Accra, June 14, GNA – The Management of Crime Check Foundation (CCF), an NGO, has presented two industrial sewing machines and an amount of GH¢ 2,600 to Mr Ohene Agyekum, an ex-convict to establish his sewing business.
In addition to the support was a donation of GH¢ 4,000 to enable Mr Agyekum to have decent accommodation for himself and purchase a mini container to start his sewing business.
Mr Ibrahim Oppong Kwarteng, the Executive Director of CCF, told the GNA that the support was offered under the Foundation’s Ex-Convict Reintegration Project ably supported by Christian Atsu, Black Star Midfielder.
The reintegration project is the second phase of the Petty Offenders Fund Project, a resource pool, used to pay court fines of individuals in jail for petty offences.
The Foundation seeks to reintegrate the ex-convicts into society by giving them skills training and some financial support to establish their trade, which would enable them to integrate properly.
He said the initiative had become necessary because of the huge gap between exiting the prison and finding work for ex-convicts and the massive stigmatization from society.
He said Mr Agyekum was released from prison two years ago and whiles in prison, he learned tailoring and got himself a job as a tailor in Koforidua and worked so hard to the admiration of his boss who gave him a place to stay.
He said his boss got to know he is an Ex-Convict three days ago and decided to sack him from the job and ejected him from his house.
Mr Kwarteng, who is also the Ambassador Extraordinaire of Ghana Prison, said “in a country where Ex-Convicts have all been labelled criminals and have been so much stigmatized is not the best.”
He said looking at the conditions, Mr Agyekum decided to end his life till he had a change of mind to talk to the Foundation for support.
Mr Agyekum expressed gratitude to the Management, donors, and partners of the Foundation for their support to better his living conditions.
GNA