GEORGE NEWS - Students at the Nelson Mandela University George Campus (NMU) will be teaching vegetable growing skills to inmates of the George Correctional Services after the university and the Correctional Services Department (DCS) launched an initiative, the Agricultural Nutrition Project.
This partnership is a joint initiative of NMU's Student Life and Development and its Agricultural Society.
At the ribbon cutting ceremony, DCS area commissioner Ndileka Booi officially allocated land to the university to kick-start the garden, which is meant to alleviate poverty and teach inmates skills that will aid them in their lives after release.
The garden, located inside the prison complex, will be managed by the Agricultural Society and Student Life and Development, led by NMU deputy director Dr Sefoko Ramoshaba, and agriculture senior lecturer Dr Ernest Dube.
The garden will provide training on production of various nutritious vegetables to inmates and prison staff, as well as internship opportunities for NMU agriculture students. Produce from the garden will also be donated to alleviate the plight of the poor in the local community.
The area commissioner emphasised the importance of the partnership in achieving self-sufficiency and sustainability of the DCS. "Offenders with a criminal record struggle to get employment and without skills for self-employment, many become repeat offenders. It is therefore important for the DCS to equip them with skills that can enable them to become self-reliant outside of the prison.
"Correctional facilities cannot achieve these goals alone. Our doors are open for collaborations and partnerships. We need partners in order to transform offenders into responsible citizens of the country," she said.
On behalf of NMU, Dube emphasised the need for the university to lead by practical example in the local community. "This partnership with the DCS allows the university to expand its community engagement efforts, as well as provide training for Mandela students who seek internship opportunities," he said.
"As a university in service to society, it is important for us to respond to the immediate needs of these societies by offering our knowledge and skills."
Soil preparation for the garden started immediately and the planting of vegetables will begin in September.
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