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Capacity Building of IDPs, Legal Aid and Access to Justice Project

Al-Manar Voluntary Organization

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Background

Omdurman Women’s Prison is the biggest women prison in Sudan The prison receives women inmates with their children. The children are

kept for the whole period of imprisonment with their mothers.  On April 29th 2007, President Bashir granted a general pardon for

women prisoners serving short sentences (these are mainly women brewing alcohol). About 599 women were released. The same day about 27 women were brought to the prison charged for alcohol brewing. (2269)jan-april

Through May 31st 2007, 1108 women were held in custody, 830 of them on charges of brewing alcohol.

More than 80% are Southern Sudanese women natives and internally displaced women.

The number of children at Omdurman Women’s prison during this week is 246 children. Often times mothers are accompanied by more than one child into the prison.

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Objective and main activities of the project in Omdurman Prison

One of the main objectives: To improve the livelihood conditions of IDP women and reduce the risk of

being arrested and detained for illegal alcohol brewing.

Selected Activities: Provide IDP women released from prison with various income-

generating activities as an alternative to alcohol brewing, which many of them depend on as a main source of income.

A new activity – within the scope of this project - will be launched in July to provide vocational training and job opportunities in the health care sector. The activity will target 60 IDP women released from prison to train them as home health care providers (e.g. providing home-based health care for the disabled, elderly and patients suffering from chronic diseases).

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Expected Results

IDP women trained in new skills to provide alternative job opportunities.

IDP women released from prison for brewing alcohol able to start a new business alternative to alcohol brewing.

Released IDP women rehabilitated, gain skills and become productive members of society.

Risks of arrest and imprisonment for brewing illegal alcohol reduced

60 men and women from IDP camps trained as paralegals and active in awareness raising activities, investigations and the referral of difficult cases to professional lawyers.

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Target Groups/Beneficiaries

Primary beneficiaries of this project are IDPs living in the 4 camps/2 squatter areas in/and around Khartoum State with major emphasis on the most vulnerable groups such as:

1. Women (adolescents, female headed households, widows) who are brewing alcohol as a source of income (60 women).

2. 60 key individuals from the IDP communities who will be selected for training as paralegals

3. 500-700 IDP women inmates in Omdurman prison charged for illegal brewing of alcohol.

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Outcomes/ Impact

According to our monitoring and follow-up reports: 23 ex inmates are engaged in various income generating activities and

have a sustainable source of income after leaving the prison.

Fulfilled project objective of engaing 60 women inmates in various income generating activities within the prison. Currently 60 women inmates are active in the production of leather goods, tie and dye textiles, food products for sale.

The project contributed to the improvement of the standard of living of the beneficiary families. The project enabled the beneficiaries to more easily pay for the education of their children who are outside prison as well as procure health care services and improve their and their children’s access to food (additional meals) inside the prison.

Conflict between women inmates significantly diminished after the group received training in management skills, peace building and became busy with income generating activities.

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Improved health of children in the prison due to enhanced awareness of the women inmates and the increase in their income.

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Outcomes/impact cont.

The women trained in Small Scale Project Management made enormous progress in the application of taught tools, for example the use of accounting tools (accounting books, recording daily transactions, inventory books, estimates, invoices).

Strengthening of family ties; the project beneficiaries were able to regain respect and create more stability at home because they were able to send money, gained through their engagement in the income generating activities, to their families while they were in the prison.

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Listen to Siham Peter

Siham was previously imprisoned for brewing alcohol. She has four children and was worried sick, when we first met her, about the future of her family (her children and grandpmother) as she was the sole provider in the family. She got engaged in the project and was able to send money home and provide somewhat for her family from within the prison. She says: “Thanks to Al Manar we are less worried and the children are better taken care of”.

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Outcomes/Impact cont.

Improved relations between women inmates, prison wardens and social workers. The general atmosphere has greatly improved according to Al-Manar staff working in this project as well as the women prisoners themselves. Reported abuses by prison wardens against the women inmates have greatly decreased.

Activities that bring together prison wardens and women inmates have proved successful. Such activities have included: training and awareness-raising on health and nutrition issues, human rights, conflict resolution and peace building.

Al-Manar has managed to gradually gain the trust of the prison officials and has good working relationship with them, which has greatly facilitated the smooth implementation of the project activities.

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Inmates and prison wardens attending a training together

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Lessons Learnt from the Project

Meet Aisha: Aisha is in her mid- 20’s. She was in the Omdurman prison for women until 2005 and was serving a seven-year sentence for killing her abusive husband. Over the past years, Aisha has participated in Al Manar’s training in Legal Awareness, Peace Building, Conflict Resolution and Human Rights. In June 2004, Aisha presented a lecture to her fellow inmates entitled, “The Status of Women in Criminal Law”. Her lecture was supervised by Al Manar and was well-received.

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Quote from Aisha

“Since I was born, I never felt that I had a role in society. I didn’t even feel human. After I became a trainer, I felt fulfilled and now I feel like I have a role in society”

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Meet Samira:

Samira is in her 40’s. She has seven children. She participated in Al Manar’s Small Scheme Management Program that was implemented in July 2004. She has previously served 5 sentences for alcohol brewing. She has now stopped brewing alcohol and has started running a small local restaurant. Five of her seven children have started going to school.

“I now know how to manage a small enterprise. I feel confident that I can manage a project. I don’t have

to make alcohol (illegally) anymore.” Samira.

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Samira’s Photo

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Constraints & Recommendations

Income generating activities inside the prison have become increasingly difficult due to the serious cuts in the budget allocated for the running of the prison. This has lead the prison officials to deduct from the income generated by the inmates (e.g. asking for a commission on the profit from projects implemented within the prison).

Marketing: constraints in the marketing of products produced by the inmates. Suggestions are welcome!

License and taxation: are a big obstacle facing the poor segments of the society aspiring to earn a living through legal work, not least IDPS and newly released inmates. Exemption should be given to newly released prisoners and other needy groups such as IDPs, in order to allow them an opportunity to earn a living and keep them from pursuing illegal income generating activities.

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Leather products produced by the inmates engaged in one of Al-Manar’s income generation activities

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Thanks

Donors: ICCO, Global Ministries (Kerk in Actie)for their generous funding. And different churches that give support to women in prison and the new Partners (UNHCR)

The prison authorities and the social workers working within Omdurman’s Women Prison for their cooperation.

The beneficiaries of the projects within the prison and the IDP camps for their engagement and active role and participation in the project and for the determination in making this project a success.

Al-Manar staff for their hard work, professionalism and dedication. ------------------------------------------------------------------------

Presented by: Arafa Sheikh Musa, Executive Director, Al-Manar

E-mail: almanargroup@gmail.comTel:+249- 83- 467848,cell:+249-9-18058034