Wednesday, January 29, 2014

Tim and Cleo took me to the Women's Correctional Institute, which houses 5,000 women from all of the Philippines.   Workers at WCI live in houses around it in a compound.    We were allowed into the WCI proper and I met the vice administrator.     She greatly appreciates the Inakay ministry because--in her words--"it treats the whole child".

From the website of inakay.org:
 Ina-Inakay Center, Inc. is a ministry for female prison inmates and their children. It is registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in the Philippines.
Inakay (pronounced “ee-na-kai"; "ee" like the vowels in "see" and "ai" as the diphthong in "Hawaiian") is a Filipino word containing the word “mother” ("ina," pronounced "eena"). Inakay is used here both as a noun and a verb. As a noun, it means “young birds/fledglings”; as a verb, it denotes “being directed.” To describe it simply, the mother and her young are “being directed.”

The women inmates are generally in because of drugs (dealing or being couriers--quick money) or working for an overseas company and possibly unaware of the company doing illegal business but the women got the 'rap'.    I met a gal who had been in for 15 years.   Thanks to her new relationship with God and church support she got an education and a job--she is now the social worker for Inakay!

Many of the inmates have work projects to try to earn money for soap, toothpaste, and to give to their children.   I got to meet and visit with two inmates:  Myra has been in for 10 and has another 10 to go, yet in her face was the joy of the LORD in her situation.  I committed to pray for her and her 6 children who now range from age 16 to 23--of course, her desire is that they be able to go to and complete college and live honest, productive lives.     I also committed to pray for Teresa, who has been in 15 years and possibly may get an early release depending upon a recent law that was passed.   She helps in the worship services on Sundays held in the WCI and also helps in women of faith.   She requested prayer for her 10 year old granddaughter, and her three children.

Of course there are 'issues' when the women are released:   where to go?  what to do?  so Inakay helps with job training and those issues, too.   Primarily, the focus is the children and helping them to visit their mothers at least once a month as well as providing school supplies, school clothes, and even scholarships to attend school.

I purchased some things the inmates had made to sell.   Cleo is always looking for new places to market their items:  back packs, woven wooden bead place mats and coasters, beautiful colored bead purses, Christmas tree ornaments, jewelry.     I thought Portlanders would be pleased at the items made right at the WCI--from recycled magazines and newspapers were some awesome bowls and platters; and purses made from plastic bags!!

Tim was in training for a half marathon fund raiser for Inakay--well, he's already run it since Saturday is already over in the Philippines. Here is a  post from 3 days ago:      Here's a short update on our 2014 Ina-Inakay Youth Scholarship Fun Run. FANTASTIC! The youth will be able to run with Tim this Saturday evening. With 3 days before the Run for Dreams, we are around 1/3 of the way to our $12,000 minimum Inakay 2014 budget ($1000 each month for the year).      You can always donate at any time and any amount.    It is well worth it to invest in the life of a child to provide them what they need in basic needs and an education to give them a productive life and make them productive for the world they live in.      We here in the States have so very much compared to so very  many of the Filipinos I met and saw.

The day felt warmer and I slept with the fan on this night.