Nsawam (E/R), Aug 29, GNA-Charity Is Love Foundation, a non-governmental organization, which supports and provides services to prisoners and ex-convicts, has donated GHC3, 000.00 towards a vegetable farming project at the Nsawam Medium Security Prison in the Eastern Region.
Madam Matilda Baffour-Awuah, Chief Executive Officer, Charity Is Love Foundation, presented the amount to Mr Samuel Owusu Amponsah, Officer-in-Charge of Nsawam Medium Security Prisons and also the Eastern Region Prisons Commander.
Madam Baffour-Awuah said the vegetable farming project could generate income to enable the prisoners have access to a seed capital to go into a farming venture.
« The Foundation is happy to support any income generation projects in Prisons and is particularly interested in promoting training and transfer of skills to prison inmates to prepare them for their successful rehabilitation and social reintegration after their release from prison”.
She said the vegetable farming would enable the participating prison inmates to learn at first hand, the opportunities and financial benefits of farming.
She was hopeful that released prison inmates, who had gained farming skills could come together as cooperative farmers to earn a decent living and successfully turn their back on anti-social behaviours.
Mr Mark Agbosu, Deputy Director of Prisons (retired) and a Board Member of the Foundation, said many members of the Foundation had backgrounds in criminal justice administration and therefore, realised an effective collaboration with criminal justice institutions as a way of pushing the Foundation’s agenda of improving Justice delivery services for prison inmates.
He stated that the Foundation was interested in providing opportunities for prison inmates’ re-training and rehabilitation and social integration, as such, the collaboration with Nsawam Prisons on the farming activities was just one of such examples.
Mr Owusu Amponsah expressed gratitude to the Foundation and noted that the kind gesture would go a long way to expand the farm and promised to get more prisoners involved.
