A ceremony to hand over gifts to women and minors of the Kondengui Central Prison, Yaounde, took place on March 2, 2016.

“Merci Maman! Merci! …” This was the song on the lips of detainees at the Kondengui Central Prison in Yaounde on March 2, 2016 during a ceremony to hand over equipment to women and minors by the women’s association of the Ministry of Mines, Industry and Technological Development (MINMIDT).

The donation comprised mostly food items worth over 400,000 FCFA. It was part of activities by the ministry to mark the 31^st edition of the International Women’s Day on March 8, 2016. Speaking at the occasion, the Head of Department for Judicial Affairs in MINMIDT, who is also the President of the women’s association, Thérèse Dieudonné Olomo Belinga, said the donation was symbolic to show the detainees that the women of MINMIDT care about them. She said MINMIDT women noticed that the prisoners had a major problem of feeding; reason why the donated items were mostly food.

Thérèse Dieudonné Olomo Belinga expressed hope that one day the detainees will be reintegrated into the society as changed people. She also used the occasion to congratulate the officials of the prison for the work they are doing in reforming detainees. On his part, the Superintendent of the Kondengui Central Prison, Etoundi Landry Pierre, hailed the women’s association of MINMIDT for the kind gesture.

He said the women have manifested their faith through works of charity to detainees who are deprived of their liberties, adding that the doors of the prison were widely open to them each time they wished to visit the detainees.