African Prisons Project

December 2014

African Prisons Project was born from the selfless desire of one man to improve the lives and prospects for prisoners in Africa.

Alexander Mclean was 18 when a volunteering trip to Kampala, Uganda put him face to face with the desolate conditions of prisoners of Luzira Upper Prison. Although he went to Uganda to work in a medical clinic, he left the country having supervised the renovation of the prison’s infirmary and vowing to do more to alleviate the plight of the prisoners there.

Today, African Prisons Project has grown from its humble beginnings as a student society at Nottingham University where Alexander studied. It has helped over 25,000 prison inmates and staff in Uganda, Kenya, Sierra Leone and Nigeria.

The charity has adopted a truly inspiring holistic approach to its operations working towards improving healthcare, education and justice for prisoners. They not only provide much needed services in these areas but are also trying to achieve systemic change across Africa.

As well as providing medical services to prisoners, the charity also educates about disease and is improving the medical infrastructure in prisons. Prisoners benefit from libraries and adult literacy programmes with some prisoners and staff being trained in law to defend themselves and other prisoners in court.

The Rumi Foundation was honoured to sponsor African Prisons Project’s fundraising gala dinner on December 10th 2014 at the Inner Temple where guests enjoyed a host of performances from acts such as the Woven Gold Choir, a choir made up of refugees who came to the UK to escape persecution.