The Carmelites Prisoners’ Interest Organisation (CAPIO), has sought the support of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) to train female inmates on the production of reusable sanitary pads.
The Executive Director, CAPIO, Rev. Jude Isiguzo, disclosed this when he led his team on a courtesy visit to the Controller General, NCoS, Mr Haliru Nababa, in Abuja.
In a statement by the CAPIO boss on Wednesday in Abuja, Isiguzo said the aim of the visit was to appreciate the service for the support given to the organisation in its previous projects while seeking support for other ones.
He disclosed that the organisation had just concluded another project on enhancing access to self-reliance for female inmates and ex-inmates, adding that this was implemented in the Enugu and Lagos States custodial centres.
According to him, this project aims at consolidating on the gains of the previous project that empowered more than 60 female ex-inmates and incarcerated women and girls in the Suleja custodial centre on the production of sanitary pads.
“The new project in Enugu and Lagos custodial centres was also done in partnership with Female Inmates and Returned Citizens (FIRC), with funding support from VOICE.
“The beauty of this training is that the trainer was one of the ex-inmates who benefitted from the the Suleja custodial centre training on the production of reusable sanitary pads.
“She trained two other returned citizens who produced 151 reusable sanitary pads.
“The two inmates who participated returned to their bases and trained inmates at the two targeted custodial centres in Lagos and Enugu.”
Isiguzo also revealed that CAPIO had established the two returned citizens in the production of sanitary pads with shops, equipment and production materials.
He noted that the training would help female inmates trained in the production of reusable sanitary pads to improve on menstrual health and hygiene management.
“We request that the NCoS see to the institutionalisation and sustainability of the intervention in the two custodial centres where training centres have been set up.
“We would also like to replicate this same project in Port Harcourt female facility and we are requesting for the support of the service,” he said.
Responding, Nababa, represented by Controller of Corrections, in charge of Operations, Mr Usman Ibrahim, appreciated the organisation and the projects implemented so far.
He acknowledged that CAPIO had been a long-standing partner of the service and assured that support would be given. (NAN)
