African Food and Art

Thank you to our latest donor, Tony. Thank you, Tony. We were able to purchase three new stainless steel pots to continue our cooking and teaching heritage.

Waiting for Justice in Uganda's Luzira Maximum Security Prison

Luzira Men's and Women's Maximum Security Prison is the second largest prison in Uganda, there is nothing routine about a court appearance or a sentencing hearing at Luzira.

Under the Ugandan constitution, every citizen has the right to a state attorney and the right to a speedy trial.

Yellow is the color of sunshine, it is associated with joy and happiness. In Uganda's Luzira Maximum Security Prison yellow is anything but the color of joy, yellow is associated with a prison sentence or awaiting charges, sometimes waiting for years for justice.

Luzira is a district of Kampala, Uganda’s capital city. Luzira is best known for Luzira Maximum Security Prison, Kampala Uganda's largest Prison. According to the Institute for War and Peace reporting under the Ugandan constitution, anyone accused of murder has the right to have their case heard by the High Court within a year of being arrested.  

According to the ministry of justice, the number of imprisonment cases that are yet to be heard stands at more than 40,000, some 32,000 on legal custody in prison and the rest on bail. The majority of these cases are offences such murder, treason, terrorism, rape and aggravated robbery, crimes which carry either an optional or mandatory death penalty, and which can only be tried by the High Court.

Guards at Luzira prison in Kampala

In April, the problem was so serious that the Ugandan government launched an initiative to slash the backlog of cases by 30 percent by the end of 2011, this goal was not met. March, 23, 2015 the Directorate of Public Prosecutions, DPP drafted a new case management system to reduce case backlog and ensure efficient management of cases, the DPP, Hon. Justice Mike Chibita, has said. "In the new case management system, it will not be a requirement that case files recalled to the office of the DPP are transferred to Kampala but will be handled by particular assigned judicial officers”.

Luzira Maximum Security Prison is the 2nd largest male prison in Uganda

Under the Ugandan constitution, every citizen has the right to a state attorney and the right to a speedy trial. However, it is much harder for prisoners to get out on bail if they do not have adequate legal representation therefore; they remain in prison sometimes for years.  

In Uganda some are awaiting trial while legislation in Uganda proposes the death penalty for gay people, aggravated homosexuality, and imprisonment for families who fail to report their gay relatives to the police within 24 hours of finding out about their sexuality. In many African countries those imprisoned for being in debt are made to pay rent to the prisons.

On the grounds of Luzira Maximum Security Prison, children of the prison staff live in the barracks along with their parents. Built for 600 men but currently housing up to 2,000 Luzira Maximum Security Prison is the 2nd largest male prison in Uganda.  

Murchison Bay wing houses the male prisoners in cramped living quarters, sometimes inmates sleep outside because there is not enough room to sleep inside. Carpentry programs are the most popular programs, along with the Condemned Choir of Luzira Prison which is made up of inmates on death row.

Luzira Maximum Security Women's Prison

Luzira Maximum Security Women's Prison wing sits on 20 acres of land and houses around 430 prisoners. The women are classed by the color of their uniforms; yellow is for prisoners or people awaiting trial, orange colors received a sentence of 20 or more years, and red with white checks are sentenced to death. 

If prisoners give birth in prison or were breastfeeding when sentenced, the babies stay with their mothers until the age of 2 then they are taken to a daycare on the prison property and visit their mothers each Sunday. After the age of 4 the children are relocated off prison grounds to a children’s home, The Family of Africa, awaiting release of their mothers.

There is an educational system, a beauty parlor, sewing, basket making and arts and crafts at Luzira Maximum Security Women's Prison. The beauty parlor and training school was launched on Thursday May 23, 2013. The choir at Luzira women’s prison has many members who have been sentenced to death. Tumuhirwe Jolly a 22 year old former maid is in Luzira Prison, on December 8, 2014 she was sentenced to 4 years in prison for the severe battery of a child. The baby recovered from her psychical injuries and is happy and healthy living with her parents.

Dinner time at Luzira Maximum Security Prison

The African Prisons Project provides standards for human rights, and rehabilitative approaches to imprisonment. In 2004 Alexander McLean, volunteering in a nearby hospital in Kampala, visited and treated a group of prisoners in Luzira Upper Prison Uganda.   

