F

or Mathew James Norman, life is still beautiful and meaningful.

Norman could have been trapped in a nightmarish experience in Kerobokan prison, near Kuta in Bali, where he will spend the rest of his life together with hundreds of prisoners.

Norman was sentenced to life imprisonment when he was caught, with his friends, trafficking drugs; he is one of the group known as the Bali Nine. But, life must go on.

Norman started to think about what could he do to help others and, last March, he went to the prison's management with the idea of starting English courses at the prison, an idea which, he believed, would benefit many of the prisoners there.

Around 20 people took part in the beginners' level English course, including Tony Sucipto and Ronald.

"I am so happy that I can stand here today and speak to you in English. It is all because I joined the English class," said Tony in front of the audience. Thirty-seven-year-old Tony was sentenced to 10 years of imprisonment for murder.

Ronald, who was involved in a drugs case, said he was so proud to be participating in the English course, as it had been his dream long before he got involved in crime.

"I have wanted to learn English since I first came to Bali," explained Ronald, a native of East Nusa Tenggara province. Ronald hoped he could find a decent job once he was released from prison; he has only one more year left to serve.

"Next year, I will be free and I want to look for a job where I can use my certificate from the English course," he said.

Participants in the English course receive certificates, which are important for them to prove their skills in order to enter the world of employment once they are free.

For Norman, it was all part of his intention to help his Indonesian friends. "I'm just happy to see people learning the English language and I hope they will have a better life outside when they are free," Norman explained.

Norman, who used his own money to hold the classes, said he would continue supporting the English courses. Kerobokan prison hopes to hold an intermediate level English course soon.

Tetty Veronica Nainggolan, an English instructor, said she was very impressed.

"I have learnt so many things in the last four months while teaching English here," Tetty said.

At first, she thought that Kerobokan prison was going to be as scary as the prisons she had seen in the movies.

"However, I found a close relationship among the prisoners and high motivation to learn English," Tetty said.

Head of the prison Siswanto said the English course was part of the prison's learning and training program to equip the prisoners with various skills, which include mechanics, sewing, cooking classes and other activities.