Behind the walls of Malawi's harshest prisons

 The number of migrants, mostly Ethiopians, detained in Malawi for illegal entry has increased in the past few years, becoming a humanitarian concern. Most have been sentenced to three months but are locked away for longer. MSF has been working in two prisons there, focusing on treating malnutrition and communicable diseases, since 2014 

Tasfaya Lanago (centre, right) is 18 years old. He left Ethiopia due to economic hardships and dreams of getting to South Africa. But upon arrival in Malawi he was arrested for illegal entry and sentenced to six months imprisonment at Maula prison. While in prison he developed sores from sleeping on cement floor next to the chamber that is used as a toilet. 

Overcrowding is a dire issue in Maula prison. It is currently at three times its intended capacity. In July 2015 there were 193 Ethiopian migrants detained in this single cell designed to house 60 people. 160 of them had finished their sentence the previous month but were still detained. The overcrowding has also meant the prisoners share one toilet to 120 people and one tap to 900. 

In Malawi’s Chichiri prison meanwhile, inmates share one shower for 180 people, whereas the minimum MSF standard during humanitarian crisis is one shower for 40 people. Thanks to MSF’s intervention the prisoners have been given access to the water throughout the day in several sections of the prison. 

Prisoners are fed just once a day, due to the small budget the Malawian government allocates to the penal system. The quality of the food is miserable – six days of Nsima(boiled corn flour with no salt or other ingredients) and boiled beans once a week. Nutrition is a major concern in Maula and Chichiri prisons as inmates receive an inadequate supply of food. Protein is almost entirely absent from their diet and the Ethiopian group in particular is suffering from skin conditions related to protein deficiency because the Malawian staple food is incompatible with their traditional eating habits (the Ethiopian staple is Nnjera, a protein rich pancake). 

A group of Muslim detainees from Ethiopia perform their prayers in Chichiri prison. Many prisoners are detained after they have finished their sentence because of the lack of means to repatriate them to Ethiopia. The prisoners are expected to pay their own repatriation expenses. 

This classroom is in the female section of Maula prison. Around 50% of female inmates study at the prison’s school during their incarceration. 

A Congolese man sits in his cell in Chichiri prison as he practises his English in preparation for his final school exam 

Due to the difficult economical conditions, the Malawian government is also unable to provide housing or good sanitary conditions for many of the prison staff. For this reason MSF decided to also provide for the needs of the staff as well as for the inmates. The high prevalence of diseases in the prisons such as tuberculosis means that staff as well as former prisoners can potentially spread diseases caught inside to the rest of the country. 

A rare highlight for prisoners: they are permitted to play sports. Football for the men or basketball for the women. 

A juvenile prisoner, sentenced to three years for theft is seen against the backdrop of his decorated cell wall. 

Chichiri prison. A prison guard closes the prison’s main gate as she shouts to prisoners’ relatives that visiting time is over.