CHANCE FOR CHANGE

The funding from the Elevate prize will be used to enhance and improve the nature and extent of the support being provided to the participants of our Alternative to custody project. The funds will be utilized to increase the intake of young people in conflict with the law at our center as well as  acquire equipment that will be used in the provision of technical skills at the center and other youth prisons in Malawi.  8% of the country's prisons population is taken by young people. Facilities meant to support the growing numbers of young people in conflict with the law are  far from  the expected threshold required to cater for the  growing needs for reformatory centers in one of the poorest countries in the world. The funds will  be channeled towards improving living conditions of youth prison while intensifying the  rehabilitation processes of the young people in line with the expected  standards set by the United nations and other international organizations. Currently,  separation of young people from adults is rarely supervised,  sexual abuse is rampant and well documented, there is no education,  health and sanitation is poor, accommodation is inhabitable as inmates receive food only once in a day. 

Having seen a lot of poverty in Malawi due to various factors and more young people getting in conflict with  the law it is apparent that the future of the country is not as bright. I was raised in one of the most  violent parts of the outskirts of the capital of Malawi where most young people either end up in prison or dying due to their involvement in situations that pits against the law. These stories  motivated me to change the status quo. I always wanted to have a vehicle that could bring about change in  the lives of the young people and the narrative of the country. Chance for change came in  with a model called Alternative to custody. With this model, we have made tremendous impact as more young people have been removed from prison and have been empowered with skills that have changed their lives and  their communities.  We envisaged a future where no child ever spends their life behind bars when in conflict with  the law but rather a country where the youth  are given guidance and  opportunities to thrive.

Chance for Change  works with young people in prisons in Malawi. It is estimated that about 8% of all prisoners in Malawi are children under the age 18. Over half of these children have lost one or both parents while over 40% of these children did  not attend school.  It is evident that  the legal system in  the country is overwhelmed  with the case loads  and the prison system lacks  the  resources to care for inmates even using the minimum standard demanded by international law. Chance for Change offers the youth character development and provides them with skills in order to turn them into productive citizen. The institution removes young people that are imprisoned with adults and children in public youth prisons in order to offer them a conducive environment at its center in line with international standards and in compliance with Child Justice and Protection Act where they can be transformed. Upon completion of their rehabilitation  the youth are given  start -up tools and entrepreneurship skills. The organization also mediates between  the community and the youth to support the reintegration process in their respective communities. Regular follow up visits are done to monitor the children and their communities.

Chance for Change is the only organization in Malawi  running a private  center for young people in conflict with  the law. The alternative to custody disrupts  the status quo that  prisons are supposed to managed by the state using public funds with a purpose of punishing the offender to atone for crimes committed. 

The alternative to custody  project is a constant reminder of how the public prisons continue to break the  local and international laws and the constitutionality of the justice system. The system that imprisons young people let alone with adults and the justice system that does not offer rehabilitation to the young people in conflict with the law has no room in a modern world based on the rule of law and the observance and respect of human rights. 

The center that Chance for Change operates make the children feel that they are part and parcel of the society and their exclusion of any kind is extremely opposed to.  There is no imposition of hard labor as mandated by most prison sentences a common occurrence  in public prisons. 

The center provides the youth with access to health care, adequate food, clothing and decent shelter. 

The Chance for Change  identifies  young people in all prisons in the country. the children are provide with psycho social service as well as personal development skills.  

The organization has a working partnership with Child Case Review Board  which processes all the cases refereed in order to either removed entirely some children from prison or rehabilitate other at our center. 

The organization has also partnered with the judiciary in order to get children  that are sentenced to prison to enroll at the center.  The young are then inducted in various trainings which include mechanics, masonry, livestock production among others.  

These courses are carefully selected to offer the young with skills that will make the young people an integral part of the society. upon completion  the young people acquire certificates in  the various trades that they have been pursuing. 

The family members of the children are also allowed regular visits in order to maintain relationship and bond that is very crucial for the development of the children. The visits from guardians are first step towards a successful reintegration process. 

Our monitoring and evaluation reports indicate that all alumni from the center have not been in conflict with  the law.