Thirteen prison graduates get Christian life certificates

BABOKI KAYAWE
Staff Writer | Monday September 27, 2010 00:00

Among them were David Afrikaner, Teboho Maisa, David Tumagole and Michael Tshabalala. The pioneering group under the Prisons Fellowship coordinated by Happy Dintsi was praised for taking a step in the right direction, shaping inmates into responsible members of the society upon release. Dintsi said the Prisons Fellowship aims to instil positive change in inmates, which, he said, has to start within. He added that to attain this they started the project in 2007, aimed mainly at regenerating inmates' morality and reviving theirs spirits. Criminal offences affect the inner person and social relationships are ruined hence a need to rebuild them, he said.

'Criminal offences either infect or affect you. If you are not the perpetrator you are the victim. As a result, there should be reconciliation between the two parties,' Dintsi said. National Director of the Assembly Bible College, which administered the course, Reverend Phodiso Ntwaagae, explained that the program is designed for church evangelism and ministries whose material is prepared by the Global University in the USA.  'Global University is an Assemblies of God University which is recognised worldwide, therefore we offer excellent material that would benefit individual persons to grow spiritually and shape their character,' he said. The programme is divided into two levels, which are Christian Life and Christian Service. The former is designed for new converts and those who want to study the Bible but not confident in English. The level of English used is elementary. It has got 18 courses to complete.  'The material for this level has shown itself to be active in many churches which have enrolled their congregeants into the program. If one finishes this program successfully then he or she will be awarded with an EBS certificate, and consequently can be enrolled into the Christian Service (CS) level, which is the second level of our program,' he explained.

A certificate in the latter denotes a basic introduction to the knowledge and skill required for serving as lay workers in the church. Students can also earn adult continuing education transcript credits for Christian Service courses by enrolling with Global University through Assembly Bible College. 'More importantly, when one has completed this level he or she stands the chance to have his or her credits transferred to Global University to further a Diploma in Bible and Theology.

It's therefore our desire to see EBS program benefiting our society, everywhere in Botswana and beyond,' Ntwaagae added.  He further pleaded with the Department of Prisons to consider this program to have it used on the spiritual and moral development of the inmates.

He said the program would be of great help to shape the future of all who enroll in it.

Ntwaagae urged the relevant authorities to help them with resources to enable those willing to graduate to the second level.

Christian Service is of utmost importance and its graduates stand a chance to serve as spiritual and moral discipliners in any church and they can work in counselling centres.