Project Summary
#IA4H Innovative Abilities for Harmony Project promotes peace and harmony among prisoners through skill-building, sports and Mental Health and Psychosocial Support.
Project pilot phase takes place in Kumba principal prison involving inmates between 15 and 40 years old.
The project timeline is Between July 2024 and February 2025
Project Rational
The United Nations Security Council Resolution 2250 and the UN Secretary-General’s Action Plan to Counter Violent Extremism express the need to promote the rehabilitation and reintegration of young people to promote peace and sustainable development. In fact, since the start of the Anglophone crisis in 2016, many young people in the North-West and South-West regions have conflicted with the law. Victims of radicalization and perpetrators of violence, hundreds of these young people find themselves incarcerated with little or no adequate rehabilitation to allow them to return to normal life after their incarceration, thus creating a cycle of violence and crime that is perpetuated.
This project will reduce recidivism among young people by helping the selected prison train prisoners with marketable skills who will be selected according to their needs. It will also be a question of using sport to strengthen confidence and social cohesion on the one hand and of providing mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) to facilitate recovery post trauma.
This project will increase the chances that young violent offenders will leave prison better than they were, by improving their professional skills, leadership qualities and their confidence and self-esteem.
Concretely, the project will consist of training 30 prisoners in income-generating activities during and after their prison sentence, thus reducing their tendency to recidivate and return to prison after their release. The trained prisoners will also become trainers for other prisoners who will become interested in the program.
A listening room will also be set up to allow inmates to express themselves freely in a neutral atmosphere and to a neutral MHPSS specialist and the data will be kept secured and used for the well-being of the inmates and the penitentiary Administration. The project will primarily target prisoners between 15 and 40 years old.
Prison administrators will also be trained to prevent radicalization and violence in prison and will have techniques to promote and support creative and income-generating activities, creating an environment for prisoners to flourish and contribute to their well-being individually and collectively.
Expected Results
- 30 prisoners have increased skills in income-generating activities;
- 30 Prisoners have improved leadership skills to prepare them during and after the skill-building training and improve their probability of succeeding ;
- Participants in sports tournaments developed self-confidence and self-esteem ;
- 321 inmates have developed the team spirit that is necessary for individual and collective success ;
- 321 prisoners are happy ;
- 10 Prison administrators are equipped with advanced skills in preventing violent extremism in prison and how to support initiatives of prisoners ;
- 10 prisoners have increased their capacities on basic first aid techniques ;
- 10 prisoners are trained to become first responders on emergency issues ;
- Health risks that may arise due to delay in an intervention during incidents are reduced ;
- 321 Prisoners have gained additional confidence and improved their trauma-healing process ;
- 321 Prisoners have improved their willingness to accept change for the better ;
- Peace and sustainable development are promoted ;
- Adequate rehabilitation and reintegration of young people in conflict areas are promoted.
Funding
The Project is Implemented with funding from the Canadian High Commission in Cameroon through its Canada Fund for Local Initiatives (#CFLI) program.
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