Pastor Steve returns to San Sebastian Women's jail

Returning to keep a promise
By Steve Simala Grant

During the visit by the Laurier Heights advance team to the San Sebastian women’s prison on Jan 19, we made a simple commitment. “Yes, we can provide five new shower heads.” (In South America, the shower head is an electrical appliance, which uses electricity to heat the water as it passes through it. Without a functioning “widow maker”, as they are affectionately known, there is no warm water in which to shower).
Note the electrical wires connected to the shower head.
So to me, the only question was when we would have opportunity to pick up the materials and deliver them back to the prison. (For details on our visit to the prison, see a story by Dan Johns published earlier in this blog “Children need to escape jail lifestyle”.)

The response of the inmates quickly revealed that for them, the question was not “when” we would return, but “if”. It seems that many who tour through the prison make similar commitments, but never follow through, so our return with five shower heads a few days later came as a surprise.

“Gracias!! MUCHO gracias!!! Doblé!! Triplé!!!” was the response from one inmate, a member of the inmate council who had given birth since our visit four days earlier. The faces of these women were full of joyous gratitude, which also included Spanish expressions of thanks to God (at least, as best as I could understand!).

The gift doubled the number of workings showers. Now the approximately 250 people who live in the prison will have 10 showers instead of five. Because the showers are also used by the children who attend Casa de La Amistad, the gift was in keeping with our goal of supporting children’s program. As it turned out, the gift may help us achieve our goals in ways we did not expect.

What was intended to be a brief delivery of some materials quickly turned into a meeting in the office of the warden of the prison, where a lively, positive, and significant discussion ensued between Irene Quisbert Coronel (Director of the San Sebastian prison), Ivan Guittierez (CBM field staff, Bolivia), Carla Botani (interim Director of La Casa de la Amistad), the inmate council, and me, the pastor of a church in Canada who is partnering with the Casa in ministry to the children of the prison.The discussion was too important to interrupt with “real-time” translation into English, but the body language I read was positive, intense, and forward-looking. Guittierez and Botani later reported that discussion included other ways the ministries can support children, including kids who are soon graduating and hoping to attend university (a need which has been recognized, and which the Casa is already considering). The meeting was extremely positive, and significantly strengthened and reinforced an already strong relationship between the prison, the Casa, and Canadian Baptists.

At our farewell dinner that evening, Botani hand-delivered an official letter from the Warden, which reads:

Cochabamba, 23 de Enero de 2007

Senor
CBM, Laurier Heights Church

Presente.-

Distinguido Senor:
Por intermedio de la present hago extensiva mis agradecimientos a nombre de las senoras internas del Penal “San Sebastian” Mujeres y mio propio por su aporte valioso de dotarnos los cinco duchas (Lorenzzety), que nos es de mucha utilidad para el aseo de las senoras internas y ninos.
Con este motivo saludo a usted con las consideraciones mas distinguidas.

Irene Quisbert Coronel
Directora Centro Penitenciario Femenino “San Sebastian”

TRANSLATION:

Distinguished Sirs:

I would like to express my deepest gratitude on behalf of the ladies from the "San Sebastian" women’s penitentiary. The women and myself, would like to thank you for the donation of five showers heads that are very much a necessity for the women and children.

With this I thank you with distinguished thanks and considerations.

Irene Quisbert Coronel
Director of the central women’s penitentiary, San Sebastian.