News
25 May 2009APP in talks with new trustees
After months of searching for experienced individuals to join its growing board of trustees, APP is now in talks with a number of potential candidates.
APP has been in desperate need of new trustees for some time. Trustees are the people who help govern a charity: they may help run the organisation on a daily basis or may keep a more distant approach, but trustees always have the long-term goals of a charity in mind as they help it to grow. APP needs to expand its trustee board (currently only three people) with individuals experienced in one or more of the following areas: prisons, education, healthcare, palliative care, charity management/administration/governance and fundraising.
“I’m really hopeful that we’ll be able to expand our excellent board of trustees,” said Alexander McLean, APP’s director-general. “Our trustees do a sterling job but for APP to continue to grow we need more in-depth expertise.”
If you are interested in finding out more about the available positions, please email one of the APP’s existing trustees Lyn McLean on lynmclean@africanprisons.org.
23 May 2009African music night drums up funds and awareness
On 1 May, African Prisons Project hosted a night of live music in London. The event was held at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) designed to raise APP’s profile and widen its base of potential volunteers and donors.
The SOAS common room was the back-drop for a series of Ugandan and African inspired bands, which entertained the audience with a range of afro-funk beats and rhythms. APP volunteers were on hand to answer any questions from people who were interested in the charity’s work. APP volunteer Rowan Hunter, who spoke to many people interested in the charity, said: “The event roused the interests of a wide variety of people, from a range of professions and backgrounds. One teacher came up to me pondering the idea of taking a year out to help with APP’s education projects, while a musician approached me with the idea of working with prisoners.”
The packed-out event was free of charge, with revellers taking advantage of the opportunity to sample some Ugandan dishes and cheap student union bar prices. It is hoped the event can be replicated, to extend public awareness of APP’s work, as well as helping to raise funds for upcoming projects. “We raised nearly £500,” said APP volunteer and event co-organiser Adam Smith. “Hopefully we can do it again and raise even more.”
07 Apr 2009APP plans afro-funk night to raise funds
APP has teamed up with Ugandan musicians and new volunteers to organise a rhythmical evening of music, food and partying. It is hoped that the Afro-funk Breakout night will raise funds and awareness for APP, and inspire new volunteers.
The evening will be held at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) in London on 1 May 2009, from 7pm. Entrance to the venue is free, but APP will be collecting donations on the night. This is an exciting new way to raise funds and awareness for APP; the idea came from Charlie Shuttler, a student at SOAS and fan of APP’s Condemned Choir album. Charlie, who wrote an essay on the album and how music can be used for social reform, has secured some of London’s biggest Ugandan and Ugandan-inspired musicians. Acts include Seby Ntege, Gravy Train and Afrik Bawantu.
“I’m really excited about Afro-beat Breakout,” said Adam Smith, APP’s communications officer (UK) and co-organiser of the event. “As a punter I’m looking forward to grooving to the music, and as an APP volunteer I’m looking forward to raising APP’s profile among those interested in Africa.”
Alexander McLean, APP’s director-general, will be on campus during the day to give talks to seminar groups and on the student radio station.
For more info, and to download a flyer, visit the Afro-beat Breakout Facebook page here.
28 Mar 2009£650 raised at street collection day
Volunteers from across the country helped APP raise a staggering £650 at a recent street collection day.
Over 20 volunteers - both old and new to APP - came to help the small charity raise funds for the health centre at Gulu. The fundraisers concentrated their efforts around Borough Market on a busy Saturday, cajoling donations from passers-by, hungry market shoppers and even the occasional ex-pat Ugandan! “I had a blast!” said Adam Smith, APP’s communications officer (UK). “It was so much fun to see a bunch of people, all wearing bright yellow, chanting and singing to help raise funds for the Gulu health centre.”
Diana Opio, one of APP’s trustees, even brought her three willing daughters along to help out. “It is amazing what a small group of people can achieve!” she said. “It was a great day which was full of fun and good spirit. We really appreciate everyone’s time, energy and commitment!”
APP hopes to hold more fundraising days in the future. If you’d like to help out please email adamsmith@africanprisons.org.
24 Mar 2009Coup For APP
Short term, widely experienced volunteers, Deirdre Heath and Sandra Worthington, visiting from London to advise APP with regards to planning literacy programs in prison libraries, discovered lots of copies of Waiting For Godot (the black comedy by Samuel Beckett) in APP’s Remand Prison Library in Luzira.
They introduced the play to the drama group in Condemned Section Luzira last week and were very pleased with the enthusiasm and interest this generated with the inmates. Enthused by this reponse they approached renowned educationist/writer/broadcaster Fagil Mandy and he agreed to run a follow up workshop with the Condemned inmates on Monday 23rd March.
