The management of the Dr. FRU’s Garden of Eden International Healing and Research Foundation has stretched out its philanthropic hand to the inmates of the Buea Central Prison with a consignment of a dozen of bags of rice worth several thousands of Francs CFA.
Dr. FRU’s Garden of Eden delegation led by its Founder and the Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Richard Fru handed the gifts to the prison officials in a brief ceremony at the Buea Central Prison yard on Saturday 18 July.
Even though the mobilisation of the prisoners was not done by the prison authorities on time as it usually obtains each time they receive an august guest, the inmates managed to organise themselves and chanted songs of praises to the Almighty God for their lives.
The beatings of their drums alongside the songs drew the attention of others who were in their wards and marked the start of the brief programme.
Welcoming the “Canda Stick” delegation, the Coordinator of Visits at the Central Prison, Chief Wardress Elizabeth Fon, simply in one statement appreciated the gesture of Dr. FRU’s Garden of Eden International Healing and Reseach Foundation.
Later in an interview with Eden, the Chief Wardress stated that the goodwill gesture of twelve bags of 50kg bags of rice would go a long way to nourish the nutrition of the inmates. She promised that the consignment would be rationed to the benefit of the well over 400 ‘tenants’ of the Buea Central Prison.
While introducing the Foundation to the inmates and the prison authorities present, Peter Ndang, a staff of the institute said the visit to the prison falls in line with the organisation’s policy of reaching out to the needy. He said their main objective is to encourage the prisoners, for, even though they are confined, they are still fellow brothers who need compassion.
Health And Moral Rearmament Talk
While at the central prison, the Founder and Chief Executive Office of Dr. FRU’s Garden of Eden international Healing and Research Foundation, Dr Richard Fru, delivered a brief health as well as a moral rearmament talk in which he sensitised the inmates on how they can prevent various diseases and noted that health is not only the physical ability but also a state of mind.
The traditional healer said health is not only about medicine but also about mental healing, reason why he called on the prisoners to be mentally alert. He advised them to come out of ignorance and negligence because it is the main cause of ill health.
“Practice good hygiene. Do not take advantage that you are in prison and neglect your hygienic habit”, he advised.
Dirty clothes, grown hairs, and other unhygienic behaviors were identified as some of the causes of skin diseases that are common in the prison.
Talking about social healing, Dr. Fru exhorted the prisoners who are the beneficiaries of his humanitarian gesture to abstain from devilish activities, reminding them the Biblical words that “the evil that men do leaves after them”.
This, the traditional healer encouraged the prison detainees to go closer to God through spiritual development.
“Try to pray for change because you are the people to build this nation. We are here today to demonstrate that God loves you so do not think God hates you”, said Dr. Fru.
The traditional doctor told the inmates to be happy for it is only God alone who knows why they are in prison.
While encouraging the inmates that all hopes are not yet lost, the donor urged them to use their stay in prison as a place for change, stating that the confinement is meant to correct their errors committed in one way or the other. After all, there are prison graduates who are today successful men, the traditional doctor told the prisoners.
Speaking to Eden after the donation, Dr. FRU’s Garden of Eden Managing Director said the gift is just a token and likened it to giving a person a fish that would feed him only for a day. To him, the educational message on holistic health would teach the prisoners how to fish and fend for their lives.
He added that the token is also for the inmates to know that they are not abandoned.
“It is our own gesture to show them that we have them at heart”, the traditional doctor opined.
His freewill gesture started some years back with visits to some underprivileged centres such as the HOTPEC orphanage, the Bulu Blind Centre amongst others.
Saturday’s donation was to be preceded by a similar exercise at the Buea Borstal Institute for Rehabilitation but has been postponed to September because the students are on vacation.
Meantime, the Representative of the inmates, Eric Chum appreciated heartily the gesture but like Oliver Twist wants more of such gestures.
Another inmate who has been at the Central Prison since 2004, Pastor Blaise Motase posited that the donation will to a certain extent help reduce the hunger crisis at the prison. He prayed that the visit should have an impact on the lives of the prisoners.
The donation ceremony was also marked by a question and answer session in which Dr. Fru answered some questions from the inmates. Some enquired on how they could reach to him when they are sick while others simply wanted to know how they can treat some diseases.
The traditional healer advised that any of them wishing to see him should address the situation with the prison administration that would permit him to treat them.