A spiritual and human clinic, the House of Mercy is where daily life, time and space are shared among young ex-prisoners who are hosted to receive training opportunities and support during their reintegration into society
The young people who live in the House welcome each guest as if they were receiving an extraordinary visit. In society no one considers them, so for them every visitor is a sign of esteem and consideration.
The House of Mercy was built in June 2016, as a place of welcome and rehabilitation for former prisoners. It all stemmed from the desire of the missionaries and the Diocese to help those who get out of prison to integrate into society, a desire which was supported from the beginning by a Mozambican entrepreneur who provided premises to be restored and expanded.
Outside the House there is a large section of land where agricultural activities are carried out to support the house. Professional laboratories, training rooms, rooms for the overnight stay of the young people and the operators were also built.
“It is a wonderful experience to spend some time at this house,” tells Fulgensio, 23. “We share everyday life with the other boys like a family”.
Fernando, 30, is an important figure in the House of Mercy and is still hardly understanding what has happened to him.
“When I lived in the Maputo prison I thought to be lost – he says – I used to smoke, drink, I had a hard life. Then I started attending the so-called “freedom workshop”. It was a very hard journey at the beginning. I had to leave my habits and my vices, I had a few falls but I finally got up. I left prison and I thank God for that experience that made me grow. Now I have chosen to continue my journey in the House of Mercy. I have been given responsibilities here at the Center, they have given me confidence. Living together with other young men is a positive experience, a new page of my life; with them I can share difficulties, smiles, our own paths. We are all on a journey towards our dreams.”
Freedom workshop
Overcrowding in prisons, unworthy conditions of detention, an inadequate judicial system. The situation of prisons in Mozambique is very critical. To tackle such a situation the Freedom Workshop has been promoted to restore dignity and give hope to prisoners. Each prisoner is offered a path of work on himself planned to facilitate the development of self-esteem, the desire for redemption, and trust in a different future – providing the chance to restart without falling back into the mistakes of the past.
Our Community collaborates with the central prison of Maputo, where in a shed in the heart of the detention facility, the dignity which seemed to be lost is recovered through work, training and friendship. What is produced by the young prisoners is then sold in bazaars and the proceeds are used to pay court costs and provide basic necessities during their stay in prison. But, actually, the Freedom Workshop is not only this.
Make your life a work of art
Expressing one’s artistic talent and creativity by creating unique and valuable objects, starting from recycled materials such as straw, tin and coconuts, is the reflection of the transformation of one’s life into a unique and precious work of art.
Luigi weaves straw to build baskets, Claudio works the coconut peel to make key rings and earrings. Then there are other young men who make rosaries, centerpieces, or even bags, always from recycled material.
“Nothing is thrown away here, everything is reused,” says Father Antonio Perretta, the missionary in charge of the project. The slogan on the central wall of the room clarifies the meaning of the project: “Liberdade è ignorar o mal, liberdade è escholher o bem”, which means: “Freedom is to ignore evil. Freedom is to choose the good”.
“Over 300 young people have chosen to attend the workshop,” explains Father Antonio, “and have shown it is possible to undertake a rehabilitation process to become new men, capable of building one’s own life. Every day they get involved by participating in training courses and workshops during which they make artistic products with different materials.
I think of many young people like Felix, who entered prison with alcohol problems. By attending our program, he stopped with his vice. During the 11 months of detention he no longer drank and learned how to work cans by making different objects.”
“Here, thanks to the workshop of freedom,” says Emanuel, “I feel freer, I am learning things I have never thought I could learn or do before.”
Alessandro adds, “I want to continue with these activities even outside prison and learn to live better in society. Before, I used to spend all the day thrown on the street together with others who took drugs or drank. I got to know the workshop and I understood that God loves me as I am, even with my mistakes.”
