By FRANCIS RODNEY PULU
PROVIDING food items to prisoners is a noble career compared to any other career in life but many people do not love doing this job.
In this time and era, people hardly take up this career, let alone immediate relatives of prisoners visiting them not very often but once in a month or two.
However, there are some good people still passionate about doing this job, not for self-promotion but for the love of others.
Pastor David Kondo and Isaac Jipsy are two of such amazing people that have been undertaking this career secretly for almost 14 years until they were caught in between their normal routine by this paper.
Curiosity off course can drive one to further explore unknown or hidden things happening under the sky. As such, one of our reporters had an opportunity to find out more on what these men have been doing and put together this report.
On one Sunday Monday, I coincidently came across these gentlemen at Boroko area and this is how it happened.
As I was sitting in the small hut outside Boroko Police Station, I looked out to the car park and saw two people carrying food stuff making their way into the Boroko Police Station.
Out of curiosity I stood up, approached one of them named Isaac Jipsy and asked him of what they were doing.
In his response, he told me that they were carrying these food stuff for the prisoners or those who are locked up in the Boroko cell block.
As it is always a case for news reporters being hungry for news, I introduced myself that I was a reporter working for this paper and asked if it was possible for me to get a story.
Jipsy paused, smiled and agreed, but I was told to wait for another thirty minutes because they will be ministering the word of God in the cell before giving out the food stuff to the prisoners.
After the program, Jipsy came to me and asked if we could do the interview in his car while on their way to Bomana prison to drop off his core worker, Pastor David Kondo, who was also scheduled to visit the inmates there.
While on our way, Pastor Kondo said they were partners in the ministry known as Christ Lovers Prison Ministry.
He highlighted that they had been in this ministry for the last 14 years and they had never given their story out to the media but maybe it was now God’s timing for them to come out as it was not their intention to do so but it was I that approached and asked them to get this story.
Christ lovers Prison Ministry was established in 2008 by these two people and through this ministry they bring in food stuff to the prisoners in the police cells at Waigani, Gordons, Boroko and Bomana.
It is a ministry that is registered under the Investment Promotion Authority (IPA) in 2012.
Pastor Kondo was also able to highlight the insights and the ministerial experience they had gone through while working with the prisoners for the last 14 years.
He was also able to highlight the criminal trend from the past generation to now.
Kondo said from 2008 to 2015, crimes were committed through gun battles that saw criminals sustaining bullet wounds but from 2015 to now the criminal trend has changed where there are no longer gun battles but they (criminals) engaging in criminal activities such as pick pocketing, bag snatching and so on.
“So, the current trend of criminal activities in the country is no longer like before. This is because nowadays when criminals demand for things, you have to give in and you don’t, they will even stab or kill you for such a small thing,” he said.
Pastor Kondo added that through this ministry, they have witnessed God changing lives of many criminals.
“We also cross paths with notorious criminals like the late William Kapris and others.”
He said one of the rare moments they cherish was having the chance to talk to the criminals where they (criminals) had opportunity to express their thoughts and background of why they engage themselves in criminal activities.
“When we talk to these boys, they express their thoughts of why they become criminals. We have also come to realize that they are friendly but because of the life pressure, they tend to do these things to sustain their lives,” he said.
Pastor Kondo highlighted one of the realities is that most of these youths come out from settlements.
“If leaders and the government take responsibility in whatever position they can, then there will be less law and order problems in the country.
Things like evictions and so on create bitterness where these youths end up on the streets and commit crimes to earn living,” he said.
Pastor Kondo said one of the things that the Government can do is to also create proper settlements and put in infrastructures like water, electricity and let the settlers pay rent to live in.
“Government needs to settle the settlers because this is their land and they need to enjoy life. They need to settle well and also have access to the basic services in life,” he said.
Jipsy shared similar sediments and said that, one of the solutions to change the youths is to also change the environment they live in.
“The biggest thing that we have seen is because of the physical situation they are in. They don’t have formal employment and although some are grade 10 and 12 leavers. They are on the street so there is no job and then they resort to criminal activities to survive.
So, if we can create opportunities and an environment where they will stay in then the good things will come out,” Jipsy said.
He added that for the last 14 years they have been reaching out to the prisoners and they appreciate doing this.
“We don’t need to go far and wide to make a difference. We are in Port Moresby and just opposite you there is a fence. There is a small settlement.
There is a group of people just next door and all of us need to take ownership and at least we reach out to them because I know we have our own problems too but when we unselfishly help other people, then blessing can come through.
You may not know that sometimes that person you are helping will want to help you, he has a way to help you.”
“So, we can at least help our neighbors like the bible says to love your neighbor as you love yourself. And who is our neighbor. Our neighbor is anybody,” he said.
Jipsy further said that one of the initiatives that the two are thinking of is to set up a training or rehabilitation center.
“Through this training center, we will put basic skills training programs for those who will be identified. Some are grade 10 and grade 12 dropouts and if it means we identity them and come up with basic courses like to train them as security guards or chefs, we can do.
We will give them skills training to be taught by certified trainers so that they can go out and find jobs or we can help them find employment.”
