An inspirational project working with limited resources to reduce recidivism in Kenya.

Inspired to volunteer with prison inmates in a Nairobi prison in December 2006 after seeing a news story about the state of the national penal system, Vickie Wambura is the founder of the Nafisika Trust.

At the time, she was waiting for a visa to allow her to continue her undergraduate studies at university in Belgium, and she intended to spend just one month volunteering before returning to Europe. However, after a month of teaching prisoners in Nairobi West Prison, Wambura gave up her place at university to continue working with the inmates.

The Trust delivers programmes in prisons, focusing on behavioural change and economic empowerment, with the aim of reducing recidivism and improving the lives of inmates inside of prison and also upon release.

What makes their work stand out is the scale of what they have achieved on, frankly, minute budgets. Last year they helped over 3,500 prisoners and 90% of former inmates who have been released, are currently in employment. 

This has been achieved thanks to an innovative volunteer-led model which enables them to deliver the programme in eight prisons around Nairobi.

Image: Nafisika Trust

Why we like Nafisika:

• Pioneers in Kenya who have worked hard to overcome social stigma and the initial suspicions of prison authorities.
• Despite tiny budgets have developed a model which delivers significant impact and demonstrable results.
• The programme could be easily scalable across the country, but also regionally across Africa.

 Find out more about Nafisika Trust at their website

Image: Nafisika Trust