Sunyani: The Zion/Good News Youth Ministry of the Sunyani Central District of the Church of Pentecost has made a significant donation of food items and other consumables valued at over GHS22,000 to the Sunyani Central Prisons. The donated items include gallons of cooking oil, bags of sachet water, rice, gari, maize, soft drinks, toiletries, sanitary pads, soaps, and detergents, intended to support the welfare of the inmates.
According to Ghana News Agency, Pastor Stephen Dekyi Asante, the Head Pastor of the Sunyani Central District of the Church of Pentecost, highlighted during a brief ceremony in Sunyani that the ministry also contributed GHS15,000 to cover court-imposed fines, facilitating the release of four inmates. Pastor Asante voiced concern over the fact that approximately 80 percent of the inmates at the Central Prisons are youth, emphasizing the role of faith-based organizations in instilling moral discipline and the fear of God among young people.
Pastor Asante advised the youth to refrain from lawlessness and focus their energy on productive activities, while also cherishing and preserving peace for progressive development. He remarked that churches have a crucial role in embedding good values and principles in the youth as agents of transformation.
Reverend Gideon Ibrahim Ndebugri, the Chaplain at the Sunyani Central Prisons, expressed gratitude to the donors, acknowledging the ongoing challenges of feeding inmates. He stated that food items such as maize, rice, gari, and beans are vital for enhancing the nutritional value of the inmates' diet and appealed for continued support.
Elder Patrick Yeboah, the Youth Ministry Leader of the Sunyani Central Church of Pentecost, explained that the donation formed part of their week's celebration activities. The celebration, themed 'Unleashed to go and tell,' inspired the ministry to extend goodwill to the inmates, aiming to bring smiles to their faces.