brothers CMM

‘PRISONERS ARE PEOPLE TOO’
On the 11th of June the official opening took place of
the 2010 FIFA WORLD CUP in South Africa. Prior to
that a Church initiative took off in Africa to draw
attention to the hiv/aids awareness campaign by
printing the text ‘Red cards for Aids’ on soccer balls. In
solidarity with this campaign and supported by Kenyan
authorities, 32 football competitions were organized
by Brother Linus Schoutsen in eight prisons. Brother
Linus works in Kenya on setting up projects to assist
prisoners rehabilitate when they return to society. For
a whole month they were training with the utmost
fervour. The teams were given names such as ‘Spain’,
‘The Netherlands’ and ‘Germany’. It was most
remarkable that on the morning of the 11th of July
‘Spain’ beat ‘The Netherlands’ in the final, exactly as it
happened that same evening in South Africa. Most of
the players were prisoners with life sentences who for
10 years or more had not been outside the prison
gates. Now they played on a real football field, with
real turf and real spectators. They were very
enthusiastic and thankful. When ‘Spain’ received the
‘Red Cards Aids World Cup Trophy’ the prison wardens
danced just as spontaneously as their ‘brother
prisoners’. Brother Linus Schoutsen: “This event is a
true turning point in Kenyan prison management.
Never before have such events been organized on such
Kenyan prisoners.
a large scale, not to mention the fact they took place
outside prison walls. Only in such a climate can
rehabilitation take place.” At the opening and closing
of the games the players were wearing T-Shirts with
the motto ‘Prisoners are people too’ at the front – the
catch phrase with which Linus Schoutsen performs his
mission of service among the prisoners. At the back it
read ‘Red Cards for Aids’.
GOLDEN JUBILARIAN HONORED
Mayor Severijns pins the royal decorations of the
Knighthood of Oranje-Nassau onto Brother Ad Hems.
During his holidays in The Netherlands, from his mission
in Indonesia, Brother Ad Hems celebrated his golden
jubilee – 50 years a religious brother. On the 5th of
September during the family celebration of his jubilee in
Middelbeers, Mayor Ruud Severijns, handed him the royal
distinction: Knight in the Order of Oranje-Nassau. The
recipient has been working in Indonesia since 1969. With
due pride he remembers the launching of his ‘Credit
Union’ in 1985 on the Indonesian Island Nias, and the
way in which he accompanied the project. Right now it
has grown into a financial co-operative with 21 offices,
enabling fifty thousand members to put their money into
savings, to lend and to invest money. This enterprise with
micro credits allowed for a speedy recovery immediately
after the devastating tsunami – Boxing Day 2004 – and
the earthquake, the day after Easter 2005. In that way
Brother Ad Hems was able to play an important role in
the fight against poverty and underdevelopment in
Indonesia.
9