Freeing Children from Prison

As you approach the Chikurubi Women‘s Prison in Zimbabwe you hear the unexpected sound of young children laughing. From the tone of their excited voices, you would not know that just a few months ago these children were forced to spend every day and night in prison, where their mothers are serving out their sentences.

Women with small children and expectant mothers who are sent to prison often have no choice but to bring their children with them. But thanks to Prison
Fellowship Zimbabwe, these children now spend their days in a healthy and happier environment.

Through support from a local church and funding from the Greystone Park Christian Fellowship in Harare, Zimbabwe, Prison Fellowship recently completed construction of a day care facility that accommodates 30-50 children between the ages of nine months through five years. The day care centre is on prison grounds, on land allocated to PF by the Zimbabwe Prison Service. Trained PF volunteers operate the centre, reading to and playing with the children throughout the day. The volunteers cuddle the babies and engage the children in constructive activities. They read to them, teach them new songs and let them run around with their new playmates.

Sadly, many of the children arrive at the centre sick or malnourished. Some suffer from the scourge of AIDS, inherited from their mothers. PF‘s day care centre provides all the children with healthy meals and snacks, and PF has arranged for volunteer doctors to visit the centre periodically to treat the children‘s medical needs. Despite the help from volunteers, running the centre is costly and PF is trying to secure outside funding in order to purchase more food and supplies.

Although it‘s only been open for a few months, PF‘s day care centre has already become a source of light for these children in what was a very dreary and dark place.