EASTERN EQUATORIA – Sticking to a varied, balanced diet is important for all of us. For various reasons, this may, however, be easier said than done, not least for women and men behind bars. A kitchen gardening programme in Torit is set to help inmates at the state prison stay healthy.

“The fruits and vegetables growing here makes it possible for us to supplement the meager food given to us, and that is great,” said prisoner Atango James, as she commented on this initiative, brought to her and her peers by Corrections Officers serving with the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).

For the last six months, these wholesome goodies, which include amaranthus, okra, bean leaves tomatoes and pumpkins, are grown around the perimeter of the prison walls, where they are nurtured and harvested by the inmates themselves.

“We noticed that the health of many prisoners, not least lactating mothers, was poor and seemed to be getting worse. When we talked to the authorities about our gardening proposal, they were very enthusiastic,” said Hillary Sengabo, a Corrections Advisor serving with UNMISS.

The first step of the nutritional project was to provide the prison with rudimentary farming tools and seeds. Once these were in place, inmates were taught basic agricultural skills.

Apart from significantly improving the health of the women and men being detained, the gardening initiative also gives the prison a measure of food security, in case the regular supplier of meals fails to deliver in a timely manner.

Large quantities of food are indeed needed, not least with the prison population, in a facility designed for 150 inmates, having reached more than 370.

“We are working on an improved bedding system to better accommodate all of them,” said Hillary Sengabo, adding that she and her colleagues are also trying to turn a vision of a biogas project into reality.

As for Ms. James and the other farming inmates, their idea of what they want is clear.

“We need more seeds. That way we can grow more, and more diverse produce.”