News2014

NEWS 2014

November 2014

The container which will bring toys, bed linen, blankets, wheel chairs, hospital mattresses and much more to the Zambian prisons, was packed and shipped today!

Thanks to the help from especially Jette Egelund and Erik Stensgaard, Anne (Ubumi Chairperson) was able to proudly ship it off today.

Special thanks also goes to Ulla Singh, Nives and Lena Kresojevic and Ann Kledal for their invaluable help and contributions - and then there are too many to name, but sincere thanks goes to every single person, who decided to donate all these really good things. I also wish to thank Seniors without Borders and 'Nødhjælpsdepotet' for their invaluable contributions!

SEMINAR ON MONDAY THE 18TH OF AUGUST

Seminar coming up on Monday 18th of August

Ubumi Prisons Initiative Seminar

Prisons, Human Rights and the Experience of Imprisonment

Venue: Holte Library, Holte Midtpunkt 23, 2. sal, 2840 Holte

Aim: To provide participants with insight into research on prisons, particular in relation to

Human rights, abolitionism and prisoners

Experiences and Effects of imprisonment – over all and with a focus on selected vulnerable groups: Women, juveniles and the ill.

9.00 - 9.15

Welcome and Coffee

Anne Egelund, Chairperson

9.15 – 10.15

Embracing Human Rights in Ugandan Prisons

Tomas Martin, PhD, Danish Institute for Human Rights

10.15 – 10.30

Tea/Coffee, fruits and veggies

10.30 – 12.00

Abolitionism and Human Rights – Who’s Deserving of Rights? Current burning issues in prisons studies debates

David Scott, PhD, Liverpool John Moore’s University

12.00 – 12.20

Questions and discussion

Sofie Mulvad – moderator/discussant

12.20 – 13.00

Lunch with movie: ZNBC: A Day in the Life of a Prisoner

13.00 – 14.00

Intro Zambian prisons, Human Rights and Women prisoners, the Experience of Imprisonment and Coping Strategies of Prisoners

Anne Egelund, PhD student RUC and Chairperson Ubumi

14.00 – 15.00

Juveniles in Detention in Zambia

Sofie Mulvad, Rigspolitiet

15.00 – 15.25

Break – coffee and cake

15.25 – 16.05

Motivation of Ubumi volunteers, the ill and Lena’s personal experience of working in Mukobeko Maximum Prison

Lena Kresojevic, MA student, RUC

16.05 – 16.25

Questions and discussion

Jens Skov-Spilling – moderator/discussant

16.25 – 16.40

Wrap up of the Day – concluding remarks

Anne Egelund, Chairperson

June 2014

Our vegetable garden inside the walls of Mukobeko Maximum Prison is growing and providing much needed vegetables for the ill. Volunteers in the general prison population tend to the garden, and our inmate coordinator expertly oversees the work. Our own volunteer Lena also chipped in with planting on the field.

Unfortunately, we have not yet been granted permission to take photos, but we promise it looks great and the food goes to the benefit of the ill.

Big thank you's to Zambia Prisons Service, in particular the management of Mukobeko Maximum Prison for their support to the project. Also, a very big thank you to our inmate coordinator, Kupe, and to all the volunteers who work tirelessly for the benefit of their sick inmates.

April 2014

We have good news: We have received funding for a container shipment for the Zambian prisons. We are collecting things in the wider Copenhagen area and Sealand.

Here's the list of what we need:

1. Toys (age 0-6)

2. Computers

3. Paint and related things

4. Bed sheets

5. Mattresses

6. Adult nappies

7. Nappies (cotton)

8. Shelves and boxes for toys

9. Children’s books

10.Books for adults

11.Tables and chairs for ‘play corners’

12.Tools for gardening, mechanics and carpentry tools

13.Sewing machines

14.Plastic cups and plastic plates

THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTRIBUTION!!!

April 2014

Today, we publish our first story in a series of stories of prisoners. First up is Khuupe Kafunda, our much valued inmate coordinator, who is a prisoner working inside prison for Ubumi. Read more under testimonies.

April 2014

Today, seeds for the vegetable project was delivered by our amazing volunteer project manager Lena Kresojevic. The project will ensure a regular supply of vegetables for the seriously ill patients. It will also be the start of a process, where the prison with time can become self sufficient in terms of providing vegetables for the sick. The seeds delivered today is part of phase 1, where a plot inside the prison perimeter is planted. If this phase proves succesful, we will expand outside prison.

March 2014

A plea for help! We run out of funds for the ill and the children in only 3 months. We desperately need your help to keep things going. We always plan as much as we can, but fundraising is essentially unpredictable. We NEED your help to save lives. Please give us any available amount you have. It will go to a place where it will be deeply appreciated.

Go to the front page to see how you can support us. Thank you.

March 2014

Anne Egelund has as part of her PhD published an article with the title 'Masculinity, Sex and Survival in Zambian prisons' in the Prison Service Journal of March 2014 titled Everyday Prison Governance in Africa.

January 2014

The LEGO foundation has generously decided to fund us with DUPLO LEGO and clothes for our children in prison. We will get enough for LEGO for 20 children, and plenty of clothes. Thank you to LEGO. We will now work towards establishing 'Play Corners' in the prisons based on LEGO and other donated clothes.

The next mission is to find someone who will fund us with paint, children's chairs and tables and more to create an environment inside the prison that brings the children's need for play, stimulation and care into focus. We have donated toys before and it is such a pleasure to see when children who haven't seen toys before start playing like they always knew how to.