Nairobi — First Lady Mama Rachel Ruto has officially launched Carakana program to equip women inmates with various skills including cross stitching.
The project which is a continuation of her 2016 initiative known as International Cross Stitch where inmates at the Langata Women Maximum Security prison have learnt how to cross stitch and make a living out of it will now be implemented across all the 47 counties.
Beneficiaries of the project include women in Nakuru, Lang'ata, Kitale and Kakamega women prisons.
"Our relaunch today is two ways; to increase the number of beneficiaries in the five women prisons that we are already working with and second to grow our reach to all the 44 women prisons in the country holding a total of six thousand women," she said said
The First Lady highlighted some benefits of the projects and added that other than cross stitching, other forms of creative arts as knitting will be incorporated.
"Cross stitching gives them dignity, livelihood, respect from family, a feeling of achievement and it also contributes to their mental wellbeing," said the First Lady.
The First Lady further pointed out that since 2016 over 1500 women inmates have benefited from the initiative.
"The women have produced quality artifacts that have earned them over 5.15 million shillings," she said.
She spoke during International Women's Day celebrations at the Lang'ata Women Maximum Security Prison.
Dignified care
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The event was also graced by Principal Secretary for Correctional Services Mary Muthoni who announced that the department is set to launch an ambitious campaign dubbed one prisoner, one bed, one mattress countrywide aimed at restoring the dignity of prisoners.
Muthoni appealed for donations from partners and stakeholders in ensuring the campaign is a success.
"When somebody is sentenced and is contained in those four walls, you must realize that is the biggest punishment that you can ever give a human being. Our mandate is to correct," Muthoni said.
"We do not want people sleeping on the floor anymore in this country. If you want to change the world, go back and make your bed," she said.
Muthoni said the department will empower prison-run workshops to make bed but appealed for donations to bridge the gap.
"We are making our beds and as the Correctional Services Department. How will you even ask them (inmates) to stitch when their ribs are paining because of sleeping on the floor?" the PS posed.
Dignified care
She pointed out that the department is keen on providing care and dignified services to inmates to realize the mandate to correct as opposed to punishing them.
Muthoni revealed that so far, the department has received 1,000 mattresses against a target of 60,000 needed across the country.
The PS further called on the Judiciary to fast track cases involving women who are behind bars together with their children.
She expressed concern over a the existence of innocent children in prison.
"Children are very vulnerable to diseases, mannerisms and all that," she noted.
