Prison Education Programme

Guest post by Helen Fallon. 

It’s almost three years since I retired from my post as Deputy Librarian at Maynooth University Library, having worked there for 22 years.  Prior to that I worked at Dublin City University (DCU) Library.  While at DCU I took a career break and spent two years with Voluntary Services Overseas (VSO) teaching librarianship at the University of Sierra Leone.  This was a wonderful experience and gave me a real insight into how difficult it is to provide library services in a country where a book frequently costs a week’s wages or more. I’ve written about that experience (Fallon, 1994, 2003, 2006, 2017) and maintained a real interest in libraries in Africa. I  feel very strongly that libraries underpin education, which is key to development in African countries.   

 At the moment I am involved in a project to help develop a prison library in Malawi, in South East Africa, one of the poorest countries, in the world. I got involved in this through my sister’s  brother-in-law, Fr. Martin Reilly, who has worked there for a number of years. He is based in Mzuzu, the main city of the northern region and is actively working with various projects including the Prison Education Programme in the local Mzuzu Prison Service. Schools were established in Mzuzu Prison in 2003 for both men and women, and aim to give people the opportunity to create a better life when they are released. Some people cannot read or write so both primary and secondary education is provided. The programme also  offers the possibility of public university education, with successful candidates from Mzuzu Prison recently selected to study at Mzuzu University.  

Providing library and related resources presents major challenges, including lack of teaching and learning materials like textbooks, chalk, exercise books, pens and paper.  Nevertheless there have been significant achievement including admission of both female and male prisoners into various public universities and colleges; a number of  prisoners have learned to read and write; people have found jobs after release and importantly education gives prisoners a sense of achievement and self-worth.  

I  am raising funds to buy much needed books and other resources for the libraries in the male and female schools. I am working with Samuel Mwandira (Prison education coordinator), Fumbani Gondwe (prison chaplain) and Fr. Martin Reilly (St. Patrick’s missionary Society, Kiltegan, Co.Wicklow).  To date over €2,000 has been contributed and this has been used to purchase books. Some images are included. 

A book, which can be sourced locally, costs approximately €20. Please contact me on helenfallon@gmail.com, if you are interested in sponsoring a book. 

Margaret Shaba, Shop Assistant with
Fumbani Gondwe, Prison Chaplain in local shop

Samuel Mwandira,  Prison education co-ordinator   
with some of the new books purchased with Irish donations

 Rose Chitowe, Restorative Justice Facilitator, Fumbani Gondwe,
Prison Chaplain, Samuel Mwandira,  Prison education
co-ordinator in the Library