Tujoromajo Kasuto
THE Namibian Correctional Service (NCS) has entered into an agreement to involve prisoners in the establishment of nurseries, planting seeds, taking care of seedlings to reduce idleness among inmates and to introduce them to environment matters.
The Namibia Cleanliness Awareness System Awards (NAMCASA) today signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with NCS to establish a framework for cooperation between them in areas relating to municipal, forest, offender rehabilitation and reintegration as well as environmental matters. The costs and expenses arising from the implementation of this
Memorandum of Understanding will be carried by both parties determined on a case-by-case basis and where applicable each party provides or makes individual funding towards joint activities.
The NCS’s mandate is to provide safe, secure and humane custody to offenders, rehabilitate and reintegrate them into the community, hence, Commissioner General,Raphael Hamunyela, says NCS puts great importance in creating rehabilitation and various support programmes that enable inmates to engage in constructive activities so that they are empowered and ready to live a crime-free live upon their release back into society.
Hamunyela believes the collaboration NAMCASA will reduce idleness among inmates, while working together to improve the country’s environment by making it greener.
This will not only contribute significantly to the environment, but also to the staff and offender capacity development in this important area of restoring forest landscapes, enhancing biodiversity, and protecting the environment.
Additionally, the Commissioner observes that “the issue of climate change is also a very common topic nowadays and I am confident that with this initiative, we will mitigate the effects of climate change to a certain extent.”
This MoU is just one of the successes of the Namibian Correctional Service in its effort to collaborate with various individuals and organizations with a particular aim of maximizing rehabilitation and reintegration programmes and activities.
Hamunyela asserts this is because NCS believes that they cannot achieve their vision to be “Africa’s leader in the provision of correctional services”, without stakeholders and partners such as NAMCASA.
“It is now more than ever that we recognise the urgency of radically transforming our organizations from closed independent to accommodative, collaborative entities that allow for consolidation and coordination of resources including finances, institutional capacities and innovative ideas between organizations,” he adds.
At the signing occasion he also extended his gratitude to NAMCASA, specifically Natalia Shikangala, the Director for approaching the NCS with this initiative.
“I believe that part of your reason to partner with the NCS is because you see the potential for us to achieve mutual success and results. I can sincerely see the potential for us to work together and bring about changes that are beneficial to our organizations and people.”
Shikangala highlights that it is important that initiatives are taken to bring back the Namibian forest and “beauty we all love as the environment is crying for our support as it is in dire need of replenishing”.
She further affirms that this MoU should be a wake up call for all to prioritize the climate and replant trees as it also restores the food chain for all.
