Inmates at the Divundu Correctional Facility are playing a key role in advancing food self-sufficiency through hands-on agricultural production, turning prison time into an opportunity for skills development and national impact.
During an official visit to the facility on Monday, Deputy Commissioner and Officer-in-Charge Saima Edwig Kamwagha commended the progress made in using inmate labour to drive large-scale food production.
She highlighted that the facility currently produces eight essential food items, including chicken, pig, and cattle feed, wheat flour and grains, maize, maize meal, and a maize-bean blend known as “max meal.”
“This is more than just food production, it’s rehabilitation in action,” Kamwagha said. “The inmates are gaining practical, marketable skills they can apply after serving their sentences.”
Divundu has grown into a key agricultural contributor within the Namibia Correctional Service, significantly reducing operational costs while supporting the national push for sustainable food systems in government institutions.
Kamwagha added that such initiatives not only feed inmates but also contribute to Namibia’s broader food security goals by making state institutions more self-reliant.
