A Kumasi-based church has extended its annual worship conference beyond traditional boundaries, delivering substantial support to local prison facilities as part of its community outreach efforts.
The Pentecost International Worship Center in Asokwa presented items valued at GH₵80,000 to inmates at both Kumasi Central Prison and Kumasi Female Prison on Saturday. The donation formed a centerpiece of the church’s 20th annual Worship Conference, themed “Absolute Worship.”
Pastor Emmanuel Yirebi, who leads the congregation, explained that the gesture reflects the church’s mission to demonstrate faith through community service. The items provided included hot meals for over 1,700 inmates across both facilities, along with bottled water, soft beverages, toiletries, and sanitary products.
Medical support featured prominently in the outreach effort. Health screening services were provided for all inmates, while Elder Samuel Amo Tobbin, Chief Executive of Tobinco Group, contributed an additional GH₵20,000 worth of medical supplies to stock prison health facilities.
The donation ceremony included musical performances from inmate choirs at both prison facilities. The Echoes music group from Central Prison and the New Life group from the Female Prison joined with the church’s Rising Glory choir for worship sessions that drew participation from inmates and visitors alike.
Prison agricultural initiatives received targeted support through the donation of a hybrid water pumping machine. The equipment will serve irrigation needs at the Central Prison’s vegetable farming operation, located at South Suntreso Prison Barracks and managed by prison agricultural staff.
Deputy Director of Prisons James B. Mwinyelle, who serves as Ashanti Regional Prisons Commander and Officer-in-Charge of Kumasi Central Prison, accepted the donations on behalf of the Ghana Prisons Service. He emphasized the significance of such partnerships for inmate welfare and rehabilitation programs.
The prison commander noted that the donations support broader institutional goals under the “Think Prisons 360 Degrees” initiative, which encompasses inmate welfare, advocacy efforts, and agricultural mechanization programs designed to improve prison operations.
Pastor Yirebi described the outreach as an expression of practical worship that extends beyond church facilities to serve vulnerable populations. He emphasized that the donations carry both material value and symbolic importance for inmates who might otherwise feel forgotten by society.
The initiative supports the Director General of Prisons’ kitchen project, which aims to enhance inmate nutrition through vegetable farming, fish farming, and poultry operations. Prison officials indicated that such agricultural efforts help improve protein levels in standard inmate rations.
Senior prison officials including Assistant Director Courage Atsem and Chief Superintendent officers Samuel Dompreh, David Nyame, and Richard Bukari attended the ceremony alongside church leadership.
Source: newsghana.com.gh
