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Mission/Vision, Goals & Activities

Purpose/Mission

Ubumi’s purpose is to contribute to the general improvement of conditions in prisons in Africa. Ubumi operates according to the WHO’s definition of health: "Health is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity." Ubumi aims to help create the best possible physical, mental, and social conditions for inmates and their children. Ubumi works towards the realisation of basic human rights both during and after imprisonment.
The focus is on improving the situation for particularly vulnerable groups in prisons, including the seriously ill, such as those affected by TB/HIV/AIDS, youth, pregnant women, people with mental illness, individuals with disabilities, refugees, mothers, and young children who stay in prison with their mothers. The goal is to improve the situation of inmates and their children both in prison and upon release. For children and youth, Ubumi also seeks to enhance conditions for their upbringing and future as citizens of their country.
The organisation aims to assist inmates with access to legal aid.
It also seeks to support children, ex-inmates, their families, and their communities in the reintegration process.
Ubumi works to promote openness and tolerance in society, based on a rights-based approach, to ensure the reintegration of former inmates and their children into society on equal terms with other citizens. For children and adults in prison, Ubumi focuses on ensuring that their rights are realised, including access to education, healthcare, and protection from abuse.
Ubumi strives to raise awareness about the conditions of inmates in prisons, including their rights. It also seeks to contribute to skills building and education for prisoners and ex-prisoners.
Ubumi wants to contribute to the building of skills ("skills building") and the education of prisoners and ex-prisoners.

Vision

“A humane correctional service founded on principles of human rights, where the right to life, health, family, education, and human development are at the centre.”

Ubumi’s work is based on internationally recognised principles and rights, including UN human rights conventions, particularly the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and the Nelson Mandela Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners. The work also adheres to ILO Convention 105 on the abolition of forced labour. Central to these instruments are the formulations on human freedom and dignity, as well as the prohibition of torture and inhuman or degrading treatment.
Ubumi aims to observe to generally accepted principles of good governance, transparency, and anti-corruption, particularly in a high-risk environment.
Methodologically, Ubumi applies a Rights-Based Approach (RBA), integrating international human rights standards into its development work. Ubumi’s starting point is that those deprived of their liberty should be treated humanely and with respect for human dignity. The organisation focuses on the obligations of authorities (duty-bearers) towards inmates and the capacity of staff to fulfil these obligations. Furthermore, it emphasises the rights and vulnerabilities of inmates (rights-holders) and their opportunities to assert their rights.
Ubumi works to mitigate the psychological, physical, social, and health consequences of imprisonment. Imprisonment is well-documented as deeply harmful to the mental, social, and physical health of inmates. Therefore, Ubumi’s goal is to improve prison conditions in these areas.
For children accompanying their mothers in prison: Children in prisons have the right to a good start in life, which includes love, support, care, food, education, and social development. All children have the right to a family, including living with their mothers in prison if no one else can adequately care for them.

Activities

Ubumi seeks to achieve its purpose by:

Initiating research and knowledge-based projects in prisons to improve inmate conditions.
Supporting prisons’ capacity to provide proper nutrition for inmates, such as through sustainable agriculture and vegetable projects, particularly targeting vulnerable groups, and, when possible, all inmates.
Donating food and medicine when other support options are unavailable or insufficient.
Conducting and sharing research and using existing research.
Collaborating with inmates, their organisations, civil society, other relevant organisations, and public authorities.
Advocating for legislation and public debate that protects inmate rights in prisons and promotes the use of alternative sentencing.

For children accompanying their mothers in prison:

Promoting the understanding that children accompanying their mothers in prison are a vulnerable group regarding health, nutrition, education, and physical, mental, and social development.
Raising awareness that children’s rights are often violated in prisons due to lack of resources, capacity, stigma, and discrimination.
Supporting governments with practical measures to ensure the health, nutrition, and social development of children in prisons.
Supporting children’s access to educational activities and their development, including opportunities to engage with society outside of prison, such as through preschools.
Assisting children of mothers serving long prison sentences who must leave their imprisoned mothers and have no families to return to, often requiring placement in children’s homes.
Supporting families raising children whose mothers are incarcerated, ensuring these children have access to health, nutrition, education, and social and psychological development on par with other children in the family and community.

Ubumi is registered with all relevant Danish authorities, such as SKAT and the Collection Board. It is also registered as an international NGO in Zambia.