Various plastic arts works by minors in the New Bell Prison were recently on exhibition.

The works of some young inmates of the Douala New Bell Prison were exhibited at the Cercle Municipal in Bonanjo on Friday, May 4. The exhibition fell within the framework of the project “Education and sensitisation of children whose attitudes are in conflict with human rights law, specifically legal rights.”

The project received financial support from the Catholic Relief Services via its ‘Promoting the Rights of Inmates and Detainees Project.’ Its objective is to safeguard human rights through introduction to plastic arts and sensitisation. Prison administrators and Social Affairs officials at the event commended the effort and encouraged the civil society to continue to assist minors. They recalled how the State has offered support to such detainees in various areas.

The Douala-based Charity-Social-Humanitarian Association (CHASOH), sent a team of experts to talk to the inmates. The beneficiaries of the three-month training in plastic arts were all young men and women who had demonstrated interest in plastic arts. Some 100 plastic art pieces were produced by the inmates through which they demonstrated their talent and potentials. Overall, between 50 and 75 inmates have benefitted from training in arts since 2009. The recent training began on February 28, 2012 and is expected to end on May 31, 2012.

CHASOH seeks to encourage functional literacy, education and ICT training, as well as offering medical assistance, food and the social reintegration of inmates.