Kumasi Central Prison undertakes clean-up exercise, donates to Children’s Home
In a powerful display of civic responsibility and compassion, the leadership and staff of the Kumasi Central Prison, led by the Regional Commander, Deputy Director of Prisons (DDP) James B. Mwinyelle, traded their usual duties for a day of Community Social Responsibility gesture at the Kumasi Children’s Home last Saturday, August 23.
The move, which was in line with the “Think Prisons 360 Degrees” initiative, saw a team of over 30 Prison Officers and staff visiting the Airport Roundabout-based Children’s Home, not as enforcers of the law, but as dedicated volunteers armed with brooms, mops, rakes, machetes, wheelbarrows, and cleaning supplies.
The team spent the entire day engaged in a thorough clean-up exercise.
Activities included scrubbing and mopping dormitories and common areas, weeding and clearing the overgrown gardens, desilting drains to ensure the entire campus was sanitised.
Beyond the physical labour, the visit also saw a charitable donation.
The largest prison facility in the Ashanti Region, presented the Home’s management with a substantial package of essential items, including cleaning detergents, dairy milk, pop-corn, packs of T-roll, Adum Mineral bottled water, toiletries, and Crocs slippers for the children. Special assorted biscuits were also provided.
DDP Mwinyelle, who personally participated in the cleaning activities, emphasised that the gesture was about giving back and fostering a spirit of hope.
“Our mandate at the Ghana Prisons Service extends beyond the walls of our facilities; it is about the holistic reformation of individuals and positive contribution to the society we serve,” DDP Mwinyelle stated.
“These children are the future of our nation, and it is our collective responsibility to ensure they grow up in a clean, safe, and nurturing environment.
“Today, we are not just Prison Officers; we are uncles, aunts, and community members showing love and support,” the Regional Commander added.
DDP Mwinyelle also donated a Batik Tye and Dye clothes produced by inmates of the Kumasi Central Prison to the Administrator of the Home.
The Administrator of the Kumasi Children’s Home, Mrs Mabel Amponsah, who was visibly moved by the overwhelming support, expressed her profound gratitude for the unexpected assistance.
“We are perpetually grateful for any help we receive, but a gesture of this magnitude is truly special,” she noted.
“For the Officers to give up their weekend to clean our Home and bring these much-needed supplies is a blessing from above.
“It not only lightens our workload but also shows our children that the broader community cares for them. They have left our campus sparkling, and more importantly, they have left our children with beaming smiles,” she added.
The event ended with interactive sessions between the Officers and the children, sharing laughter, stories, and refreshments.
The initiative by the Kumasi Central Prison sets a remarkable precedent for other state institutions, demonstrating that service to the nation can take many compassionate and impactful forms.
