Unam, UEF transform lives of prison inmates

The University of Namibia (UNAM), in partnership with the University of Eastern Finland (UEF), has launched a joint initiative focused on providing opportunities to incarcerated individuals to improve their chances of finding work upon release from prison.

Titled 'Trash to Treasure', the project will equip inmates with the skills to manage solid waste by repurposing materials into valuable artworks. This initiative not only decreases environmental degradation but also equips inmates with tangible skills aimed at unlocking new economic opportunities upon their release.

The project will be spearheaded under the Unam Cares Project, in an effort to addresses environmental concerns while also imparting entrepreneurial skills in arts and crafts to incarcerated individuals.

Dr Rachel Freeman, head of Unam Cares, outlined the importance of this initiative, saying: “By integrating environmental sustainability with offender rehabilitation, we are not only addressing individual needs but also promoting a supportive community environment that encourages positive change.”



Skills training

Namibia is grappling with significant socioeconomic hurdles, including prevalent unemployment and high crime rates.

Reintegrating ex-convicts into society proves especially challenging due to social biases and limited opportunities.

To curb these obstacles, Unam and UEF, in collaboration with the Namibian Correctional Service (NCS), embarked on a mission to provide inmates with business education and entrepreneurship training.

The objective of all of this is to break the cycles of poverty and criminality as well as foster successful reintegration into mainstream society.

The project leaders noted that the collaborative endeavour ensures active involvement from all stakeholders, including inmates and correctional officers, in the rehabilitation process.

"By joining efforts, we can collectively strive towards common objectives such as reducing recidivism rates and advancing environmental sustainability."

Employing a qualitative, exploratory-descriptive case design, the project delves into the first-hand experiences of Namibian inmates involved in waste management endeavours.

This methodology offers insights into participants' viewpoints, accentuating the transformative potential of education and community engagement in fostering sustainable practices.



Boosting confidence

Natalie Joubert, project researcher at UEF, explained: "Our community-based education model, anchored in civic education, rehabilitation and integration within an eco-social sustainability framework, underscores the pivotal role of education and community in driving social progress."

Empowering prisoners with entrepreneurial skills through an emphasis on entrepreneurship and financial literacy training, the project aims to instil the confidence and competence necessary for inmates to either establish their own ventures or secure meaningful employment post-release. Effective business education, complemented by mentorship and post-release support initiatives, lays the groundwork for enduring positive change and societal reintegration.

The project leaders noted that the initiative will help the environment and offenders in several ways.

"It reduces a lot of waste by changing how we think about it, by recycling, reusing, and finding new ways to use things. Also, it helps people who don't have many chances to make money by giving them better job opportunities. And it teaches everyone about how important it is to take care of the planet."