WATCH: Incarcerated mothers’ children living under difficult conditions The Thematic Committee on Gender and Development led by chairperson Senator Omega Hungwe yesterday toured Mlondolozi Prison at Khami Prison Complex

Thandeka Moyo-Ndlovu, Senior Health Reporter
THEY spend their days in the company of their mothers, often with no child-friendly facilities necessary for mental development. These are the children accompanying incarcerated mothers in prisons who live under a different environment where some of the prevailing challenges hinder their full early childhood development.

This came out during a tour of Mlondolozi Prison by the thematic committee on gender and development aimed at assessing the status of children accompanying incarcerated mothers and access to antenatal care for pregnant prisoners.

The officer commanding Mlondolozi Prison Superintendent Fungayi Mupondera told the committee that inmates had no sanitary wear as they relied on churches and other donors for supply.

“We currently have 56 inmates in total at Mlondolozi and this figure includes convicted prisoners, and mental patients. We also have two babies aged one year and five months who live with their mothers and are under our care,” she said.

“We give them porridge for breakfast, vegetables and beans for lunch and supper due to supplies. Their dietary requirements include meat, milk, fruit and vegetables but we are not able to supply those at the moment although we wish they lead lives like other children as they are innocent unlike their mothers.”

She said although the prison had qualified healthcare workers, there were no facilities to enable Mlondolozi to offer antenatal care (ANC) for pregnant women who are forced to deliver at Mpilo Central Hospital which is close to 30km away.

Mpilo Central Hospital

“We have a staff clinic close by but it does not allow us to offer ANC as required by health standards because sometimes we do have pregnant inmates. The other challenge is that we do not have sanitary wear for these women, if churches do not donate, they are usually stuck without these essentials.”

Supt Mupondera said relatives were also not willing to support incarcerated mothers as they refuse to take in their children while their parents serve.

“We keep these children until they are about four but we have challenges with relatives who are not forthcoming when it comes to taking them in. Sometimes we rely on the social welfare department but it is not every time where we find a place where these children can stay once they start school.

“These children are in dire need of clothes, diapers, blankets and we would like to appeal to well-wishers to chip in and address this challenge.”

Chairperson of the committee, Senator Omega Hungwe, said they had already covered four prisons this week and noted that the same challenges keep emerging.

She said the Government must provide a conducive environment for these vulnerable children who deserve a normal childhood as they are not offenders themselves.

Senator Omega Hungwe

“We are here to visit female prisoners at Mlondolozi just like we did in Lupane, Gokwe and Shurugwi over the past few days. As policy makers we should ensure that these children are taken care of and for starters I think our Government should create a crèche and a special ward or cell so that their needs are well taken care of even as they live with their imprisoned mothers,” said Sen Hungwe.

“Pregnant women also need access to antenatal care and facilities where they are able to deliver safely as labour can start anytime even in the middle of the night. We cannot ignore the fact that both mothers and children need access to healthcare even in prison.”

Sen Hungwe said the women should be rehabilitated even as they serve jail time so that they become productive citizens.
“We spoke to the inmates and it is clear that some of their offences were due to lack of resources hence the need for us to empower them so that they do not find themselves in the same predicament which led them here.

“They are asking that we increase training to help them become entrepreneurs while some have indicated they need education so that they empower themselves,” she added.
-@thamamoe

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