Zambia

My name is John Lawson, I am the prison coordinator for Avanti ministries. Our Prison ministry is called “Escape” and we are dedicated to sharing the Gospel with every prisoner in every prison in all the world. We have a team of prison correspondents who write to prisoners all over the world, offering Christian support and friendship. I write to many prisoners in Zambia Central Africa and I am very touched by the eloquent letters I receive.

Nearly all of the people I write to are on death row or serving life sentences whilst many others are serving long sentences of hard labour. It is so encouraging to hear how many of them have come to know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour. One prisoner wrote asking if I could send him a Bible and some toothpaste and toothbrush, he said it had been 5yrs since he had brushed his teeth properly! These men and women are suffering beyond punishment for crimes while many more languish in jail for years awaiting trial. Please see the reports below on the horrendous conditions inside the prisons.

Recently God placed a burden in my heart to go to Zambia to preach the Gospel in the prisons. I am now working out the details and the costs of putting together such a mission. Michael Wright the missionary whom led Tony Anthony to Christ has put me in touch with some friends in Zambia who visit three prisons. They live in the Copperbelt area as missionaries and have agreed to host us and drive us around. We can reach 12 prisons on a two week mission in their region. I have been in touch with Prison Fellowship of Zambia and have their support. I have also been in touch with a pastor whom all the prisoners know and trust and he will also help us.

We will be able to share the Gospel with approx. 5000 prisoners with an estimated minimum of 5000 more people along the way in outreach events in the villages and towns. I am also hoping that we can organise some training events for pastors and leaders in the vital are of evangelism.

I would also like to support each prison ministry with Bibles in English and Bemba which are the two most widely spoken languages. I estimate we will need 250 in each language totalling 500 Bibles to distribute. I would also like to take in supplies of toiletries and basic food to each prison.

I estimate the costs as follows (taking a team of four):

As you can see this mission comes in at approx. £8000 pounds which works out at approx. 80p per person reached with the Gospel over a two week period if we can speak to 10,000 people. We may be able to reach more at events and through publicity which will bring the cost down further per person.

It is always wise to add a percentage on top for unforeseen circumstances which takes it to more like £8500

Zambia has one of the worst records for breaching human rights in its prisons and you only have to read reports from Human rights websites to get an understanding of the conditions that prisoners are living in. Here are just two of the many reports available

(Lusaka) – Prisoners in Zambia suffer malnutrition, overcrowding, grossly inadequate medical care, and the risk of rape or torture, the Prisons Care and Counselling Association (PRISCCA), AIDS
and Rights Alliance for Southern Africa (ARASA), and Human Rights Watch said in a report released today.

Some prisoners are detained for years in such conditions even before they are brought to trial, the groups said.

http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2010/04/27/zambia-prison-conditions-endanger-inmates

For punishment, inmates in Zambia’s prisons are commonly stripped naked and held in solitary confinement in small, windowless cells, sometimes for days on end, in ankle-to-calf-high water contaminated with their own excrement, according to a report released Tuesday by Human Rights Watch and two African human rights groups. Prisoners routinely live in overcrowded cells where there is no room to lie down at night, leaving them to sleep in shifts, pressed against one another, according to the report, which describes Zambian prisons as “death traps” beset by overcrowding, malnutrition and rampant disease. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/28/world/africa/28zambia.html

Avanti are a faith based ministry and rely of donations to fund our mission to poorer countries where we are expected to cover all costs. At the moment we have No money to cover this mission but firmly believe through your support the finances will come. If you would like to contribute towards this mission then please contact me for details. All money raised will go 100 per cent towards this mission to Zambia.

To contact John by email