Australian Government Assists Buea Prison

To lessen hunger, enhance human rights, inculcate farming techniques and provide gainful occupation for prisoners, the Australian Government in cooperation with Cameroon has provided life sustaining, didactic and vocational training materials for the Buea Central Prison through two civil society organisations, FAAFNET and ICENECDEV.

The donation included the installation of a 3.000-litre water storage tank to serve the over 600 inmates, both awaiting trial and those already convicted. The benefactors equally had a package to improve the Prison's Infirmary such as a hand washing basin, medications, bedding and drip stands. To render the milieu vocationally productive; tailoring, musical, didactic and carpentry tools were also offered. To gainfully occupy the prisoners and push their nutritional in-take, ICENECDEV established a farm within the Buea Central Prison confines to cultivate sweet potatoes, mangoes, citrus, plums, guava and pears.

One worry, however, remains regarding those awaiting trial unendingly under detention. To this, Mr. Lyonga William Mumbe, Executive Director of FAAFNET (Forestry, Agricultural, Animal and Fisheries Network) in collaboration with ICENECDEV (International Centre for Environmental Protection and Community Development) has promised to negotiate with a law firm to lend assistance in hastening the movement of case files.

The 15-year FAAFNET was just in one of its outings after recently donating to the young delinquents of the Borstal Institute of Buea. The donations were handed to the Superintendent of the Buea Central Prison and Senior Administrator of Prisons, Lazare Mbime Banoho in the presence of local administrative, religious and judiciary authorities.