The event was a great success and long term APP volunteer Rowan Emslie agreed to help run a weekly workshop/rehearsal alongside Mr Mandy with a view to getting a full production staged at the start of May 2009.
’It“s great to see inmates really getting excited about something,” he said. “It’s an activity that lots of people can get involved with and that stimulates people in a creative way, which is all too rare in a prison environment.”
19 Mar 2009Prison staff and inmates utilise library’s potential
Prisoners and staff have been working together to categorise the 6,000 books donated to the library at Kampala Remand.
It is one thing to collect thousands of donated books from the UK, have them shipped to Uganda through Kenya, and construct the largest prison library in Uganda to house them. It is another task entirely to organise the books into a categorised system that creates a useful environment for the 100 people who use the facility every day.
The painstaking task of categorising every book in the library, built by APP in Kampala Remand last year, has been taken on by an unlikely coalition of a few inmates and a wardress from the prison. Their task is to re-organise all the books that were placed in vague subject order (perhaps hastily) for the opening of the library, and re-sort them according to the Dewey system, a copy of which was donated along with the books.
Led by APP’s full time librarian, Glorias Asiimwe, prisoners have been sorting all the books, and attaching colour-coded stickers containing the appropriate Dewey Classification and re-shelving in a more organised fashion than before. While the organisation process has only been going for a few weeks, already the team looks like a well-oiled machine, and is churning through the books in the library.
Inmates are also helping with the daily functions of the library. Ntale Hassan, Mugisha Winter, Herbert Kimboowa, Asiira Sam and Jude Ocama all help to open the building in the morning, drawing curtains and opening windows, and keep the facility clean and tidy with the books on the right shelves. One prisoner has even been nominated to make sure other prisoners do not remove books from the library, and upon exiting the library, every inmate should expect to be patted down.
Under the instruction of Asiimwe, Ugandan Prison Service wardress Evelyn Akidi is being trained on the operations and management of libraries. Evelyn has already seen the benefits of the new library. “The prisoners are no longer idle,” she said. “They have an activity to keep them busy, some are even learning English for the first time.” Once the categorising of the books in the library is complete, it is hoped that Akidi will take over management of the library, so that Asiimwe can work on APP’s new libraries.
Every prisoner who has taken part in helping the operations and organisation of the library will receive a certificate from APP, recognising and commending the good work they have done. APP also hopes the scheme of training prison staff to act as librarian will continue throughout all upcoming library projects.
18 Mar 2009APP quiz night this Friday!
The alumni association of a London school is hosting a quiz night and raffle to raise money for APP, with the top prize a meal at a De Vere Venues house.
The Old Kingstonian Association, made up of former pupils from Kingston Grammar School (KGS), is holding a quiz between KGS, Hampton School and Tiffin School. The organisers are hoping to raise money for APP by holding a raffle on the evening. The top prize, a meal for two at Davenport House in Greenwich, will be an enticing draw for most. More information about the house can be found by clicking here. The evening takes place from 7pm at Hampton Wick Cricket Club.
APP director general Alexander McLean will also be giving a talk to the competitors at the quiz night.
17 Mar 2009New staff and systems boost to APP Uganda
APP’s operations in Uganda have been ramped up a notch with the recruitment of new specialised members of staff and the introduction of a new IT system.
The charity has hired three new members of staff - Monica Basemera, Olive Ajambo and Brian Wamala - to lend their expertise to the areas of fundraising, accounting and administration respectively.
Along with these new staff members comes the creation of a network to link the four new computers in the APP office. That has been augmented with new wireless internet to upgrade the working environment.
“We used to have only one internet connection and one laptop,” remembers Rowan Emslie, APP’s communication officer (Uganda). “It was a nightmare as you’d just be hanging around the whole time wanting to get on with things.” Another volunteer, Rowan Hunter, agreed. “Now we can send documents to each other and work on things simultaneously,” he said. “It makes the whole process of planning and fundraising for projects so much smoother.”
16 Mar 2009APP scores high with sporting welfare scheme
Prisoners in Uganda have been participating in a major sporting tournament, as part of APP’s welfare initiative.
On 24 February 2009, prisoners in the condemned section of Luzira Prison participated in the final of the Aileen Chapple Cup, a sports tournament sponsored by APP. As part of the charity’s welfare initiative, the tournament was aimed at stimulating the prisoners both mentally and physically. Due to the severe lack of space in condemned section, events were on a small scale; nonetheless there were hotly contested indoor games of ludo, chess, playing cards, dominoes, scrabble and draught.
