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ALE in Prisons in Malawi

20 February 2021 Participatory Teaching

John (not his real name) is serving a prison sentence at Zomba Central Prison for the second time. He attributes his second jail term to the lack of a source of income when he was earlier released from prison.

“I was jailed for one year. When I was released from prison I went straight home. Unfortunately, I had no money to start life afresh. As if that was not enough, I had no practical skills which I could use to earn money. As a result, I was tempted to engage in stealing again. I was arrested and thrown back in prison. Some of my fellow former inmates who had some vocational skills went back into the community as transformed citizens as they were able to engage in various income-generating activities using their skills,” he said.

However, John has now enrolled in a new skills training programme at Zomba prison which he is hopeful will help him in his post-prison life. The programme, which has been launched by the Malawi Prisons Service (MPS) with support from DVV International, will train inmates in tailoring, carpentry and barbering skills.

The new programme comes at a time when only 13 percent of inmates are able to access educational programmes in Malawi’s prisons, a development which MPS Commissioner for Administration Dezio Makumba describes as disappointing.

Makumba says: “All prisons [in Malawi] … are currently housing an average of 9,000 convicted inmates. Out of this figure only 13 percent are at least involved in some skill development work owing to inadequate financial resources, poor infrastructure and the absence of a revolving fund account to sustain the programmes.”

Inmates Drama on Importance of Skills Trainng in Prisons Malawi 002
Drama on 'Importance of Skills Training in Prisons' in Malawi


This new programme aims to provide inmates with skills that will enable them to engage in various income generating activities to help improve their lives and communities after their release. MPS has welcomed the new programme as it complements well the prisons’ efforts towards inmate rehabilitation.

“This is a good programme as it will support our efforts for rehabilitation. Malawi Prisons Service does not have enough materials to support the population of inmates. Therefore, the new programme with support from DVV International has come at the right time,” he says.

This milestone programme is being implemented in collaboration with partner the Centre for Human Rights Education Advice and Assistance (CHREAA). CHREAA, which was founded in 2000, is a Malawian organisation that advocates for human rights, including the rights of prisoners, and provides legal advice and support for vulnerable and marginalised groups in the country. Its mission is to promote and protect human rights by assisting vulnerable and marginalized people in Malawi. (www.chreaa.org).

CHREAA Executive Director, Victor Mhango, urges the inmates to take the lessons seriously, adding that the skills they will acquire are centred on creating business opportunities for community integration.

“When released from jail, either through completion of sentences or pardon, may the inmates invest in these skills for the country to have productive citizens that contribute to socioeconomic development,” he says.

Both Makumba and Zomba Central Prison Officer in Charge, Thom Mtute, say the partnership and support from DVV International and CHREAA will go a long way in improving the current situation in prisons.

“The department continues to register increases in the re-offending rate due to ineffective rehabilitation services. Research has shown that rehabilitation and reformation is the most effective strategy for addressing re-offending,” says Makumba.

DVV International Regional Director for Southern Africa, David Harrington, asserts that education is a key to the provision and access of basic needs for the inmates. As the vision of DVV International states – we fight poverty through education. “Education opens doors for success in life. If you don’t have education, you can achieve little”.

Skills acquisition alone may not solve all of the inmates’ problems, but it can help them to improve their livelihoods by providing them with better opportunities after their release.

— Dezio Makumba, MPS Commissioner for Administration

Education is a human right, and this is also valid for people in prison. In most of the African countries, the right to education is guaranteed for the incarcerated. However, although this right exists on paper, the reality on the ground is often different. Prisons still struggle to provide access to education. This situation persists despite the fact that it is widely accepted that education is an essential prerequisite for successful rehabilitation and social reintegration for prisoners and offers them a real prospect of escaping from a cycle of crime and incarceration.

“To improve educational opportunities, especially for disadvantaged groups, is a central concern of the work of DVV International, and prisoners in Malawi belong to the most disadvantaged groups. The provision of education in prisons is therefore essential. Skills acquisition alone may not solve all of the inmates’ problems, but it can help them to improve their livelihoods by providing them with better opportunities after their release.”

Development experts are unanimous that prison education is a cost-effective way to reduce crime that leads to long-term benefits for society. Prisons with adult learning and education programmes also experience less violence among prisoners, which creates a safer and healthier environment for both inmates and prison staff.

Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG4) of the United Nations’ SDG 2030 agenda aims to ensure quality and inclusive education for all and the promotion of lifelong learning. Among the targets of SDG4, countries should by 2030 substantially increase the number of youths and adults who have relevant skills, including technical and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship. The Constitution of the Republic of Malawi guarantees the right to education, and this fundamental right includes inmates in prisons, for whom education is essential to improve their lives.

Section 25 (1) of The Constitution of the Republic of Malawi states that all citizens are entitled to education. Furthermore, Section 6(a) states that the government will provide adequate resources to the education sector and devise programmes in order to eliminate illiteracy in Malawi. However, the government alone cannot meet the financial burden and technical challenge of ensuring the educational demands of all Malawians are met. It is essential that the donor community, civil society and stakeholders across various sectors work together to ensure that the fundamental right to education is met.

As was the case with John, many prisoners with low levels of education often find themselves without financial resources or social support systems upon their release from prison and are therefore vulnerable and more likely to re-engage in crime rather than becoming reintegrated into society. It is hoped that the ALE in Prisons programme will contribute to improving life outside prison for people like John.

The programme which was officially launched on 13th November, 2020 at Zomba Central Prison is being funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).