Baporo Penitentiary Center Inmates Engage in Farming for Self-Sufficiency

Ouagadougou – Inmates at the Baporo penitentiary center, located on the border between Sanguié and Balé, are actively involved in agricultural activities on a 40-hectare area to achieve food self-sufficiency. This initiative is also set to benefit other prisons in Burkina Faso.

According to Burkina Information Agency, During a visit on Tuesday as part of the 2023-2024 presidential initiative, media representatives explored the Baporo Agricultural Production Center (CPAB). Here, inmates engage in farming to not only provide for their nutritional needs but also to prepare for their reintegration into society after release.

The initiative, inspired by President of the Transition, Captain Traoré, focuses on involving inmates in agriculture, livestock breeding, and fish farming. These activities contribute to their self-sufficiency and social reintegration, fostering endogenous development in the country.

Since its inception in 1986 by Captain Thomas Sankara, the penitentiary center has evolved into a functional agricultural hub. The Director General (DG) of the prison administration, Sabila Sawadogo, indicated that with the resources available, CPAB has the potential to expand its production areas significantly.

Sawadogo revealed plans to increase the cultivated area to 100 hectares in the upcoming season, with immediate support for earthworks and plowing. He emphasized that the produce from the detainees could potentially feed all other inmates in Burkina Faso, as well as internally displaced people.

“The center was struggling, and we are thrilled that Captain Traoré is keen on its rehabilitation,” said Sawadogo.

Bertin Windinmi Ilboudo, the director of CPAB, highlighted the head of state’s vision for inmates to contribute to national development through agricultural production. The center has already benefited from government support, enabling it to extend its cultivable areas to nearly 50 hectares.

“For the dry season campaign we just started, we received additional support in feeder and the development of nearly 10 hectares to boost production,” Ilboudo continued.

Gilbert Ouédraogo, Director of Communication and Press Relations (DCRP) of the Presidency of Faso, noted that Captain Ibrahim Traoré envisions a future where Burkina Faso is self-sufficient in food production. He stressed that the country possesses the human potential to achieve this goal.

“The Baporo Prison Agricultural Center serves as a model we wanted to showcase to the media. Here, around forty prisoners live in exceptional conditions and are engaged in agriculture, livestock breeding, and other activities, unlike other penitentiary establishments,” Ouédraogo added.

He also assured that grievances related to the functioning of the center would be conveyed to the relevant authorities.

Originally established in 1986 with a capacity for 80 detainees, the CPAB currently houses forty-four residents.