Ouagadougou: Committed to the food self-sufficiency drive advocated by the Burkinabe authorities, the Baporo prison is mobilizing 140 inmates for agricultural activities on 9 hectares. In addition to contributing to food security, this work aims to provide residents with skills training with a view to their social reintegration.
According to Burkina Information Agency, on a 9-hectare site, inmates at the Baporo Penitentiary Center serve their sentences while engaging in agricultural activities and receiving training in production techniques. This will enable them, upon their release, to begin a successful social reintegration.
The center’s land is divided into two production sites. On the first 4-hectare site, residents primarily cultivate crops such as tomatoes, okra, and cowpeas during the dry season. All this is made possible thanks to an endowment including a borehole, a water tower, a pond, and a laser spray irrigation system.
The rainy season is devoted to rice cultivation, as well as the production of some vegetable crops such as onions, eggplants, tomatoes, and okra. On the second 5-hectare site, corn is grown in the rainy season and 1 hectare of tomatoes in the dry season. Additionally, the center has a banana and cocoa plantation covering an area of 3 hectares, part of the banana harvest being used to feed the prisoners, while the rest is sold on the market.
“We received two complete facilities with the support of the BN-GPB. We also received a tractor. This allowed us to professionally train the inmates, significantly improve their food rations, and put several tons of products on the market. Those who work are mainly convicted prisoners, made available to us under the Community Service Act (TIG), a new law adopted in November 2024, which has truly relieved us in terms of labor. They come from the centers of Koudougou, Ouahigouya, D©dougou, Banfora, and Boromo,” said prison administration inspector Kafando S. Roland.
For him, the unique feature of this center lies in the professional training of prisoners, their contribution to the fight against food insecurity, and their preparation for successful reintegration into society. He believes he can achieve the objective entrusted to him by the highest authorities in the country, thanks to the constant support of the National Office of Major Projects of Burkina.
According to Jean Lecornu (an assumed name of an inmate), “Things are going very well, since we’re able to learn a lot. For example, on this perimeter, we have a plot for onions, one for tomatoes, another for okra, and one for beans. And behind it, we also have a rice nursery that we transplant into other areas.” He says he is satisfied because they learn a lot from the technicians, and he thinks that it could be useful to them when they leave to try to reproduce the experience on their own.
It should be noted that Law No. 035-2024/ALT of 8 November 2024, on the administration of community service in Burkina Faso, was adopted in order to make remand and correctional facilities not only training opportunities promoting the reintegration of prisoners, but also production spaces contributing to the fight against food insecurity.