News

First ever Yellow Ribbon Walk in Lautoka hailed a success

October 12, 2019 11:20 am

More than 1,000 people joined the 2019 Yellow Ribbon Walk in Lautoka this morning.

The event which is an awareness program that is aimed at giving a second chance to ex-offenders has been hailed a success.

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Minister for Employment, Productivity and Industrial Relations, Parveen Kumar says the event is important as the program aims to educate the community to understand their roles and responsibilities particularly the acceptance of ex-offenders.

 

“When we treat ex-offenders as second class citizens and do not give them the opportunity to reform in order to redeem themselves, we create what is known as the second prison. To be accepted and loved is a natural human need – people will go and look for it in the wrong places if they are not accepted.”

Kumar says it’s important that communities create an environment of acceptance, a place that ex-offenders can feel a sense of care, love, and belonging.

Meanwhile, Kumar also stated that following the launch of the Yellow Ribbon Employment Expo last year, 10 inmates have been accepted by companies for full-time employment.