Berbice prisons inmates enjoy Food for the Poor initiative

Jul 16, 2009 News

The concern for the welfare of inmates at the New Amsterdam Prisons after they would have completed their respective sentences has driven the administration of the Food for the Poor (FFP) to initiate a project where these inmates may acquire a career skill, even as they become self sufficient.
Food for the Poor is a non-governmental organization, headquartered in Miami Florida, with subsidiaries in many other countries, one of them being Guyana. The organization’s international’s priority is to help “the poorest of the poor.”
With its local head office situated in Festival City, North Ruimveldt, the orgsanisation has provided relief for those undergoing severe financial and other crisis. Consequently, the FFP has now extended its programme to the inmates of the New Amsterdam Prison in the form of a chicken farm.
Situated in the prison complex, the first phase of the project got underway in October 2007 at a cost of approximately $3.5M. Administrators are about to launch the second phase of the project.
The first phase entailed the construction of chicken pens and other infrastructural works, and feed and medicine purchases. During the first phase, five inmates identified by prison administrators were assigned to the management of the project.
The FFP administration has now entered into an agreement with prison officials for the birds to be sold to the prisons, at a greatly reduced cost, for consumption by inmates. Further, those inmates identified to manage the project would receive a percentage of the proceeds accrued from the sale of the birds. This money would be lodged in a special fund managed by prison officials, for the inmates after their tenure in the penal institution has elapsed.
Executive Director of FFP, Leon Davis, revealed that the idea to launch the project at the New Amsterdam Prisons was derived from a deep seated concern for the inmates after their release from prison. He said that the society is yet to appreciate that former prisoners have paid their dues to society and ought to be integrated without let or hindrance.
He admitted that inmates are subjected to unreasonable hardships after they would have left the confines of prison. It was with this in mind that the FFP decided to initiate the project.
Dubbing the first phase of the project a success, Davis said that his organisation recently started work on the second phase. He said that during the implementation of the first phase he discovered that there was a need for the construction of proper storing facilities since the area utilised for plucking activities was somewhat substandard.
Towards this end, FFP administrators have decided to pump a further $2.5 million into the project. According to Davis, this money would be used to construct a separate plucking facility as well as a modern storage bond for the feed.
Quizzed on the overall objective of the programme Davis said, “Food for the Poor does not believe that doling out handouts to the under privileged and needy, in a haphazard manner, is the answer to the eradication of the many vices.”
He added that an integral aspect of the rehabilitation drive undertaken by the FFP is to ensure that upon their reintroduction into society that the prisoners are equipped to make meaningful contributions while staying within the confines of the law.
“Doling out handouts to those in need is not necessarily the answer to the eradication of poverty. We believe in teaching people how to fish rather than giving them ten fishes,” Davis concluded.
Apart from the chicken project, the FFP is also deeply involved in several other projects countrywide. (Michael Benjamin)

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Berbice prisons inmates enjoy Food for the Poor initiative

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