Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC) is leading a campaign to resource Senior Correctional Centre (Borstal Institute) at Roman Ridge, Accra.
The aim for this project, Maame Afua Akoto noted, is to help complement government objective to provide care, protection, education and vocational skills to juveniles placed in the institutions with the view of assisting them to assume constructive and productive roles in society.
“I’m going to appeal to the First lady, all business men, corporate bodies, friends and loves one to help bring a change in the lives of these young boys” she stressed.
“I’m going to pull a lot of businessmen men here; I want us each to adopt one child and turn their lives to a better testimony tomorrow.”
She revealed this when she gave a treat to inmates of the Senior Correctional Centre as part of her birthday celebration on September 1, 2017.
The treat, according to the deputy MASLOC CEO, was to show love and care for the inmates of the only functional male juvenile reformatory centre in the country.
In what appeared to be a party mood, the young boys were full of smiles as they were fed with hot meals and cold drinks by the National Youth Organizer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Sammy Awuku, Dr. Gifty Oware-Aboagye, Deputy Executive Directors of National Service Scheme, Obobia Darko Opoku, celebrities like BB Bright, Gloria Sarfo, her mum and dad, siblings and friends.
Items donated included Bibles, toiletries, detergents, soft drinks, clothes, insecticides, and foodstuffs and also presented cash to authorities at the facility.
Maame Afua Akoto underscored the need to reach out to the poor and needy to give them a meaningful life and emphasized the need to support prison facilities as government’s funds remain inadequate.
She added that, in view of the dire lack of some basic needs in the institute, assistance from corporate organizations and individuals is required to improve and care for the children while they are being corrected.
ASP Kojo Nyarko, Officer in charge who received the items expressed appreciation to Maame Afua Akoto for bringing hope, joy and relief to the less privileged in society.
He said the Institute, since January 2006 had introduced a polished up and attachment programmes for inmates in the vocational sector through the support of some NGOs and banks.
“We offer vocational training in 15 different workshops, including information and communication technology,” he stated.
However, Mr. Nyarko noted that some of the workshops, which had been in existence for over 50 years needed total rehabilitation.
“Our shops are not properly equipped to train the inmates so I appeal to philanthropists and corporate bodies to adopt and equip any of our shops so that the inmates will be properly trained” he observed.
The Borstal Institute is a correctional facility for children under 18 years who commit one social vice or the other.
The facility serves as a receptacle for all committed male juvenile offenders from all over the country.
It was established on May 17, 1947 to save the young and careless boys from wasted life of crime. Its motto is ‘I shall rise again’.
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
Instagram
Google+
YouTube
LinkedIn
RSS