The main event of the day was the final of the outdoor event, volleyball. The winners of this were to receive the Aileen Lily Chapple Cup. While it was a close match, the eventual winners were the condemned section team that went by the name of “Spurs”, with second place in the competition going to “Miracles”.
Prizes were handed out in a ceremony afterwards. Guests from APP were treated to songs and a variety of speeches from inmates and prison warders. Winners of last year’s art competition also received art supplies as prizes at the ceremony. Art from this competition had been sold to various people, including new APP patron Mrs Justice Dobbs, to raise funds for APP and condemned section, with a lot of it now decorating the charity’s African headquarters.
“As a gesture of goodwill,” explained Rowan Hunter, administration officer, “APP brought in a vast quantity of soap and razor blades for all inmates. This surprised the officer-in-charge of the condemned section, who told me later that he was surprised at how ‘civil and fair the inmates were at dividing the donations’.”
For a number of new members of staff for APP, this was their first time in Condemned Section. Most were surprised by the warm welcome which they received and the upbeat mood of the men all sentenced to death.
Monica Basemera, APP’s new fundraising officer, said: “The team spirit and solidarity among the inmates was truly inspiring. The atmosphere of the condemned section was not at all how I expected, it was upbeat and happy, and the opposite of the dreary, depressing place I anticipated.”
Renzo van Diepen, APP’s assistant director, also entered the condemned section for the first time. “I found the whole experience surreal,” he said. “As we were watching the very upbeat and happy prisoners, we were at the same time sitting on the steps that lead to the gallows.”
17 Feb 2009UPS nurse urges action on palliative care
A Ugandan nurse, sponsored by APP to attend a conference on palliative care, has devised an action plan for improving the palliative care system of the Uganda Prison Service (UPS).
Beatrice Ocom has urged the UPS to send health workers to the next Biannual Palliative Care Conference to help her provide palliative care in the prison system. In September 2008 APP had sponsored Ocom to attend the conference herself. “I strongly recommend that a team of four health workers are facilitated to attend next year,” she said.
Ocom hopes that the UPS, together with APP, can expand the current palliative care service in Ugandan prisons which only operates in the Luzira complex in Kampala, covering only four out of 222 prisons. “It is APP’s hope that we, in conjunction with Hospice Africa Uganda, can continue to help the growth of this care service,” said Rowan Emslie, communications officer (Uganda).
22 Jan 2009Death penalty upheld in Uganda
The Constitutional Court of Uganda yesterday declared the death penalty constitutional, ending the legal challenge brought by over 400 prisoners. The courts also upheld hanging as the method of execution.
The disappointing news was tempered by the court’s decision that a stay on death row for more than three years, after the appeals process has been exhausted, was unconstitutional, and to declare the mandatory death sentence unconstitutional. Around 99% of condemned inmates are serving mandatory sentences; consequently, all of these inmates will be given the opportunity to go to court to present mitigation pleas and appeal their sentence. APP, in collaboration with the Centre for Capital Punishment Studies (CCPS), will be assisting in the compilation of mitigation pleas for condemned inmates that do not have adequate legal representation.
The average capital case takes ten years to complete the appeals process. As a result, most condemned inmates are yet to exhaust their appeals. Despite the fact that most condemned inmates have spent around a decade on death row, this will not mean that they will be eligible for a sentence reduction, as they have not yet exhausted their appeals. The court’s decision only renders a three-year stay on death row unconstitutional if those three years are following the highest appeal court’s conviction. For the few condemned inmates that have spent more than three years on death row, following the completion of their appeals, their death sentences will be reduced to life imprisonment.
The impartiality of the court’s decision is questionable. President Museveni’s influence on the decision was illustrated throughout the hearing, as the judges repeatedly voiced their apprehension regarding defiance of the executive. The fact that Museveni pardoned several political dissidents the day before the court ruling suggests that he had a hand in the decision making process of the Constitutional Court. Despite the unconvincing transparency of the court, the judgment to abolish the mandatory death sentence and long stays on death row is a progressive step. The importance of this decision should not be underestimated; it indicates that human rights culture has infiltrated Ugandan society. This decision marks a triumph for those who advocate a rehabilitative criminal justice system, as opposed to a retributive one.
17 Jan 2009APP launches pioneering psychology project
In partnership with BasicNeeds, an international charity working to build a better world with mentally ill people, APP volunteer Kerry Ann Akers is spearheading a project that will start in early February to give condemned inmates access to mental health care for the first time.
