Several hundred elderly people are detained in the maximum security prison in Zomba, one of the largest in Malawi. Men who have often been in prison for years, if not decades, for sometimes futile reasons or even without trial. These poor, often sick and ‘forgotten’ people, who cannot afford a lawyer to take their case to court, have lost contact with their family over the years and, because of their age, are unable to do the small jobs that allow them to eat and buy the most basic necessities even in prison: they live in extreme poverty.
They have different stories, but they share poverty and isolation. Antony is 74 years old. His son lives far away and cannot provide for him. He has been awaiting trial for 10 years. Anderson, 68, has been in prison for 15 years for an argument and does not know when he will be released. They sleep on the floor, in small and overcrowded cells. Meals are only distributed once a day. There are no medical check-ups or treatment and, as age advances, health risks increase.
The Malawian prison authorities rely on the regular presence of Sant'Egidio in the prisons as a factor of humanisation and support. In Zomba, the director of the prison himself requested the Community an extraordinary intervention for about 200 elderly and sick people, who do not receive any outside support. An extraordinary distribution of food was organised for them and the Community took on the responsibility of maintaining constant attention to their needs and visiting them regularly.
This intervention is set in a difficult economic context for Malawi, where many people, in and out of prison, experience extreme hardship. Therefore, many young people emigrate and the elderly are often left alone and marginalised, in extremely precarious situations. Sant'Egidio has been working for years to improve the condition of the elderly with various initiatives, including a bill, approved in April 2024, which provides economic subsidies, home help services and greater protection by institutions in defence of their lives. A representation of Sant'Egidio is part of the Steering Committee and monitors the implementation of the law. For in-depth information click here.
