The Sunday News
Robin Muchetu, Senior Reporter
CHILDREN living with their jailed mothers in prison will get an Easter treat as a local organisation, Yields of Love Trust is planning to host a party for them as a way of cheering them up and ensure they also get a feel of being loved by the community.
The chairperson and co-founder of the organisation, Mr Stanford Gezi, said they saw it fit to assist the vulnerable children who are being forced by circumstances to live in jails.
“We are planning to give the children an Easter treat because they rarely get much done, we want to make the day memorable for them. They also do very little while in confinement so we want to go there and have fun with them,” he said, adding the visiting dates are still being finalised.
Mr Gezi said they will visit children at the female prison at Khami Prison complex and distribute an assortment of foodstuffs, toys and clothing. They will also prepare lunch for the children.
He said as an organisation they preach the gospel and they want to lead by example by showing love to the children who are in prison.
He said children are in the situation not because of their liking but as a result that their mothers committed crimes and do not have anyone to leave them with while they serve their time.
Mr Gezi said his organisation gives priority to the needs of infants aged between zero to three who are deemed to be most vulnerable.
Children living with their mothers in prison miss a family environment and reduced attention from the mother who has a double duty of performing prison chores and caring for their child.
According to experts, as such children grow up, they exhibit behaviours such as anger, aggression, anxiety, withdrawal, shame and hostility towards other people.
Mr Gezi said the long term goal of his organisation was to have children being taken to foster care so that they experience a home-like setting.
