•Female prisoners check their produce.

By MARTIN MUSUNKA

THE agricultural rehabilitation of Solwezi Central Prison inmates by Kansanshi Foundation Institute (KFI) is now paying dividends.

This venture by KFI, which implements corporate social responsibility (CSR) programmes for First Quantum Minerals’ Kansanshi Mining Plc in Solwezi and surrounding communities, makes Kansanshi Mining Plc the first mining company in Zambia to venture into the training of prisoners.

KFI commenced its prisons contribution with training programmes at its centre on Kansanshi Mine road, and extended the good-will onto the prison’s gardens with hands-on involvement of male and female inmates.

The mining company aims to complement Government efforts in the rehabilitation of prisoners, and KFI’s work makes Solwezi Central Prison the first corrective facility in Zambia to win training support from a body corporate.

When KFI arranged training sessions for the inmates, who learned basic principles of farming and graduated with life-changing skills at the institute, few imagined how the whole exercise would positively evolve.

KFI Coordinator Guy Hammond has said Kansanshi Mining Plc through KFI considers the uplifting of the prison through the provision of agricultural training of inmates as one of its priority areas.

KFI lecturer-trainer, Christopher Chenga, who took the inmates through some of the training sessions, has explained that the prisoners were taught concepts and principles in conservation farming, diversified crop rotation, crop stand, control of pests and diseases, among other modules.

KFI’s Davious Kutela has performed outstanding work with the prisoners, following the initial groundwork which was set by Mr Chenga.

PRODUCE

The prisoners who had individual 10×10 metres plots on which to plant maize, managed to collectively produce 111 x 50 kilogramme bags of maize for their consumption.

However, the overall yield has exceeded the 111 bags, considering that the prisoners had to consume some green maize from the fields during the Christmas period.

During a visit to Solwezi Central Prison by SOLWEZI TODAY, Kennedy Mbasela, who is the Gardener-in-Charge said the prison community was happy with the relationship that has emerged between the prison and Kansanshi Foundation because of the positive results of the community engagement programmes.

Mr Mbasela said apart from prisoners benefitting from agricultural skills, the prison service was also a beneficiary as the maize harvested which would go towards food provision for the prison.

“We are happy with the development that has now bound us together with Kansanshi Foundation because their initiative will go a long way in alleviating the difficulties of Solwezi Central Prison,” Mr Mbasela said.

Maxwell Lungu, the Prison Officer-in-Charge said the authorities welcomed the model of conservation farming by Kansanshi Foundation because it has changed the perception of farming among the inmates who have now embraced the new concept.

INITIATIVE

He said in appreciating the efforts KFI was making, Solwezi prison authorities feel highly motivated and have come up with the initiative of growing vegetables, other than the direct invention which came through conservation farming. The initiative has so far seen the prisoners grow Chinese cabbage, English giant rape and lettuce.

“We decided to come up with our own initiative, motivated by Kansanshi Foundation because we should also be seen to be doing something after being kick-started by an external partner,” Mr Lungu added.

The mandate of the prisons service was to rehabilitate prisoners and would welcome all activities that would contribute to the transformation of the prisoners’ lives.

Mr Lungu said KFI’s inroad into the prisons’ grounds was a blessing as they would be contributing to the empowerment of the incarcerated people.

“This whole concept of conservation farming which has been introduced here by Kansanshi Foundation is a welcome idea and I must say that it has come at the right time. The advantage is that, apart from the inmates learning various skills in agriculture, they will also be producing food for themselves and it will ease the burden on Government resources,” Mr Lungu said.

He thanked KFI for helping Solwezi Prisons authorities and the inmates, adding that he was hopeful that the skills to be learnt from the Kansanshi intervention would help the convicts to change their way of leading their lives by engaging in meaningful activities outside prison.

“We would like to thank Kansanshi for thinking positively by coming on board to help the prisons. I am so hopeful that most of the inmates who will learn skills while in prison will come up with better ways of living than going to commit other offences and be brought back in jail,” Mr Lungu said.Currently, KFI is teaching prisoners on how to make their own compost for use in their respective areas upon being released from prison as they will not need resources to buy inputs. – Feature Courtesy of SUMA SYSTEMS.