Earlier this week, the Navjyoti Center team was welcomed to the prison by the district and the visiting officers from central prison management. On this occasion, one initiative, a beautician training program, was inaugurated. Prison authorities, advocates, journalists and Navjyoti staff were present for the occasion. Among the attendees were 11 inmates who enthusiastically enrolled in the basic level course. Upon completion of the three-month program, these individuals will emerge not only with newfound skills but also with a tangible symbol of their achievement — a certificate and testament to their determination to reshape their narratives. In conversations with the Sisters, the inmates have claimed that learning a skill or trade while incarcerated will help to change the existing discrimination against prisoners.

These early initiatives are just a glimpse of how Sisters at Navjyoti hope to serve the inmates and better their lives through prison ministry. The collaboration between the Navjyoti Center and the Surkhet district prison stands as a testament to the ability to transcend limitations. This is a transformation not just of individuals but of perceptions, of systems, and of societies. As the project unfolds, it beckons us all to recognize the potential for change that resides within us, to reconsider the labels we carry and the power we possess to rewrite our stories.