The life of Pastor Glen Awong has taken a number of twists and turns over the past 30-odd years.

From promising amateur boxer to entrepreneur, convict, ordained minister, and now, founder and Chief Executive Officer of Transformed Life Ministry (TLM).

“I had a promising career as a young amateur boxer with Apollo Boxing Club,” says Awong. “I had 26 fights and was a member of our national amateur team. Then an unpleasant situation led to a seven-year prison sentence at the Carrera Prison, Carrera Island, for wounding with intent to do grievous bodily harm.”

On entering prison, Awong came face to face with the harsh reality of prison life.

“Despite the fact that I was spared most of the abject treatment I witnessed how inhumanely the other prisoners were treated. Their statuses were reduced to that of being less than human.”

Appalled by what he saw and driven by his spiritual belief that all men regardless of race, colour, creed or religious undertaking need to be treated with love and respect, Awong began to minister to his fellow inmates.

“I witnessed with my very eyes the utter dehumanisation of inmates. Most were treated with scant respect and courtesy while others endured both verbal and physical abuse at the hands of some of the officers.

He recalled one incident where an officer laughed and said to him, “And is we who put Jesus in jail and then crucify him? What do you expect from us?

“Thus, I initiated a programme that introduced the inmates to ‘moral and spiritual values’ as a means of coping with their emasculating conditions, as well as giving hope for rehabilitation.”

Awong’s programme consisted of Bible classes, counselling sessions and mentoring, but more importantly, he taught the lesson of sharing and looking out for each other - being your brother’s keeper.

“We had some hardened criminals in the mix and some scoffed at me from the onset, but gradually they began to come around. I believe the desire to be treated with love and respect eventually won out.”

Awong was able to gain the support and encouragement of prison Superintendent Joseph Timothy. He also got prison officials to accept some of his proposals as they realised the inmates he counselled were among the best behaved.

One such proposal was the conducting of baptism classes. This resulted in 150 inmates being baptised during Awong’s term in prison. He also ministered to some 1,500 prisoners.

In 1990, while still incarcerated, Awong pledged that when released he would continue the work he had started. His pledge gave birth to Transformed Life Ministry.

“I realise that even though there were those who genuinely wanted to lead a fulfilling life, they were stymied by the lack of societal support. Many were being ostracised or deserted by friends and families, and with virtually no place to go and no economic support, many ex-convicts soon revert to their delinquent behaviour.”

Upon his early release for good behaviour in 1994, Awong used his modest savings from a security business he had before imprisonment along with earnings from odd jobs to house the homeless and provide the basic necessities.

“On four occasions I was given dilapidated houses to use as rehabilitation centres. With sheer hard work, most times using salvaged resources, we were able to renovate these properties and run shelters for those in need.

“Sadly, on each occasion we were thrown out of the buildings because of social mistrust and the fear of ex-prisoners. However, I never became despondent because I always believed that God never lets you down, he provides.”

In early 2000, Transformed Life Ministry finally found a permanent home. The one-acre plot in Arouca was eventually procured legally from the Government, and with the help of ex-convicts, volunteers and friends, as well as the kindness of a few others, a rehabilitation centre was built.

“The first structure was a large galvanize and wooden shed that was divided into a church, dormitories for rehabilitees, a large kitchen area, a small library, living and dining rooms, as well as sleeping quarters for me and my wife.

“Back then our main focus was to provide baths, food, clothes, haircuts, counselling and employment placement. However, the passing of time revealed that the needs were more numerous than anticipated.

“We have helped by encouraging people from committing suicide, from committing crime, from joining gangs…

“Despite the work we are doing we are still being told that we need to upgrade our facilities in order to get government assistance.”

As part of the upgrade, TLM has constructed nine self-contained housing units. This was made possible through assistance from the Living Water Community and the housing programme for destitute and poor families facilitated by an international organisation called “Food for the Poor”.

Each unit will accommodate 20 persons who will be specially grouped. Those targetted are ex-prisoners, deportees, substance abusers, battered women, and the homeless.

“While our major focus is on the rehabilitation of ex-prisoners we also reach out to drug addicts, deportees and the homeless as they all form part of the socially disadvantaged.

“We will house ex-convicts and/or their families for at least six months or until they are rehabilitated into our society.”

Pastor Awong says that though TLM operates on Seventh Day Adventist principles, he does not force any of the “in-house guests” into religious conversion.

“This Ministry welcomes individuals despite their race, ethnicity, class or spiritual persuasion. All are welcomed - none will be refused.

“We live in a multi-ethnic, multi-religious society, and I believe that each man has his own way to reach the Supreme Maker.”

The services offered at TLM, which is now run by a board of directors, include transitional housing, professional counselling, life skills training, spiritual development, and HIV/AIDS education and counselling.

Pastor Awong never realised his dreams of being an Olympian and becoming a champion boxer, but he’s championing the far more worthy cause of curing some of the country’s social ills.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Transformed Life Ministry (TLM) is located at 120 Eastern Main Road, Arouca. The institution’s website is www.tlministry.com.