Staff Reporter
THE Office of First Lady Sustjie Mbumba recently visited the Walvis Bay Correctional Facility to provide training on Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH), gender-based violence, and mental health.
This visit was part of the Office of the First Lady’s Outreach programme, which was officially opened by senior social worker Pefimbo Shipunda. Shipunda encouraged the inmates to actively participate in the training, emphasising that it was designed to be an interactive engagement with contributions from both facilitators and inmates.
The programme also featured discussions focused on fostering dialogue and personal insight into violence, conflict resolution, and support networks. These discussions were led by Ben Schernick from Co-Create Change Consultancies, aiming to equip inmates with the knowledge to navigate these situations effectively.
EMPOWERED: Scenes from the training at the Walvis Bay Correctional Facility. Photos: Sustjie Mbumba, The First Lady of Namibia. 
EMPOWERED: Scenes from the training at the Walvis Bay Correctional Facility. Photos: Sustjie Mbumba, The First Lady of Namibia. 
EMPOWERED: Scenes from the training at the Walvis Bay Correctional Facility. Photos: Sustjie Mbumba, The First Lady of Namibia. 
EMPOWERED: Scenes from the training at the Walvis Bay Correctional Facility. Photos: Sustjie Mbumba, The First Lady of Namibia. 
EMPOWERED: Scenes from the training at the Walvis Bay Correctional Facility. Photos: Sustjie Mbumba, The First Lady of Namibia. 
EMPOWERED: Scenes from the training at the Walvis Bay Correctional Facility. Photos: Sustjie Mbumba, The First Lady of Namibia.
The SRH training was delivered by registered nurse Job Ndeulita, who covered vital topics such as HIV prevention, sexually transmitted infections, and reproductive cancer awareness, providing inmates with crucial health information.
“During a reflection session, inmates expressed gratitude for the visit by the Office of the First Lady, noting that the training was encouraging and welcomed. Inmates said they’ve gained new insights on GBV and prevention, learned to be more aware and now feel more empowered,” the Office of the First Lady revealed.
The training session concluded with Dr Veronica Theron, Technical Advisor to the Office of the First Lady, expressing hopes that the inmates would implement the knowledge gained. She encouraged the inmates to share these learnings with those who could not be present.
“How you think and the choices that you make and the way that you value yourself, will make a big difference while you are incarcerated. Remember that there is life after prison,” said Dr Veronica.
The Office of the First Lady also distributed care packages to the inmates at the Walvis Bay Correctional Facility.
