Gentlemen’s Game deployed as practical remedial tool for prisoners
A small, almost insignificant donation to prisoners in the Windhoek Correctional Facility, is expected to make huge inroads in the way inmates educate themselves, and develop their social skills through a board game.
This week, the Rubinstein Chess Academy presented four chess boards and four sets of minions to the head of the Windhoek prison, Commissioner Victor Eichab. The donation opened a door for teh chess community to take chess as an uplifting and analytical recreational activity to prison inmates. It also creates opportunities to engage both wardens and inmates using the gentlemen’s game as the catalyst in the spirit of Harambee,
Israel Shilongo, the Technical Director at the Namibia Chess Federation, and representative of the Rubinstein Chess Academy, said they will be offering chess lessons on a weekly basis to wardens and inmates alike. The idea is to expand to other prisons once the Windhoek Correctional Facility has a vibrant and growing chess club. This strategy, said Shilongo, is supported by the Namibia Chess Federation.
Prison Commissioner Eichab said “We are pleased with the initiative that the outside community is ploughing back to educate our inmates. It shows that even though secluded, they are still in the hearts of the community,” adding that he will also join the weekly chess lessons as an example to all the other wardens and especially to the inmates.
Pictured are the wardens of the Windhoek Correctional Facility, some of the inmates with a keen interest to learn chess, and the chess players from the Rubinstein Chess Academy. Israel Shilongo, the Technical Director at the Namibia Chess Federation stands centre right with the white shirt.
