Oluno prison centre goes the whole hog

ONDANGWA – The Oluno Rehabilitation Centre near Ondangwa in the Oshana Region wants to produce enough food for its inmates and other prisons.

When Safety and Security Minister Peter Tsheehama visited the institution recently, its Senior Superintendent, Ben Buchane, said he hoped to boost the centre’s farming activities, but needed money to do so. Buchane said the centre had started breeding pigs, and had 318 pigs in its agricultural section.Another 150 pigs were slaughtered for the consumption of inmates at the Oluno centre, as well as at the Divundu and Elizabeth Nepemba Centres in the Kavango Region in March.He said the centre had donated 200 pigs to the Tsumeb-Oshikango Railway Project last year.”We wish to provide pork to all 13 prisons, but it is impossible because of the veterinary Red Line,” Buchane told the minister.He said inmates at the centre were also involved in growing vegetables on a small scale, while nine inmates were being trained to acquire skills in gardening.Further, plans were underway to set up a nursery at the centre, once funds were made available.The Oluno Rehabilitation Centre also has a bakery, a workshop where inmates do car repairs and spray-painting, as well as needlework and basket-weaving projects for female inmates.Tsheehama responded that his ministry had limited resources at its disposal and needed to use the available funds for more urgent matters.However, the Minister emphasised, it was the Ministry’s philosophy to make the Oluno Rehabilitation Centre self-sufficient and, as such, the agricultural section would be expanded next year.The centre, which has 90 cells for 568 inmates, is currently housing 626 male and 27 female inmates.- NampaBuchane said the centre had started breeding pigs, and had 318 pigs in its agricultural section.Another 150 pigs were slaughtered for the consumption of inmates at the Oluno centre, as well as at the Divundu and Elizabeth Nepemba Centres in the Kavango Region in March.He said the centre had donated 200 pigs to the Tsumeb-Oshikango Railway Project last year.”We wish to provide pork to all 13 prisons, but it is impossible because of the veterinary Red Line,” Buchane told the minister.He said inmates at the centre were also involved in growing vegetables on a small scale, while nine inmates were being trained to acquire skills in gardening.Further, plans were underway to set up a nursery at the centre, once funds were made available.The Oluno Rehabilitation Centre also has a bakery, a workshop where inmates do car repairs and spray-painting, as well as needlework and basket-weaving projects for female inmates.Tsheehama responded that his ministry had limited resources at its disposal and needed to use the available funds for more urgent matters.However, the Minister emphasised, it was the Ministry’s philosophy to make the Oluno Rehabilitation Centre self-sufficient and, as such, the agricultural section would be expanded next year.The centre, which has 90 cells for 568 inmates, is currently housing 626 male and 27 female inmates.- Nampa