The REFORMER
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2016 Issue No.3 Supporting Second Chances t was a sea of yellow on November 4 when with our very own Olympian, Raijeli Daveua. Naboro Maximum Center who were released to close to 400 people took to the streets in Suva Sevanaia Rayawa who is partially disable, went witness the effort of the FCS and members of the for this year’s Fiji Corrections Service’s Yellow against all odds to finish the 6.5km race from Al- community who have continuously worked to- IRibbon Walk in support of the successful reinte- bert Part to Ratu Sukuna Park, even though he gether to raise awareness for the successful re-in- gration of ex-offenders into the community. was last to reach the final destination. tegration of the ex-offenders. It was a record turnout since the annual event “I am firm believer in second chances because Mr Sayed-Khayium said giving people a second began in 2010 and the first YRP walk under the that is one of God’s principles. If God is able to chance would also benefit the country. leadership of Corrections Commissioner, Com- forgive us for our since then we should also find “This Government started the Yellow Ribbon mander Francis Kean. The YR Campaign was it in our heart to forgive the ex-offenders and to initiative and now under the FijiFirst initiative, launched in Fiji in 2008. give them a second chance at life,” Mr Rayawa this fundamentally stands from the fact that we The event attracted heads of Government in- said. believe that we need to be a caring nation, we cluding our line Minister and Attorney General “I had to wake up at 3am in order to get across need to nurture our people, because lots of these Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum; civil servants; members to Suva from Nausori because I want to show people who may have been to prison may have of the statutory bodies, business communities, my support for the YR campaign. We need to enormous skills, enormous intellect, enormous non-governmental organisations, media, nation- help with the rehabilitation of the ex-offenders potential to contribute in a very meaningful pro- al women’s rugby side and members of the gener- because they will return to us and be part of our ductive manner to the society. And if we give al public- young and old alike. community.” them the opportunity to do so, not only do they Captain of our Rio Olympics winning 7s rug- Also for the first time, the event saw the par- benefit gradually but also we benefit as a country,” by side Osea Kolinisau officially started the walk ticipation of some of the inmates incarcerated at he told the Fiji Sun. 1 The REFORMER A Seaman’s Eye Never Fails ..... CONTENTS P3 Padre’s Message Operation Sow-A-Seed “Why are you downcast, O P4 45 Graduate to my soul? Why so disturbed Save Lives within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, Reverend Josefa Tikonatabua my Savior and my God.” Psalm 45:5 P5 Commissioner's had never happened. key reminders. THE FULFILMENT OF Into this sense of cynical hopelessness, true Hope was HOPE born. But the tragedy of that first Christmas was that very few P6-7 Success Stories realized the hope that had been introduced. Hope for the for- We talk a lot about hope. giveness of sins. Hope for a bright future—forever. Hope for P8 We hope for a good weather on Christmas Day, we hope God’s presence and power in daily living. Hope that would Remembrance day that our Rugby Sevens Team will win the HSBC series and we enable us to forget the past and set our sights on stuff that hope that we get just what we want for Christmas. doesn’t disappoint. A hope that, because of Jesus, is a certainty But for many of us, hope lacks a sense of certainty. It is and not just another wish to be dashed on the rocks of reality. more like a wish—something that we want to happen but I love the honesty of the psalmist who said, “Why are you have no way of knowing that it ultimately will. So we keep our downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me?” We’ve fingers crossed and “hope” that everything will go the way we P9 all been there. But let’s not stop there. Keep reading! “Put your want it to. A Day for Wives hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God” The reality is that often life doesn’t turn out the way we (Psalm 45:5). Rejoice that Jesus came to give you something hoped it would. Hope is a fragile commodity. When life is better than the disappointments of life on planet earth. And disappointing, our optimism is replaced by feelings of dis- when by faith you embrace Him and all that He promised, couragement and hopelessness. Before long we run the risk of you can have a hope that is no longer a fingers-crossed wish becoming cynics who believe that there is nothing in which that you harbor in your heart, but rather a confident, coura- we can confidently hope. P10-11 geous optimism that is rooted in the certainty of His Word. This was the landscape of life when Jesus entered the Sports Update Pin your hopes on Jesus this Christmas—you won’t be dis- world. The prevailing mood of Israel was anything but hope. appointed! The once proud nation was now a puppet state of the pagan Roman Empire. The common person lived under the defeat- Consistency Merry Christmas & Happy New Year ing burden of the exaggerated requirements of the religious is the to the establishment. Centuries before, they had been promised a Fiji Corrections Service and Families. Key deliverer who would restore Israel to its former glory, but it Editor’s Note face their problems. careers in crime and be held up in an artificial Losalini In ensuring they are not neglected, a pilot pro- environment. Bolatagici gram aimed at reducing the number of young Instead, rehabilitation should be our goal when offenders from re-entering prison has been it comes to youths. Not only for the good of introduced under the Yellow Ribbon Program. young offenders but also for the good of the any young children in Fiji are im- Operation Sow A Seed hopes to nurture these community as we continue our work towards perilled by abuse, neglect, domes- first offenders to become better citizens by re- nation building. tic violence, and poverty. Without alising their mistakes with the help of mentors. It seems that our lone effort in seeking alterna- Meffective intervention and help, these children The positive response received after the launch tives to “locking up” those who have broken the suffer, struggle, and fall into despair and hope- of this strategy in November has been over- law is very encouraging. lessness. But some young teens cannot manage whelming. People have been coming forward Yes! We are trying new approaches and we are the emotional, social, and psychological chal- to offer their assistance. giving others a second chance to re-discover lenges of adolescence and eventually engage There was also a record turn-out at this year’s their worth. in destructive and violent behavior. For those annual YR walk, again, a positive indication May 2017 bring about more success to our reasons, some have eventually ended up in our that we are on the right path. As we target our rehabilitation effort !! Happy New Year to all corrections facilities because they simply fall on youths, particularly the first offenders, we actu- readers! the wrong side of the law, turning to crime to ally want to stop people from pursuing lifelong 2 2016 Issue No.3 Sowing A Seed in Society Commissioner of Corrections, Com- The program will allow volunteer men- mander Francis Kean said the Operation tors to commit to become role models, is a Voluntary Mentoring Program (VMP) a life supporting hand, a guiding light, a geared to assist in the rehabilitation efforts confidant, a friend and a sponsor. of our youths between the age group of 17 The program will rely on the volunteer to 25 years old who are currently incarcer- mentor to make this connection to the ated with the Fiji Correction Service (FCS) selected candidate, reconnection to his/ Institutions. her family, sponsor education training This VMP is specifically for first offend- programs that he/she could pursue whilst ers within this age category whom the FCS under FCS care or to pursue once they are Rehabilitation Unit believe and recommend discharged. deserve to be granted a lifeline for character Applications have been received from development. members of the public who are keen to A good majority of these youths have a his- become mentors. Meanwhile, FCS would tory of family disconnection which has led like to thank all the sponsors for making he Fiji Corrections Service has them to a life of crime. the YRP Walk/launch possible. Special launched a new rehabilitation Comdr Kean said a primary role in the thanks to Go Advertising, CJ Patel, Fiji strategy under its Yellow Ribbon VMP is to heal and restore this family con- Water, Fiji Sun and Lincoln Refrigeration TProgram. nection. Ltd. 3 The REFORMER 54 graduate to Save Lives “Welcome to the business of saving lives.” Those were the words of Commissioner of Corrections, Commander Francis Kean at the passing out parade in Naboro last month.