Gold Fields Improves Food Security In Tarkwa Prisons

The Gold Fields Ghana Foundation has undertaken an initiative to enhance food security within the Tarkwa Local Prisons located in the Western Region of Ghana. With over 340 inmates currently residing within the prison, each inmate is allocated a daily food allowance of GH¢5. Recognizing the need for improved agricultural capabilities, the Foundation has bolstered the prison's oil palm plantation from an initial 30 acres to its current size of 50 acres, an endeavor that has cost GH¢144,666.

This project, part of the newly established Prisons Agro-Support and Empowerment (PASE) Project, aims to bolster food security and equip inmates with practical agricultural skills to aid in their rehabilitation and reintegration into society upon release. The initiative includes the provision of 1,400 Tenera oil palm seedlings, along with necessary farming tools such as fertiliser, organic compost, knapsack sprayers, herbicides, cutlasses, and Wellington boots.

Delivering the seedlings to the prison staff, Abdel-Razak Yakubu, the Executive Secretary of the Gold Fields Ghana Foundation, emphasized that the project aligns with the Foundation's commitment to sustainable livelihoods and human development beyond the mining sector. Yakubu highlighted the importance of rehabilitation extending beyond prison boundaries, stating, "We want people who leave prison to become productive citizens.

If an inmate leaves here and becomes a successful agronomist because of the skills acquired through this project, then we would have contributed meaningfully to transforming lives."

The Ghana Prisons Service Commander, Chief Supt Bright Gbogbo, acknowledged the significance of this partnership in the Ghana Prisons Service's 'Think Prisons 360 Reform Agenda.' This agenda emphasizes agricultural mechanisation, business development, and strategic partnerships. Commander Gbogbo revealed that the prison has already planted 1,300 of the donated seedlings and expressed optimism about the positive impact the expanded plantation will have on food production and the provision of practical farming skills for inmates.

The Foundation's commitment to enterprise development extends beyond this project, with investments surpassing $7.48 million in various programmes across its host communities, including the Community Oil Palm Project (COPP), Cocoa Farmers Support Programme (CoFaS), and Youth in Organic Horticulture Production (YouHoP).