“Condemned inmates are among the most likely, in any society, to develop mental health problems,” said Akers. “There is only one mental health hospital in Uganda and it lacks a maximum security unit. Consequently, mentally ill inmates are detained on death row, where access to any form of treatment is severely limited.”
Both prisons and mental health schemes are among the most underfunded sectors in Uganda so APP is particularly pleased to be involved with this important new project.
For more information email kerryannakers@africanprisons.org or admin@africanprisons.org.
24 Dec 2008ICAP funding success for APP
APP has received a significant donation from ICAP, the world’s premier interdealer broker, as part of the organisation’s annual Charity Day.
ICAP raised a total of £11 million in one day of frantic trading on 10 December 2008. The staggering figure (ICAP’s largest yet in 16 years of holding the annual event) will be split between over 100 charities worldwide. APP is immeasurably pleased to be one of them. The day itself was a madcap frenzy of fancy dress, fun - and plenty of trading.
Michael Spencer, ICAP’s chief executive officer, said: “To raise over £11 million in one day is an incredible achievement, particularly in the current environment. It is the efforts of our customers, staff and supporters that made Charity Day 2008 such a fantastic success. Many needy people around the world will benefit from their efforts.”
APP was represented at the event by the charity’s patron, former chief inspector of prisons Lord Ramsbotham and APP volunteers Toby Brown, legal director; Nicholas Brown, assistant director; and Adam Smith, communications officer. Lord Ramsbotham also represented the Shannon Trust, along with its CEO David Ahern. The Shannon Trust operates an award-winning peer mentoring programme in UK prisons to teach prisoners to read. For more details, go to www.shannontrust.org.uk.
For a full list of the charities that participated in this year’s event, go to www.icapcharityday.com.
16 Dec 2008Work gets underway on university project
As APP’s latest project takes off, the charity is calling urgently for funds. In conjunction with expanding the APP library in Luzira Maximum Security Upper Prison to include thousands of new books, a university correspondence network is being put in place to allow inmates to study, from basic literacy through to degree level, but as ever, funds remain the only obstacle.
APP volunteers in Uganda have begun sorting donated books into skill level categories – including O and A level – to allow them to be transferred once construction is finished. Gordon Binomugisha, APP’s engineer, has been busy preparing quotes for the project. In addition, Alexander McLean, APP’s director-general, is the chair of the University Library Infrastructure Committee, on which representatives of Uganda Prison Service sit, so he has oversight of the entire project even beyond APP. Volunteers have also secured funding for all the furniture in the library. The final challenge is to find the funding needed for the actual construction.
“We estimate that the cost of building the structure will come to £10,000,” said Rowan Emslie, administration and project officer. “We have been looking for funding from various different sources and are very open to hearing new possibilities for obtaining this final lump sum that will allow us to implement the project.”
16 Nov 2008Kingston Parish Church holds fundraiser for APP
A fundraising event was recently held by Kingston Parish Church (KPC) in aid of APP. Also known as All Saints Kingston, the church sits in the centre of Kingston Upon Thames and has a 1000-year history including the crowning of Saxon kings. As part of its missions project, KPC held a bazaar in the church which, despite terrible weather, raised much needed funds for APP.
Reverend Sandy Cragg commented: “Our mission projects aims to raise funds for the poorest and neediest. Who could be needier than people stuck in prison in Africa? We heard of the impressive work of APP and thought this was something in keeping with our beliefs that would make maximum use of the funds we could raise.”
The money raised will be put towards APP’s much needed funds for next year’s prison projects. APP wishes to send a special thanks to Sandy, KPC’s rector the Reverend Jonathan Wilkes, the KPC Missions Committee and to everyone who gave their time and money to make the bazaar a success. For more information on KPC please visit www.allsaintskingston.co.uk.
4 Nov 2008Volunteers raise funds for university project
A trio of volunteers is hoping to raise funds to help build a university library at Luzira Prison.
The group, based in southwest London, is heading out to Uganda this week. It consists of school friends Tom Loan, Rowan Emslie and Rowan Hunter. The three are even doing a sponsored walk just before they go to raise some cash. If you wish to donate, click here.
“We’re all in our gap years and have volunteered to go to Uganda to help APP,” said Emslie, the group leader. “The £10,000 target is the estimated total for the next APP project: building a university library in the Luzira Prison in Kampala. Any donations are welcome, no matter how small or large. Any donation helps the project move forward and will be gratefully received.”
31 Oct 2008Director-general becomes a Fellow of the Royal Society
The Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA) has made Alexander McLean, APP’s director-general, a fellow. The appointment will enable Alexander to network with other social entrepreneurs and leaders from many sectors.
