25 May 2012 – Ten Juba Prison officers and four female inmates completed a two-week training course in sewing skills today that was organized by the Swedish Prison and Probation Service under the auspices of UNMISS.

Participants received instruction in the use of a sewing needle, the threading of a sewing machine and the making of a dress based on a pattern, according to Ami Magito, one of two Swedish prison and probation officers who came to the South Sudanese capital specifically to offer the training.

National Prisons Service of South Sudan Director General Lt. Gen. Abel Makoi Wol said that the training would advance the rights of the female prisoners, who often number among the most vulnerable members of society.

"This is a self-earning project that can make a living for a poor person," he said. "(A female inmate) will go out now with something in her hand that can assist her children, parents and society."

UNMISS Senior Corrections Advisor Richard Kuuire praised the training course and noted that the role of a prison service goes beyond that of mere incarceration. "Our role is to rehabilitate people who are imprisoned," he said. "In a country like this where there are no jobs, (there is a need) to teach these women skills (they can use) when they come out."

The initiative is the fruit of a project started by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in 2009 when it donated sewing machines to prisons in Juba, Bor, Wau and Malakal. To date, the UNODC has donated a total of 13 sewing machines to those facilities.

Juba Prison authorities set aside a room for the training course while the UNMISS-sponsored Swedish Prison and Probation Service donated fabric as well as sewing items like needles and thread.

The inmates are expected to use their newfound skills to produce an estimated 800 uniforms for their fellow female prisoners. The participating prison officers will also serve as trainers for other inmates.

Juba Prison Officer Achol Adieu Apar thanked the Swedish corrections officers for providing the training. But she also asked for the donation of more sewing machines to train more inmates and accelerate production of uniforms.

Mr. Kuuire echoed Ms. Apar's request for more sewing machines so that "not only women will benefit but we can reach out to the men as well." Prison officials hope that the trainees will produce uniforms for male prisoners and repair uniforms for all inmates and prison staff.

"This project is just a start," said Juba Prison Director Maj. Gen. Alfred Manyang Abok, who called on the South Sudanese prisons service to provide the necessary support to ensure that the project is sustained.