‘Make a difference from in here’
─Minister of Youth Affairs, Simona Broomes tells young inmates at Timehri Prison
DPI, Guyana, Sunday, May 11, 2019
Mother’s Day for many is that one day set aside to show love and appreciation for one’s mother, aunt, grandmother or another relative who played the role of mother.
Usually, on this day homes are abuzz with chatter, laughter and of course the sweet aroma of delectable delicacies being prepared in the kitchen. However, for the young inmates at the Timehri prison, Mother’s Day is not the same, with many serving time away from their families for offences they would have committed.
This Sunday though, the young men got a surprise they did not anticipate, when Minister within the Ministry of the Presidency, with responsibility for Youth Affairs, Simona Broomes, visited and spent most of her Mother’s Day with them, bringing greetings from, President David Granger, giving a listening ear, offering words of encouragement and even offering prayers on their behalf.
During her interaction with the young men who committed offences ranging from; breaking and enter, dangerous driving to marijuana possession. Minister Broomes told them she wanted to help them, but they would have to help her in return. Adding that “it is not where you are, but it’s where you end up”
Not one to shy away, Minister Broomes sternly told the young men “if you play with fire you will get burnt” … however, she advised them to prepare their minds for life outside of the prison walls. “There is a life out there and you have to be a part of it” she stated.
She emphasised that it was also their responsibility to encourage other youngsters to not make the same mistakes they did. “You must be out there helping other youngsters to not end up in here … I’m sounding the bell in your head” she declared.
Later as she spoke with the Department of Public Information (DPI), Minister Broomes noted that her portfolio represented youths all over Guyana, including those behind prison walls.
Among the issues that caught the Minister’s attention was a matter involving a young man who has been imprisoned for three years, for possession of 8grams of marijuana.
She said the government has already made headway with legislation to deal with possession of small amounts of marijuana and to introduce programmes for the development of the nation’s young people, especially those who require reformation.
Felecia Valenzuela
Image: Kawise Wishart