the donation would go a long way to complement the support they receive from the government.
She said: “The government alone cannot take up this task; we, therefore, depend a lot on the benevolence of corporate and religious bodies in Ghana as well as other individuals to support the facility.” Mrs Owusu appealed to the church to visit the inmates more often to teach and encourage them with the word of God.
The Senior Correctional Centre is currently the only institution in Ghana that caters for young offenders and juveniles. It trains them between a period of six months and two years in various vocations such as welding, vulcanising, tailoring, carpentry, draftsmanship, as well as auto electrical, mechanical and general electrical works. The inmates also receive formal tuition in ICT and moral education to facilitate their reintegration into society.
Mrs Andoh was accompanied on the visit by Mrs Mary Dankyi (Assistant District Children’s Ministry Leader), Allswell Anum (District Children’s Ministry Secretary), Deaconess Edith Ametepey, Deaconess Juliet Gyebi- Boateng, Deacon Emmanuel Baffoe, Joseph Dankyi and some children.
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