The Naitasiri Methodist Division has resolved to step its prison ministry and to take up the ground breaking Prison Adoption Programme. 

This was part of the resolutions of the Division after a presentation of the Yellow Ribbon Project Team on Thursday, May 07, 2009 at its four-day annual meeting in Lomaivuna. 

The YRP Team led by PPO Apimeleki Navuni and consisting of Prison chaplain Rev. Lekima and Mr Jo Nata.
The YRP team is making presentation at the annual meetings of Methodists Church divisions in the Suva and Nausori area which are being held around the coutnry in the month of May. The team was at the meetings of the Lami, Suvavou and Naitasiri divisions last week and will be making presentations to the Suva, Bau and Rewa divisions this week. 

Discussions are being held with the church’s Secretary of Social Services, Rev. Manasa Lasaro for the YRP Team to also make a presentation at the annual church conference in Rewa in August. 

Under the proposed PrisonAdoption Programme, the church divisions, the circuits or the individual churches to adopt prisons or a number of inmates within a prison as part of its family or congregation. This means, according to YRP co-ordinator PPO Isireli Dausiga, that when the division, or circuit or church is organising activities, its adopted members from prison are included in the planning. 

“The church division or circuit or church will be making regular visits to the family members, providing family support, counselling, and will also try to be a link between the inmates and their real families,” PPO Dausiga says. 

“As part of the programme the church will also be taking a close interest in the welfare of the family of the inmates, especially so if they have families and children.” 

The proposals have been put to other divisions who have made resolutions to take up the proposed programme to the annual conference of the church for a co-ordinated implementation to cover all the prisons throughout the country. 

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