The RSA has been a cradle of enlightenment thinking and a force for social progress for over 250 years. The politically independent organisation provides platforms for the encouragement of public discourse by experts in science, ethics and the environment; leaders in the commercial, voluntary and public sectors; social entrepreneurs; cutting-edge practitioners in the worlds of literature, film, dance, new media and the visual arts; opinion formers and journalists; and award-winning designers and architects.
Alexander is the latest fellow in an international network of 27,000. He said: “I am delighted to have been elected as a fellow of the RSA. It is a great honour for me and APP. Such awards also help to remind the prisoners with whom we work that the wider world is concerned about them.”
For more information about the RSA, click here.
25 Oct 2008High Commissioner and Cardinal open major APP projects in Kampala
British High Commissioner Martin Shearman and Uganda’s Cardinal Walama officially opened three major APP projects at Luzira Remand Prison during a high profile commissioning ceremony on 23 September 2008. The new prison infirmary, library and welfare office are now up and running after many months of construction work and extensive refurbishment by African Prisons Project (APP).
In addition to the unveiling of the projects, this was a prominent event highlighting the work undertaken by APP and its partners to improve prison life. It was therefore significant that the ceremony was also attended by a wide variety of guests including the media and a number of APP partners such as International Committee of the Red Cross, embassies, NGOs, educational establishments, and the senior officials from the Ugandan Prison Service (UPS).
The guests received a formal tour of the Toby Brown Infirmary, the Aileen Chapple Library and the new Welfare Office. The inmates, who had assisted the work on the ground, were able to join the open air ceremony which included the national anthems of Uganda and Great Britain, speeches and entertainment by the prisoners.
The commissioning delegation began by inspecting the fully renovated infirmary with new furniture, doors, plastering and floors, plus an covered extension. The infirmary also now features a secure dispensary, clean doctor’s room for consultations and treatment, and refurbished ward. Of particular importance to health are the new sanitary facilities.
The delegation then toured the new library building constructed by APP. The large single-room is filled with new tables and chairs for the inmates reading and lessons, plus a row of computers. And of course, thousands of books ranging from early literacy reading to A level texts and a selection of law books. The High Commissioner and Cardinal each handed over a symbolic book on APP’s behalf to the Commissioner General’s representative.
Guests were then shown to the new Welfare Office, which will provide the Welfare Officer secure office facilities, with desks and a computer, to ensure that the welfare work in the Remand Prison can be effective.
The event was concluded by a set of formal speeches, and the signing of a handover agreement between APP and UPS to ensure their maintenance and open access for prisoners.
Toby Brown, who joined Alexander and Lyn McLean in Uganda, commented “It was a tremendously significant day both for African Prisons Project and for the cause of improving conditions in prisons. This is demonstrated by the fact that APP’s projects were officially opened by the very supportive British High Commissioner Martin Shearman and Cardinal Wamala of Uganda. Moreover it celebrated the tireless work of APP teams in both Uganda and the UK, working with the inmates and the Ugandan Prisons Service. For my part, I was humbled by the honour that Alexander wanted to name the infirmary after me.”
A selection of photographs is available of the new projects.
13 Oct 2008‘Social philanthropy’ event promises funding boost
A cutting-edge fundraising event could prove a windfall for APP as the charity pitches for donations from generous individuals at a special event in October.
The Youth - The Funding Network (YTFN) evening will take place at 7pm on 15 October 2008 and all are welcome. YTFN is part of The Funding Network (TFN), an organisation that aims to change the way we give money to charities by making it a social event. Charities are invited to deliver a short presentation about their work to a room full of potential donors in a social environment. Audience members then decide whether to donate time or money to the charities. YTFN is dedicated to inspiring people aged 18-30 to help charities. Tickets are £15, but two-thirds of this goes to the charities.
Suzy Burrow, APP’s fundraising manager, said: “YTFN inviting us to pitch for funding is a very exciting opportunity for APP. This will give us the opportunity to raise both funds for the vital Gulu project and awareness of APP among new donors and potential partners.”
The event will take place at Café 1001, 1 Dray Walk, 91 Brick Lane, London E1 from 7pm. For more information on YTFN, click here.
24 Sep 2008APP scoops major funding from Vodafone
APP has won a substantial funding boost from the World of Difference programme, a philanthropic initiative run by mobile phone network Vodafone. The grant will be between £25,000 and £45,000.
Vodafone’s admirably simple programme encourages applications from individuals wishing to work for their elected charity for one year. Successful applicants receive a ‘salary’ of £25,000 and can claim up to an additional £20,000 in expenses. Alexander McLean, APP director-general, applied for the scheme seeking the financial support necessary for him to continue his role.
