The Fiji Corrections Service (FCS) has established a five-year Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Nakauvadra High School to utilize a portion of the school’s unused land for farming initiatives. This collaboration aims to enhance food security for inmates during the sugarcane harvesting season in Rakiraki.
By engaging in this farming project, both the FCS and the school board anticipate significant benefits for the local community as well as the students. In exchange for utilizing the land, the FCS has committed to maintaining the unused areas of the school and supporting food security for the school’s boarding students. The partnership represents a productive use of resources and a step towards community involvement.
Dr. Jalesi Nakarawa, the FCS Commissioner, commended the school board for their willingness to cooperate and emphasized the partnership as a step toward the FCS’s broader community development goals in the Rakiraki area. Furthermore, discussions are ongoing regarding the establishment of a permanent rehabilitation center in the vicinity. This center would provide low-security inmates opportunities to participate in the sugarcane harvesting program, thus contributing to the local economy and revitalizing Fiji’s sugar industry.
This initiative aligns with previously reported efforts by the FCS to enhance rehabilitation opportunities for inmates through various agricultural programs. Previous articles highlighted plans to convert the Rakiraki Temporary Corrections Centre into a permanent Rehabilitation Centre aimed at expanding these opportunities and improving the overall effectiveness of the corrections system.
Overall, this partnership between Nakauvadra High School and the FCS not only addresses practical issues of land use but also embodies a community-focused approach to rehabilitation and food security, fostering hope for a brighter future for all involved.
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