JUBA — At least 523 inmates from South Sudan, including 166 females, have completed various trade courses at the Juba National Prison Vocational Training Centre.
The inmates underwent one year of training on 12 different trades courses, including computer skills, tailoring, carpentry and joinery, hairdressing, bakery, agriculture, plumbing, electrical work, and auto mechanics, among others.
Founded by UNDP with support from the Government of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the Juba National Prison Vocational Training Centre graduated a total of 523 inmates from batches 9 and 10, bringing the total number of graduates since its establishment in 2016 to 1,852 inmates.
Speaking during the graduation ceremony in Juba, Mangar Buong, the Deputy Minister of Interior, said that the Juba National Prison Vocational Training Centre has provided inmates the opportunity to sustain their livelihoods upon reintegration into their communities.
“The government employs very few people, but you can make money in the private sector. In fact, people are making a lot of money through vocational skills; someone who has attained vocational skills can earn more than someone who graduates with a university degree,” said Buong.
Catherine Waliaula, the Chief Technical Advisor for the UNDP, stated that the generous support from the Kingdom of the Netherlands is intended to build the capacity of inmates so that they can sustain their lives after their release from prison.
“We are not just witnessing the graduation of skilled trainees; we are witnessing the rebirth of potential, the restoration of dignity, the reaffirmation of second chances, and the tangible results of sustainable cooperation between the government of South Sudan and its partners,” said Waliaula.
“As UNDP, we remain committed to supporting this program going forward, even in locations outside Juba. This is an indication of the good intention to reform society and the whole of South Sudan to ensure that we have better individuals out there,” she added.
Sabuni Samuel Ulija, the Senior Supervisor of the Juba National Prison Vocational Training Centre, stated that the skills acquired by inmates at the rehabilitation center offer them the opportunity to be productive members of society.
“Prisoners are now in a place we call ‘safe and secure confinement.’ We are training inmates to be able to change; we do not just want to see them but to change their attitudes so that once they exit the prison, they will have something to do,” said Ulija.
Maj. Gen. Anthony Oliver Legge, the Director of Public Relations and spokesperson for the National Prison Services, stated that inmates from Juba National Prison have completed a one-year course in various skills.
“We are not just celebrating the award of certificates; we are celebrating transformation, second chances, and the power of partnership to change lives. Through their generous financial contributions and in close coordination with UNDP and other partners, we have been able to revive the vocational training centre in Juba,” said Legge.
“With unwavering donor support, particularly from the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and technical inputs from UNDP and our South Sudanese-linked institutions, we have established a structured skills-based rehabilitation model,” he added.