Alexander said: “I’m delighted to have won this award as it will help me to continue with the work I do for APP without having the financial pressures that come with being a volunteer. It is a great honour for African Prisons Project to be recognised in this way and I hope this will be the beginning of a new and very fruitful stage of our development.”
Adam Smith, APP spokesman, added: “This substantial award is simply wonderful news. It means Alexander can continue working to root our base in Uganda and overseeing our many ongoing projects in prisons. Also, it’s nice to see a company as large as Vodafone running such a straightforward scheme for individuals seeking to work in the charity sector. We’re over the moon with this grant.”
For more information about World of Difference, click here.
14 Aug 2008Diana Opio joins trustee board
APP has welcomed Diana Opio as a new trustee. Diana’s experience as a palliative care nurse - and her expertise in African culture - will be a real bonus for the young charity.
Diana was working with Hospice Africa in Uganda when she met Alexander McLean, who later founded APP. When Alexander built the sickbay at Luzira Prison, Diana attended the opening ceremony and then continued supporting the prison by visiting regularly to donate books. Diana was also present at the opening ceremonies of the sickbay and condemned section at Luzira Women’s Prison, and the libraries for the maximum security prison and the men’s death row.
Diana said: “I’m looking to maintain my interest in and connection with Africa and its prisons, and to continue being able to do something positive in Africa. I love Africa and since I’ve been back in the UK it’s very hard to find work with an African context. So my appointment to the board of trustees will help keep that interest alive.”
10 July 2008Toby Brown succesfully completes six-month project
Toby Brown has successfully completed his six months helping full time to set up APP as a professionally run charity.
Toby started helping APP in May 2007 whilst he was training as a barrister. He assisted pro bono by incorporating APP as a limited company, and subsequently as a registered charity. In January 2008 Toby began six-months full time volunteering with the aim of establishing firm roots for the charity both in Uganda and moreover the UK. This year Toby has managed the recruitment of several permanent volunteers in the UK, and inducted new trustees, so that he steps down as a trustee with APP’s future secure. In particular he founded a number of guidelines to manage both Ugandan and UK operations, and helped raise significant funds for the charity through funding applications.
Toby said: “I was delighted last year to have helped pro bono whilst training as a barrister, regarding the incorporation and charity registration of APP, and accordingly became a director over a year ago. It was a big move to then effectively take a career break to work on APP for six months. My firm hope is that the changes I have initiated, the people brought on board, and the many tasks I led, will continue to strengthen APP as it moves forward this year and into the future.”
Alexander McLean, director general of APP, thanked Toby for the “tremendous amount” of effort he has committed to APP, adding: “The last six months has seen a very big change in the way that we do very many things, meaning that APP is now on a very much stronger footing than when Mr Brown became involved. Mr Brown has been deeply involved in all aspects of APP and has introduced a great many new systems to make us a more effective organisation and a more attractive one to invest in. I think it would be very appropriate to name the sickbay at Kampala Remand Prison the Toby Brown Infirmary.”
APP wishes Toby well in his continuing role with Robin Knowles CBE QC on pro bono development and an exiciting new legal charity. Next year he looks forward to continuing his career at the Bar. Fully behind APP, he plans to continue to advise APP and in due course assist APP’s legal project.
21 Jun 2008Women’s school and library planning commences
APP has commenced planning an ambitious project to install educational facilities for female prisoners in Luzira Prison, Uganda.
Currently Luzira’s female wing has no dedicated education rooms and no library. When Toby Brown was in Uganda recently he consulted with the Ugandan Prison Service, inmate leaders and representatives of educational and charitable organisations. It was clear that lack of educaton was the biggest outstanding problem for female inmates. Providing the infrastructure to enable female inmates to learn is crucial in making long-term changes at the prison. APP and partner engineers have surveyed a derelict on-site building perfect for regeneration and conversion to an education centre.
There will be many challenges in getting this project underway. The initial challenge will be to sensitise female prisonsers to the benefits of education. Ensuring that this project is planned and funded will be the crucial first steps before any infrastructure work is undertaken. Adam Smith, APP spokesperson, said: “We’re currently looking at how to get this project off the ground and would welcome donations of any size. It’s expected that building the education centre will cost up to £10,000, so we have an uphill struggle. If you wish to donate money to help APP, please use our online donation facility by clicking here. For large donations, please contact us.”
11 Jun 2008Toby returns from successful Uganda visit
APP’s legal director and trustee Toby Brown has returned to the UK after visiting the charity’s recently established base in Kampala. His first task was to negotiate and sign the tenancy agreement for the new base in Kampala.
