“Giving birth to a child is as easy as anything. But raising the child to be useful to the society is the paramount thing”, Meswok.
This is the concluding part of the exclusive interview WikkiTimes conducted with Comfort Ibrahim Meswok (Mrs), Principal, Young People’s Home, Jos.
WT: How satisfied or otherwise are the parents to what you do?
Principal: Ah! The parents are very much satisfied with what we do here. I can recall some parents calling to indicate their gratitudes. Some would even call to donate small amounts in appreciation to their children’s reformation. Let me tell you something – there was a parent that brought his stubborn child. On reaching here only, they turned and went back and the child changed…
WT: Without spending a day?
Principal: Without spending a day!
Without spending a day! The child just came and moved round the home. The child just changed. There are some that will bring their children here for just one day and they would go back and change.
WT: I guess that you might have had issues with a parent either due to maltreating his child or due to something else?
Principal: It has never happened. It has never happened. Even with the past Principals, it has never!
WT: What else do you offer the children apart from counselling?
Principal: There’s a teacher that teaches them general literacy. Some of them that come here stark illiterate, as a result of the lessons, they will start reading and writing.
WT: Do you also train them on any trade or skill?
Principal: Of course. They play football on Fridays. They also play table tennis on any odd hour.
WT: What about trades like tailoring, beads making and the likes?
Principal: Virtually, we have tailoring section, carpentry section, art work, soap making. But actually I would confess to you that they are no more functioning as before.
WT: The inmates, are they males only or they are both males and females?
Principal: They are both.
WT: Are they kept in the same room?
Principal: No. They males have their dormitory likewise the females.
WT: I learnt that in the 90s, the inmates were usually taken outside for some labour. Do you still do that?
Principal: They don’t go outside. They only go out to do our own sanitation round the home.
WT: Have you any experience of escape or break?
Principal: We have had. We have had it. A girl escaped through the fence. But we picked her pictures and shared them round the checkpoints and police outposts and she was later brought back. Also, there were two boys that escaped when they were taken outside for sanitation. But they were also brought back using the same method (mentioned above).
WT: How effective is the security of the home?
Principal: We have two wardens and two watchmen in the home.
WT: When was the home established?
Principal: It was established in 1981.
WT: So far, what are some challenges you encountered as the head of this home?
Principal: Well, in this home, when I came there was nothing like fine for first-aid…
WT: Fine?
Principal: Yes.
WT: Fine, as in from the parents?
Principal: No. From the government. Government is supposed to put in something for their (inmates) hospital. Also, there is supposed to be a vehicle for taking them to court, and for repatriating them after reforming them. But there’s nothing as such. At times, our food would got finished while we would be waiting for some months before they will supply it. These are my challenges.
WT: Have those challenges been met.
Principal: No.
WT: You mean they haven’t been met uptil now?
Principal: Yeah.
WT: Then how do you go about that?
Principal: At times, if they are sick, we inform the parents. In case of those whose parents are not found, I have to improvise. So I personally look for money and take them to the hospital before I write to our Head Office.
WT: Having stated your challenges, what would you say is your achievement thus far that you will not forget?
Principal: My achievement that I will never forget is about one girl that was brought here. She was so terrible. Many of my colleagues said she will never be changed. They doubted her being reformed. Whenever they said that I refuted them. I told them that God is able. The God we know is a God of possibility. So I normally told them that God can change any body. Anybody! I used to call the girl in my office and counsel her very well. Before I know it, she completely changed. Even though she overstayed. Instead of three months, she spent nine months here. What gives me joy was after re-uniting her with her parents. The parents called me after one week appreciating, asking for what magic, what miracle we performed on their daughter? Because they applied all sorts of methods on her but she refused to change. They also called me after a month, after one year, two years – they still testified that she remains a changed person. That gives me joy that I’ll never forget. So I really take joy and pride in that.
WT: Finally, as a mother yourself and as the Principal of this home, what would be your advice to the parents out there in order to prevent their children from finding themselves here as inmates?
Principal: Thank God for that question. I have been using myself here as a role model and as a preacher. Any parent that comes here to visit his ward, I normally seize that opportunity to sit him down and ask about his child’s bad behaviours from the genesis. From our conversation with the parent, I would discover where the parent’s lapses are made. I usually tell them – look, it’s not the issue of giving birth to a child that matters. But the training of the child is what matters (the most). Giving birth to a child is as easy as anything. But raising the child to be useful to the society is the paramount thing. I usually counsel them that they should do whatever it takes to groom their children well. They should try to meet their children’s needs and have time for the children. Because any responsible child is a pride on to his parents. Whereas, no parent would like to be associated with an irresponsible child. Furthermore, I tell parents that if you want to get good children, you yourselves must be role models. You need to behave well yourselves. Never to pretend. If you pretend, believe you me your children would be doing what you do in secret. Therefore, it pays to be sincere, faithful and live an exemplary life to your children. When you do that, you’ll certainly not regret it.
She concluded by appealing to the government to meet the requirements of the home. These requirements (as mentioned above), include the provision of vehicle(s) for taking the inmates to courts and for repatriating them after reformation; putting in some resources for their healthcare and sundry needs; ensuring the supply of food whenever necessary; and, bringing back to life the skill acquisition centre in the home (which is expected to make the inmates productive after leaving the home and will ensure enduring change in them).
Next, we shall look at the reasons that culminated to two of the inmates cruising in the prison.