Struck by the living conditions of the prisoners, Africa Prisons Project, APP continues working closely with prison administrators, prison staff and the prisoners themselves to identify their needs. To date APP has touched the lives of over 25,000 prison inmates and staff in Uganda, Kenya, Sierra Leone and Nigeria.

Luzira men's and women's maximum security prison is the second largest prison in Uganda. Yellow means prison sentence in Uganda's Luzira prison.

Together we build awareness that boost harmony, education, and success, below are more links to articles you will find thought provoking.

  1. Deadliest routes for refugees
  2. Cooking with shea butter oil
  3. Worst serial killers recorded in history are women
  4. Indigenous healers and plants used
  5. Night running illness or magic
  6. What is back to Africa

Chic African Culture and The African Gourmet=

Week’s Best African Culture Posts

What is the difference between ugali and fufu

Image
How to make the popular African recipes Ugali and Fufu and what is the difference.  Ugali is a starch dish in Kenya and Tanzania made of fine cornmeal cooked in boiling water into a soft dough. Fufu is a thick, dough-like West African food made by boiling then pounding a starchy vegetable such as yam, plantain, or cassava or a mixture of starchy vegetables. The main difference between fufu and ugali is fufu is boiled first then pounded while ugali is simply boiled. Ugali recipe. Easy Ugali Recipe Prep time 5 minutes Cook time 30 minutes Total time 30 minutes Ingredients 4 cups finely ground cornmeal 8 cups water Directions Heat water to boiling in a saucepan. Slowly pour cornmeal into boiling water stirring continuously. Add more cornmeal if necessary until it is thick as soft bread dough. Serve immediately with vegetables, stew, or any dish you would use a spoon with to soak up the sauce, ugali is purposely bland tasting on its own. What is the difference between ugali and
Learn More About Africa

Top 20 Largest Countries in Africa

Image
African Country by Size List. Africa Which are the top twenty largest, smallest, and territorial country in Africa by land area? 1. The continent of Africa is the world’s second largest based on land area and population just after Asia. 2. Top five largest countries of Africa are Algeria, Congo Democratic Republic of the, Sudan, Libya and Chad. 3. Top five smallest African countries and territories are Mauritius, São Tomé and Príncipe, Seychelles, Saint Helena and Mayotte. African Country from largest to smallest Area sq mile Area sq km Algeria 919,595 2,381,740 Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) 905,568 2,345,410 Sudan 718,723 1,861,484 Libya 679,362 1,759,540 Chad 495,755 1,284,000 Niger 489,191 1,267,000 Angola 481,354 1,246,700 Mali 478,767 1,240,000 South Africa 471,011 1,219,912 Ethiopia 435,186 1,127,127 Mauritania 397,95
Learn More About Africa

Ethiopian Midwest American Hotdish

Image
Our Ethiopian hot dish combines Ethiopian cooking with classic Minnesota Midwest casserole meal. The hot dish’s origins are a product of settlers traditions in Midwest America dating back to the early 20th century. A hot-dish or casserole is a one-pan meal that traditionally includes a combination of starch like potatoes, pasta, or rice, ground meat, vegetables, and a creamy canned soup base, all topped with crunchy goodness like breadcrumbs or tater tots. The concept of hot dish became popular in the Upper Midwest, particularly in states like Minnesota, North Dakota, and Wisconsin, in the 1930s and 1940s. This period was marked by economic challenges, including the Great Depression. The need for economical and filling meals led to the creation of dishes that could be stretched to feed many people using simple, affordable ingredients . Hot dishes became synonymous with potlucks, church suppers, and social gatherings. These events were central to rural and small-town communities, where
Learn More About Africa

Neck elongation rings how to put on and take off

Image
Neck elongation rings how to put on and take off. Idzila are Ndebele wives traditionally wear rings around the neck as a status symbol and wear rings around the arms, legs, and neck. Wearing Neck Rings. For centuries, married South African Ndebele tribes’ women saw wearing heavy rings around their neck as an honored status symbol. Neck rings are any form of stiff necklaces worn around the neck of an individual. The neck rings are usually made of copper or brass. During initiation, girls wear an array of colorfully beaded hoops called izigolwan around their legs, arms, waist, and neck. After marriage, the Ndebele wife would wear copper and brass rings around her arms, legs, and neck, symbolizing her bond and faithfulness to her husband, once her home was built. Idzila rings were believed to have strong ritual powers. Husbands used to provide their wives with rings; the richer the husband, the more rings the wife would wear. These outward symbols can be removed only in ca
Learn More About Africa