Alexander, the charity’s director, has been working on establishing our operations in Uganda and commencing a range of projects to improve the lives of prisoners. Toby’s trip enabled him to see at first hand the challenges and problems faced on the ground. Toby was able to strengthen the charity’s work by putting in place a number of management, operational and financial changes, all codified into procedures for all staff to use.
Toby said: “It was a very busy three weeks. We made some important structural and management decisions to strengthen the future of APP Uganda, which I hope will support Alexander’s fantastic work well into the future.”
3 Jun 2008Four new volunteers head to Uganda
A crew of four volunteers has recently flown to Uganda to help with APP’s current project at Luzira Maximum Security Prison.
The volunteers’ trip has been coordinated by Danya O’Meally, a volunteer and project manager for JUMP, a registered youth charity dedicated to training and propelling young people to achieve their full potential by supporting them to develop skills that they can carry away beyond their experiences. Danya will be joined by Selina Trezel, a Christian education department representative from Lee New Testament Church, Massy Rukuundo, a law student, and Christine Spencer, a nurse from London. Both Massy and Christine were born in Uganda.
Danya said: “APP’s genuine love and compassion and its willingness to get up close and personal in order to make authentic changes is what drew me to its work. I am looking forward to meeting the great people APP has worked with in Uganda - prisoners with a real understanding of freedom.”
Massy said: “Uganda is my home and I love it. I want to give as much as I can and APP has provided me with the opportunity to do this. At this stage in my life, it’s great to be able to give back even though I may not have that much to give. As a volunteer, APP is allowing me to give of what I do have.”
Keep checking back here for details of how the volunteers get on.
24 May 2008Film reveals death row plight
A short film underlining the plight of Uganda’s death row prisoners with a behind-the-scenes look at the making of Freedom Cry, the Condemned Choir’s CD, is now online.
The 14-minute film, “Death Row Choir”, is downloadable for free in RealPlayer format. It is produced by Journeyman Pictures, London’s leading independent distributor of topical documentaries. Journalist Joe Sinclair shot the footage during the recording of Freedom Cry at Luzira Maximum Security Prison in December 2007.
APP spokesman Adam Smith said: “This film gives you a clear idea of the harsh conditions in Uganda’s prisons and the passion with which the condemned prisoners can argue against the death sentence. As the Supreme Court decision approaches, APP urges everyone to watch this insightful film. We’d also like to thank Journeyman for producing the film.”
Visit the Journeyman site to view the Death Row Choir video.
9 May 2008Death penalty challenge imminent
Uganda’s death penalty is currently being challenged by a landmark appeal brought by more than 400 death row inmates. The case was due to go to the Supreme Court on 22 May 2008, however the hearing has been adjourned. No new date has been fixed for the hearing but it is expected to be held at the end of June or during July 2008.
Toby Brown, APP’s legal director, said, “This is a unique case in that it’s the first time all death row prisoners have appealed at the same time.”
A local firm, supported by a coalition of international lawyers, including leading human rights barrister Keir Starmer QC, is working on the constitutional challenge. APP hopes that the court will rule that any prisoner who has been on death row for less than three years will have to go through mitigation and resentencing. The charity then hopes to partner local lawyers with international lawyers to represent the inmates.
Read more about the Death Penalty Appeal.
18 Apr 2008APP revs up with new car
APP has finally purchased a car so that volunteers in Uganda can be transported easily.
Alexander and colleagues have traditionally used taxis or motorbike taxis, known as boda-bodas, to get around. But these are not a very safe option: boda-bodas are unregulated and can be dangerous, it can be time consuming to find a boda-boda driver and haggle him down to a sensible price, and it can look rather unprofessional arriving to a meeting with a commissioner of prisons on the back of a ramshackle moped.
Alexander told Letter from Africa: “We bought a 1995 Mitsubishi Pajero, and we’ve now got a driver called Isaac. It’s going to be a lot more convenient to transport our things. And we hope to get an APP logo printed on the side.”
19 Mar 2008Energy expert visits prisons
Shoko Okamura of Better Generation, an independent renewable energy company, recently visited APP in Uganda to inspect Kampala Remand Prison and Murchison Bay Hospital. She advised on using solar panels to power the medical facilities. APP will now install solar panels during the current refurbishment of the sickbay at Kampala Remand Prison.
22 Mar 2008Freedom Cry
Freedom Cry, an album of songs performed by death row inmates in Uganda, is out now.
The new CD was recorded by the Condemned Choirs of Luzira Prison, Uganda. The Freedom Cry CD was recorded in December 2007 during a visit by a team from the UK. All recording was done inside the Luzira Prison. The CD has been produced to help raise funds for African Prison Project.
