God in prison
18 Mar 2009
Having witnessed the difference God can make, Pastor Mvula Kwacha wants churches to take the lead in prisoner rehabilitation in Zambia.
Zoe Hussain finds out more about his vision.
Pastor Kwacha leads worship in a Pentecostal church of around 280 members, but his heart lies in the work he does as prison fellowship coordinator to help prisoners turn their lives around.
"I have so much passion for the prisoners I work with and have therefore dedicated my whole life to helping them. There are many inmates who have changed by the power of God," he says. "However, when freed, society often rejects them thinking that they have not reformed and may still commit a crime. Society's thinking is sometimes wrong and very disturbing."
Pastor Kwacha (left) distributes Bibles, brochures and magazines to a trustee of Prison Fellowship Zambia.
The role sees him travelling extensively to prisons throughout the country each week delivering gifts to and from prisoners and their families and counselling and preaching when it is needed.
The difference this fellowship can have on transforming prisoners' lives cannot be underestimated. And it's something Pastor Kwacha feels the church should be taking the lead in.
"Despite government efforts through the prison service, it has been observed that people return to prison after repeating the same crime he or she previously committed," he says. "The fact is that any person who is in need of bread to eat but is not given it will steal the bread. One thing that pains most is the discrimination and stigmatisation of ex-prisoners.
"Most of the fundamental churches and NGOs sideline them. They only support those with sound status forgetting that we are all human beings that need their care and support. I don't really have any support, though we do meet as churches in prisons to preach and encourage prisoners."
ANY PERSON WHO IS IN NEED OF BREAD TO EAT BUT IS NOT GIVEN IT WILL STEAL THE BREADHe adds: "Efforts should be worked out to turn around this situation through the church. It's important that the church is empowered enough that inmates are provided with necessary tools that will protect them as well as ensure that they are completely reformed. "The church plays a critical role in seeing that prisoners are being reformed by the power of God. Inmates who did not know God outside will come to know Him in prison through the devoted servants of God that work there."
Drop in
As part of his efforts to ease the transition for ex-prisoners back into society, Pastor Kwacha has built a special drop-in centre. It provides refuge and a much-needed stepping stone for men and women going back into their communities after a spell inside.
"Before they re-join their families, the ex-prisoners can come to this centre so that I can counsel them, find them clothes and transport money to their relatives," he says. "This is the best I can offer though am trying my level best to actually go beyond this."
The drop-in-centre aims to help empower ex-prisoners and their families in basic life-sustaining skills such as carpentry, gardening, poultry, mechanics, electrics and plumbing. Many of the ex-prisoners are bread-winners for their families and need skills like these under their belt to give them a chance of making a decent living when they come out.
Eventually Pastor Kwacha is hoping that he'll be able to find enough room and resources to also provide temporary accommodation for those ex-prisoners that need it.
Until then, he is doing everything else in his power to help these men and women back on their feet and kept out of jail.
Pastor Kwacha says: "Things are really tough when it comes to the work of God but we have to be determined and courageous for us to do all that is needed. At the moment I am doing fine as the good Lord is blessing me with his work in his vineyard."
Having witnessed the difference God can make, Pastor Mvula Kwacha wants churches to take the lead in prisoner rehabilitation in Zambia.
Zoe Hussain finds out more about his vision.
Pastor Kwacha leads worship in a Pentecostal church of around 280 members, but his heart lies in the work he does as prison fellowship coordinator to help prisoners turn their lives around.
"I have so much passion for the prisoners I work with and have therefore dedicated my whole life to helping them. There are many inmates who have changed by the power of God," he says. "However, when freed, society often rejects them thinking that they have not reformed and may still commit a crime. Society's thinking is sometimes wrong and very disturbing."
Pastor Kwacha (left) distributes Bibles, brochures and magazines to a trustee of Prison Fellowship Zambia.
The role sees him travelling extensively to prisons throughout the country each week delivering gifts to and from prisoners and their families and counselling and preaching when it is needed.
The difference this fellowship can have on transforming prisoners' lives cannot be underestimated. And it's something Pastor Kwacha feels the church should be taking the lead in.
"Despite government efforts through the prison service, it has been observed that people return to prison after repeating the same crime he or she previously committed," he says. "The fact is that any person who is in need of bread to eat but is not given it will steal the bread. One thing that pains most is the discrimination and stigmatisation of ex-prisoners.
"Most of the fundamental churches and NGOs sideline them. They only support those with sound status forgetting that we are all human beings that need their care and support. I don't really have any support, though we do meet as churches in prisons to preach and encourage prisoners."
ANY PERSON WHO IS IN NEED OF BREAD TO EAT BUT IS NOT GIVEN IT WILL STEAL THE BREADHe adds: "Efforts should be worked out to turn around this situation through the church. It's important that the church is empowered enough that inmates are provided with necessary tools that will protect them as well as ensure that they are completely reformed. "The church plays a critical role in seeing that prisoners are being reformed by the power of God. Inmates who did not know God outside will come to know Him in prison through the devoted servants of God that work there."
Drop in
As part of his efforts to ease the transition for ex-prisoners back into society, Pastor Kwacha has built a special drop-in centre. It provides refuge and a much-needed stepping stone for men and women going back into their communities after a spell inside.
"Before they re-join their families, the ex-prisoners can come to this centre so that I can counsel them, find them clothes and transport money to their relatives," he says. "This is the best I can offer though am trying my level best to actually go beyond this."
The drop-in-centre aims to help empower ex-prisoners and their families in basic life-sustaining skills such as carpentry, gardening, poultry, mechanics, electrics and plumbing. Many of the ex-prisoners are bread-winners for their families and need skills like these under their belt to give them a chance of making a decent living when they come out.
Eventually Pastor Kwacha is hoping that he'll be able to find enough room and resources to also provide temporary accommodation for those ex-prisoners that need it.
Until then, he is doing everything else in his power to help these men and women back on their feet and kept out of jail.
Pastor Kwacha says: "Things are really tough when it comes to the work of God but we have to be determined and courageous for us to do all that is needed. At the moment I am doing fine as the good Lord is blessing me with his work in his vineyard."
