Africa-Press – Lesotho. AVANI Lesotho yesterday donated 58 sheets, 55 blankets and six electric kettles to the Juvenile Training Centre. The donation was made to ensure that the young inmates are kept warm during Lesotho’s biting winters.
Speaking at the hand-over ceremony, the Lesotho Correctional Service (LCS) officer overseeing the centre, Superintendent Mokhethi Raphuthing said offenders might not be fully rehabilitated due to some challenges they are facing.
During a tour to see some of the challenges at the centre’s school, it was found that the Form C class which was described as the best had a half ceiling which is about to fall off.
The class was also found to have leaking roofs. Some of the classrooms are small to accommodate students. All the classrooms do not have windows and the roofs are leaking.
Some of the teachers said it is very challenging to teach inside those classrooms especially in winters because there is no warmth in those classrooms.
In the bedrooms there were not enough blankets. There were no pillows. Commissioner Thabang Mothepu said due to security reasons the pillows are not allowed, this is why the offenders use blankets as pillows.
Superintendent Raphuthing said education is part of the rehabilitation process and so with poor conditions of classrooms and lack of infrastructure it becomes hard to fulfil that.
He said they were able to use donations from Avani Lesotho so they can be able to fully rehabilitate the offenders. “This shows that they care about the children,” he said.
Minister of Justice and Correctional Service Mokhele Moletsane said correctional facilities must be secure and humane. He said they run rehabilitation programmes with the hope to influence behavioural change in minors.
“The government always allocated money for that, but the resources are never enough,” he said.
LCS Commissioner Thabang Mothepu thanked Avani Lesotho for the donations. “We appreciate what Avani Lesotho has done today,” he said. Mothepu said the donation will help in the rehabilitation of the offenders.
Avani Lesotho Human Resource Manager Lesekelo Makara said they will view the centre as a national asset. Makara said they are happy that through the donations they will help the offenders to be fully rehabilitated and go back to the society with a positive attitude after their release.
