“You Are Special”
Purchasing Clothing for the Boys from the Friperie
I spent the first week or so visiting Antalaha Prison daily, just taking in information. It soon became clear that if I were do engage in some humanitarian work, I couldn’t carry on alone as the situation was far worse than I had been prepared for. I requested that Hanitra and Lalao join me. The idea was approved and within a couple of days, the three of us were united and on a roll, with the fervor of suffragists fighting for justice.
We first arranged for the labeling and delivery of fifty mattresses that had been sent from Antananarivo to be distributed in the children's section. Saddened by the fact that mothers with small babies and teenagers in the women's section weren't given this gift, we requested funding for eighty-five more. We bought foam from Antalaha itself, hired a family-owned business to stitch the mattress covers, and arranged delivery to the prison. It was a whole lot cheaper than sourcing the mattresses from Antananarivo. Thus, we were able to ensure that no woman or child was relegated to sleeping directly on a cement slab that night or the next.
Family and friends and friends of friends started donating towards prison relief. We used some of these gifts for "small acts of kindness", such as purchasing sarongs for the women, a shorts/shirt set for the boys and handing out snacks on different occasions, knowing full well that new clothing would become worn, food would be gobbled up and kids would soon be hungry again. Many of these kids (and adults) looked lost and forgotten. We hoped that some tender-loving-care might remind them of their intrinsic worth,a Mr. Rogers kind of ministry.
