As
part of their annual events, the board and volunteers of Prison Fellowship The
Gambia, over the weekend, held its 6th Annual “Angel Tree” party for the
Greater Banjul Area families of prisoners, at the Relax Sahel Amusement Center
adjacent to Coco Ocean Resort and Spa.
In
order to ensure children or families of prisoners attend the party, as usual,
free buses were provided to collect the children of prisoners from different
locations to the venue of the event, where they were given launch and treated
to sumptuous food, followed by games of different sorts. The kids also received
gifts in the name of their parents that are in prison.
Speaking
at the party, the executive director of Prison Fellowship The Gambia, Dr Abee
Abraham, said the programme of Prison Fellowship International is being
operated in more than 128 countries around the world and Prison Fellowship The
Gambia is part of these countries.
He
said their role is to work with prisoners, ex-prisoners, their families whilst
working with government towards reforming the criminal justice system.
“We
believe that at the end of the day, justice is best if people are reformed and
taken back into society, and this has to do with families, victims of crimes
and even the victims, as we believe in holistic approaches to justice,” he
said.
He
said this is all done in line with the word of God to give a helping hand to
others and to be our ‘brother’s keeper’, which all boils down to the word and
mercy of God as preached by Jesus Christ.
He
said they would conduct another programme of such nature during the Christmas
festivities.
Dr
Abraham said the event brought together about three hundred children to partake
in the celebration and “there will be another party for prisoners’ families in
the Central River Region, Farafenni, and other parts of the country such as
Janjangbureh, next week.”
He
further delivered a message of wisdom encouraging families of prisoners not to
lose hope but to have faith in God, as they lead their lives, that the almighty
God is able to upkeep them and change things for them for the better. They
should only believe in him and cease not to pray to Him.
“We
celebrate this every Christmas and give kids gifts and games just to enjoy
themselves and have hope as they will get back their fathers, uncles, aunties
and mothers who are in prison,” he said.
According
to Dr Abraham, they conduct business forums to help the wives of prisoners
learn something that can help them to have jobs and sources of livelihood in
order to sustain themselves and their families.
This,
he noted, would go a long way in helping them keep their families intact from
being shattered and destroyed.
On
behalf of the Prison Fellowship of the Gambia, Dr Abraham also thanked various
institutions for supporting them in their endeavour, such as GTBank, Trust
Bank, GNPC, TK Motors, Africell, Bankers Association, Hope International Idea,
Affopiape Hope Country International and other organisations and individuals in
The Gambia and abroad.
