Ex-offenders rebuild lives by learning IT skills

When he was arrested for the fourth time for drugs in 2013, Mun (not his real name), 47, knew he would not see his three young children for a long time.

As he was being handcuffed in his home, he turned away from his children and told the officers to take him away quickly.

Recalling the incident to The New Paper yesterday, he said: "I couldn't bear the pain. I was about to cry, and I didn't want my children to see me that way."

To keep those like Mun from re-offending, technology company Acronis launched a programme with the Yellow Ribbon Fund in April to teach IT and life skills to ex-offenders to help them rebuild their lives.

The Acronis Foundation has pledged $1 million in cash and services over the next decade to the programme.

Yesterday, 15 ex-offenders at the Pertapis Halfway House, including Mun, graduated from the six-week programme.

Mun took part in the programme by Acronis in September, picking up skills in Microsoft Excel, Powerpoint and Word.

He said learning new IT skills will help keep him away from his past habits.

"Learning, gaining knowledge, is beautiful," he said.

"I want to carry on and focus on learning to stay away from drugs and bad peers."

Mun is set to leave the halfway house in February.

His wife, who did not want to be identified, said she is thankful for the programme.

She said: "The hardest thing was for the children to grow up without their father around. But now that he is coming back, I hope that he can get a better job with this training."

Mr Chan Win Hung, 32, a software developer from Acronis who teaches part of the programme, said he hopes the new skills will help his students.

He said: "They are not afraid to ask questions and are very willing to learn."

But he added that society has to learn to accept them.

Mun was caught for heroin use in 1993, and again in 1994 and 1996. When he married his wife in 1996 after his release from prison, Mun was determined to stay clean.

He started a family, and for 17 years stayed away from drugs. But in 2013, he met an old friend who asked him for help to get a job.

Mun said: "I pitied him and took him into my workplace. That was my big mistake."

When he saw his friend use heroin, he went back to his old ways.

He said: "My wife found out and asked me, 'don't you care for the children?' But it was too late."

He was sentenced to five years jail for his heroin use.

While in prison, Mun realised the most painful part was his inability to help his family.

Mun's daughter, now 14, wrote letters to him that broke his heart.

He said: "She told me that my presence as a father was needed at home, and that she wanted me back so much."