PAPUA NEW GUINEA – Education as a tool to fight poverty and criminality

Education as a tool to break the circle of poverty and criminality.

In order to break that circle, it is important for prisoners not to be excluded, but to receive help. It is important that they learn to see their own capabilities and thus discover that having power over others is not necessary to be “somebody”. That they learn how to make positive choices and learn how to offer a warmer home to their children than the one they received themselves.

Also for them, personal development training can make a better life possible.

Paulus Maria Marfurt and her colleague educators counsel prisoners in their reintegration into society. The prisoners are often people who, due to poverty and lack of self-esteem, got addicted to drugs, which forced them into criminality. With personal development courses and individual coaching, they support them to once again take their place in society, thus leading a fulfilling and positive life.

Experiences

We live and work with people who speak Pidgin or Simplified English. Many among them are addicted to drugs. They all went to school for a short period but soon they came in contact with marijuana, which is easily cultivated in Papua New Guinea. It is internationally known as the “gold of PNG”. They smoke, try to deal or exchange it for guns. They start drinking and get involved in raids. What else can they do? For them it seems as if there is no work and no future. Being addicted to drugs they are expelled from their community. Their lives seem meaningless. We try to find these people and give them PRH training.

At present, 40 of them have changed their lives completely. They are engaged as volunteers. They are reintegrated into their communities and they all speak of how PRH has helped them change their lives.

They have found a new life, thanks to PRH, as well as self-esteem and happiness. We try to accompany them in their lives. Of course, some of them start smoking and drinking again, but they keep coming back and learn how to get back on their feet. They do not lose hope anymore.

Six courses have been translated into Pidgin and most of the other ones into English. We really appreciate your donations that help us in translating the material – we would like to express our gratitude.