You can purchase the CD for £8.00 plus £2.00 p&p at the Condemned Choirs website. All profits from the sale of this CD go towards the work of APP.
Press enquiries - please phone 020 8123 2090.
4 Mar 2008APP newsletter goes live
The first issue of APP’s new quarterly newsletter is now online, produced by Adam Smith. The newsletter has news stories, features and more. Click here to download Letter From Africa.
25 Feb 2008Books shipment sets sail
APP today finalised the shipment to Uganda of a consignment of books, computers and humanitarian items. In the last month trustee directors Toby Brown and Lyn McLean had been coordinating various stores across the country to ensure the items were ready to be shipped. Thanks particularly to Raj and Peter in Nottingham, and volunteers in Surrey: Shoko, Bhavisha, Tom, Suzy and Max. Our gratitude also goes to partner organisations CEVA Logistics, International Law Book Facility, Age Care and Diocese of Guildford. (Full stories to follow.)
14 Jan 2008Toby Brown commences new role
APP trustee director Toby Brown today took up a six-month post to focus on establishing the framework of the registered charity. “My first aim is build on the great successes of the student organisation and evolve APP into a well run organisation with the appropriate corporate governance,” said Toby. “My second principle aim is to coordinate a legal project to link legal organisations into our education and health aims in African prisons. And I’m sure along the way while managing our UK operations I will have a lot of fun!”
01 Dec 2007A Song of Freedom
Ben Ryan, one of the producers of Freedom Cry, has written a short article recounting his experience of working with APP and what it was like to go to Uganda to record the choirs:
In December 2007, I was part of a group of volunteers who journeyed to Uganda to record the Condemned Choirs of Luzira Prison. Our group included Steve Long, James Martin, Andi Bray and my father Martyn Ryan, who had originally heard APP founder Alexander McLean in a radio interview, which stirred him to contact the charity.
Alexander mentioned to Martyn that he would love to record the choirs in the prison. Knowing people in his church who would be able to pull this off, Martyn immediately offered to help. Once we were allowed in to the prison with our suspicious recording gear, we were directed to set up in the chapel with faces peering in through the bars and a loud football game going on outside. We spent three days recording as many songs as we could. The beaming smiles of the prisoners and the opportunity to encourage them with this recording were fantastic. The prisoners welcomed us like royalty every morning and not once did we feel intimidated or out of place.
Back in the UK we produced Freedom Cry, an album of the choirs we had recorded in Uganda. The whole trip was incredible: it was amazing to experience the joy that the prisoners have despite such horrid living conditions. They were an inspiration to every one of us.
22 Nov 2007Alexander McLean wins 2007 Beacon Prize Award
On Thursday 22 November, Alexander McLean became the overall winner of the 2007 Beacon Prize Awards.
The Beacon Prize Awards honour outstanding individuals who have given money, time or skills to create and help causes that enrich our communities in a wide variety of powerful ways. The Gala Prize Ceremony was held in the Banqueting House, Whitehall Palace, London, and was hosted by Martyn Lewis CBE.
Alexander won the Beacon Prize for Young Philanthropist of 2007 in recognition of his work as founder and director of the African Prisons Project. He was then named as the 2007 Beacon Prize Overall Winner and was presented with a £30,000 cheque by Campbell Robb, Director General of the Cabinet Office - Office of the Third Sector.
Read our new Press Release: Alexander McLean - 2007 Beacon Prize Winner dated 26 November 2007.
12 Nov 2007APP inspects former project
APP founder Alexander McLean and his father St Aubyn travelled to Kenya to inspect Kamiti Prison where the APP team had installed the 34,000-book library and refurbished the medical bay in 2006. They reported that APP’s work, particularly the library, had been well maintained. Alexander was especially delighted to see that the Kenyan Prisons Service had employed a librarian.
11 Sep 2007Alexander wins UK Graduate of the Year award
Alexander McLean has won the top prize in the annual Real World Graduate of the Year competition, for his inspirational work in African prisons. He beat four other graduates from various UK universities in the competition, which was presented at an awards ceremony in London on Tuesday, 11th September 2007.
This is the fourth year of the Real World Graduate of the Year awards, in which students are rewarded for extra-curricular, work-based or campus activities that demonstrate their attitude, energy and commitment, recognising that there is more to university than just academic achievement.
Real World’s founder, Darius Norell, said: “Alexander’s achievements are a real inspiration to us all..it was his commitment to improving conditions in African prisons that particularly grabbed our attention.”
Read more about Alexander winning the UK Graduate of the Year award.