A VISIT to Mwembeshi Prisons Farm reveals that the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed in 2006 between Zambia and Egypt was worth signing.
Among the projects that were to be taken under the MoU was the establishment of a joint venture at Mwembeshi Prisons Farm.
Egypt adopted 60 hectares of land at the Mwembeshi Prisons Farm, which has now been expanded to 200 hectares.
The Zambia-Egypt Agriculture joint venture on the Mwembeshi Prisons Farm in Lusaka is now bearing fruits, as the farm is expected to realise close to a billion Kwacha this farming season.
The Mwembeshi Prisons farm has projected to realise K975 million. Last farming season K800 million was realised.
For some, the MoU was just a political gimmick. But five years down the line, what was thought to be a political gimmick is now adding value to Mwembeshi Prisons Farm and the entire prisons service.
Mwembeshi Prisons Farm has 745 hectares of land and out of this, only 300 hectares is arable. Out of the 300, 200 hectares is under the Egypt-Zambia joint venture project.
The prisons service has planted maize and sunflower and the plants are nearing harvest.
Egyptian project manager Shaboon Shaboon says 99 percent of the plants (Sunflower and Maize) on the plantation are doing well.
“Despite the partial dry spell that Lusaka experienced from February 1 to 24 this year, the plants have not been affected. We are happy with the way we have integrated here from the time we came. As Egyptians, we are always willing to share our knowledge in agricultural practices with our Zambian colleagues,” Dr Shaboon says.
Dr Shaboon says more than K500 million has been invested in crop production for the 2010-2011 farming season.
“We have put in about K548 million in this year’s agriculture activities and we hope to realise reasonable profit,” Dr Shaboon says.
Egyptian ambassador to Zambia Salah el Sadek says the two countries are partners in development as evidenced by the two countries’ common ambitions in farming.
“We will always collaborate with you in programmes aimed at uplifting the lives of the people of the two countries to strengthen the bilateral relationships. It is time that we showed the world that Africa has come of age to deal with her own problems by strengthening the relationships between African member states,” ambassador El Sadek says.
Mr El Sadek has since challenged the Prisons Service to use the comparative advantage which maize production has to improve its food security and in turn supplement the national food security.
With the Egyptian support, the Prisons Service is now working towards self-reliance in terms of food for all prisons in the country.
And Prisons Service Commissioner Percy Chato said the joint venture has grown in bounds since its inception in 2006 with less than 40 hectares to 150 hectares of maize currently.
Mr Chato says the programme has diversified to include seed production from the initial grain production adding that the benefits accrued from the venture are too numerous to itemise.
“The co-operation between Zambia and Egypt has benefited us as prisons, we shall, therefore, endeavour to tap from your expertise and the experiences,” Mr Chato says.
The Prisons Service is confident that food production on Mwembeshi Prisons Farm will contribute towards the feeding of other inmates across the country.
The investment in agriculture in the prisons service is one activity that is effective in the reformation of inmates.
Mr Chato says with adequate support like the one from the Egyptian government, the prison service can produce enough food both for sale and consumption by inmates.
According to one of the inmates who spoke on condition of anonymity, the joint venture is a blessing in disguise because it has added value to his stay in the prison.
Currently, the Egyptian experts are conducting a one month workshop at Mwembeshi Prisons Farm with participants drawn from both the officers and inmates.
The workshop, which was officially opened by Mr Sadek on March 5 this year, is expected to end by April 5, 2011. This workshop has attracted 32 participants, out of which 12 are inmates and the rest are prisons officers.
“Whilst at Mwembeshi, convicted prisoners are entitled to programmes that will give them life skills, or enhance the skills they already possess as well as rehabilitation programmes so that the period spent in prison is beneficial to both society and the inmates, as they would be expected to be better citizens after release from prison.
Inmates who are engaged in agricultural activities stand a chance of being employed as farm personnel or start up their own farming activities. At the end of their training, inmates will receive certificates of attendance which have no reference to their imprisonment,” Mr Chato says.
Another inmate, who is also a participant, says once released from prison, he will use the certificate to change his life for the good of his family.
“My imprisonment is a blessing, I am scheduled to be released in August this year and this workshop has come at a time I needed it the most because once I get my certificate from this workshop, I will use it to better my life come August this year,” he says.
The inmate says Open-air Prison System like Mwembeshi is a remarkable innovation in the realm of correctional treatment. He says it provides an offender with greater freedom with natural surroundings and lesser tension.
Besides agricultural activities, training in horticulture, poultry farming, dairy and goat rearing is also imparted to the prisoners at Mwembeshi Prisons Farm.
Agricultural training programmes in prison provide inmates with theoretical and practical skills that prepare them to improve or start their own agricultural projects after their release from prison.
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