VOA慢速英语2015 肯尼亚释囚寻求工作回馈社区

 

AS IT IS 2015-01-25 In Kenya, Former Prisoners Seek Work, Help Community 肯尼亚释囚寻求工作回馈社区

It is not easy to find a job in Kenya. It is even more difficult for those with a criminal past. But some former prisoners are working to prove there is life after crime. They want to show that they can lead productive¹ lives.

The former prisoners live in the Mathare neighborhood of Nairobi. They serve their neighbors by collecting trash and doing other work. As they do so, they are giving back to a community that receives few public services.

The service project was the idea of a group of prisoners, including Festus Indimuli. At the time, he was serving a six year jail sentence for a violent robbery.

The prisoners thought long and hard about the mistakes they had made as young men. They began to understand that they should act differently. So they formed a group and called it the Re4mists Organization Kwetu Crime Si Poa, or Crime is Not Good.

Festus Indimuli says it is important for former prisoners to stay busy.

“When you create all these jobs for these guys, nobody actually will think of crime again, because he has something in his pocket, and he has somewhere that he’s staying all the day from the morning to the evening. But you see when he doesn’t do anything, just sitting like this, he engages his mind to the crime also. So that’s how we intend to stop the crime in the area.”

The group was formed a year ago. It now has more than 200 members. They have earned a small amount of money through their work. The members hope to expand the kind of services they provide, including security.

They say many people in the community support the group’s goals. But others have yet to form an opinion of the former prisoners.

“We hope that from where they have been, they have reformed -- that is what we hope.”

Some former prisoners say their friends and families abandoned them when they went to prison. The organization serves as a kind of support group for those who feel they lost contact with society.

Moses Bayon is a Re4mist member. He says he is ready to lead a better life.

“Like myself, I was there for six years, I spent time there. And it was no good. So I understand I wasted most of my time there. I would have made something outside here, you see? But after that I learned something, and I knew crime is not good.”

Kenya often trains prisoners in such skills as plumbing², electrical work and carpentry. The chairs and other furniture in the country’s parliament were made in prison.

But even when the prisoners have job training, it is almost impossible for them to get a job. Festus Indimuli says that is because former prisoners must show documentation of their work.  

“They cannot use that certificate or that grade they got from prison, because when he goes to the company somewhere and show the grade, it is also being written there: ‘Kamiti Maximum Prison.’”

The Re4mists say they will keep trying to earn money by doing small jobs and helping³ the community. They want to prove that everyone deserves a second chance.  

Words in This Story

trash – n. things that are no longer useful or wanted and that have been thrown away

in his pocket – idiom. money

engages his mind – idiom. engaging or exciting and holding the attention or curiosity; arousing a feeling of interest

intend – v. to plan or want to do (something); to have (something) in your mind as a purpose or goal

abandon(ed) – v. to stop supporting or helping (someone or something)

plumbing – n. the work of a plumber⁴; the job of installing and repairing sinks, toilets and water pipes

carpentry – n. the skill or work of making or fixing wooden objects or wooden parts of buildings; the skill of a carpenter or the work done by a carpenter

furniture – n. chairs, tables or beds that are used to make a room ready for use

1 productive   

adj.能生产的，有生产价值的，多产的

参考例句：

• We had a productive meeting that solved some problems.我们开了一个富有成效的会议，解决了一些问题。
• Science and technology are part of the productive forces.科学技术是生产力。

2 plumbing   

n.水管装置；水暖工的工作；管道工程v.用铅锤测量（plumb的现在分词）；探究

参考例句：

• She spent her life plumbing the mysteries of the human psyche. 她毕生探索人类心灵的奥秘。
• They're going to have to put in new plumbing. 他们将需要安装新的水管。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

4 plumber   

n.(装修水管的)管子工

参考例句：

• Have you asked the plumber to come and look at the leaking pipe?你叫管道工来检查漏水的管子了吗？
• The plumber screwed up the tap by means of a spanner.管子工用板手把龙头旋紧。