They have been cooking. But do they really know how to cook?

Obviously they must be doing something right because the inmates have been eating since the prisons were set up since the late 1870s. But now 22 cooks in the prisons from the prisons in Naboro, Suva and Nasinu, including the Women’s Prisons are learning how to do it the right way and the hygienic way. The young men and women have been attending a two-week course on basic cooking and kitchen skills. Thanks to the assistance of the Republic of Fiji Military Forces.

It is the first time in the history of the Prisons Department that a formal cooking course is being conducted for inmates. The Commissioner of Prisons, Brigadier General Ioane Naivalurua, in opening the course challenged the participants to take good advantage of the opportunity that was being provided for them to learn useful kitchen skills.
WOII Peli Kete of the military’s officer’s mess have also been teaching the ‘cooks’ some local popular dishes.

The course is being held at the Naboro Prisons headquarters. Escort officers from the various institutions are also participants in the course.


WOII Kete explains some of the finer points to the participants of the cooking course at the Naboro Prisons headquarters.