Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Maradi (Agenzia Fides) – In the prison and correctional facility in Maradi, Father Dondeynaz, of the Redemptorist Order, has spent years serving as a pioneer in prison ministry, especially with Christian inmates (mainly from Nigeria and Cameroon). When he first began his work, he limited himself only to visiting and offering religious instruction, but not long after, a team of 16 volunteers of the Christian group “Prisonniers Sans Frontières” was established, in association with Father Dondeynaz. The group has begun a center for counseling and has organized a series of encounters and discussions (on themes such as “Reponsibility,” “Love for work”...), with the aim of calming fears and uncertainties. Education is now the team’s main activity and has received large participation on the part of the inmates, who many times have never attended school.
A study done in February 2007 revealed alarming facts. Of the 375 in the prison, 80% are habitual offenders for the sole reason that in the prison they receive food and lodging. Faced with this disturbing situation, the organization has begun workshops on knitting, sewing, and basket-weaving, so that when the women are freed, they leave with skill in a certain trade. With this in mind, the women are given a series of benefits and permissions to go out in order to attend professional training courses.
For the men, one of the initiatives that the “Prisonniers Sans Frontières” offers is working a 2 hectares of land. 80% of the crops are used in feeding the inmates and the rest is sold. Through this activity, the inmates learn the importance of work and can look forward to a more hopeful future. (AM) (Agenzia Fides 30/07/2008)
