Kenya: prison inmates showing compassion
Thhe BBC reported yesterday that in kenya, tens of thousands of prison inmates were planning to skip a meal today to raise money for compatriots affected by droughts.
This story is so moving. (Hat-tip to Carol who sent it to me.)
The piece quoted Simon Ole Sakrop, described as a death row inmate, as saying: "Prisons have changed and we can afford to give our brothers some of our food rations without getting affected." It also estimated that "up to 50,000 prisoners" had signed up to take part in the action, which was being coordinated by the Kenyan Red Cross Society.
The drought now blighting vast areas of north-east Kenya has been described by some people as "the Christmas famine." This Dec. 30 report from Reliefweb says the following:
- In Kenya, an estimated 2.5 million people are predicted to require emergency food aid (at 100% food ration) and other non-food interventions. The situation is particularly serious in Mandera, Wajir, Marsabit, Kajiado... and also in Garissa, and Moyale districts, but other districts will also require emergency relief operations.
Prisoners. Are. Part. Of. Society. Does it really have to be said any more clearly?
The tragic thing is that it used to be like this in American prisons - there were prison blood drives during WW2, for instance - but the policy of deliberately isolating prisoners from society has left many of them without any perceived connection to it.