By Kuda Pembere
As he walks into the classroom, the room falls silent. A silence that settles whenever a figure of authority steps into the space. Rows of inmates sit shoulder to shoulder, carefully writing letters and numbers into neatly covered exercise books. The room is bright, orderly and filled with focus.
One young inmate proudly flips through his workbook for visiting journalists, National AIDS Council officials and prison officers. On one page are neatly written vowels, a, e, i, o, u. On another are syllables, ba, be, bi, bo, bu.
In his mid-twenties, he is an Early Childhood Development learner who entered prison unable to read or write.
Today, his exercise book carries glowing remarks from his teacher: “Well Done.” For the first time in his life, he is learning to read.
Standing behind many such stories is Khami Maximum Prison Education Institute headmaster Moses Moyo, an inmate whose own journey of transformation has inspired hundreds of fellow prisoners. Khami Maximum Prison
Through discipline, consistency and education, Moyo has helped push the institution’s Zimbabwe School Examinations Council Ordinary Level pass rate to above 80 percent.
Yet his transformation did not begin in a classroom. It began with a shift in mindset.
That shift was influenced by rehabilitation programmes and health education initiatives supported by the National AIDS Council, including the Brother-to-Brother Programme and the Key Populations Peer Education Programme. National AIDS Council
In Zimbabwe, inmates are classified among key populations in HIV programming. As part of government efforts to leave no one and no place behind, correctional facilities are included in national HIV prevention and treatment interventions. Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service
For Moyo, these programmes marked a turning point.
Raised in a stable home with strict parents, he admits that as a teenager he was drawn into negative influences.
In 2006, at the age of 18, he was convicted of offences including armed robbery and unlawful entry.
Looking back, he describes his actions as youthful delinquency rather than a sustained criminal path.
“Honestly speaking, it was simply delinquency,” he says. “I was arrested at 18 and that was 20 years ago. I committed the crimes, but it was more about youthful naughtiness and wrong decisions. I did things for the thrill of it.”
He says peer pressure played a major role.
“The same applies to promiscuity. It was largely because of the people I associated with and the pressure to fit in.”
Prison, however, forced reflection on those choices.
When he arrived at Khami Maximum Prison, he had not completed his Ordinary Level studies.
Instead of abandoning education, he restarted his academic journey.
“I was at O Level when I came here. I rewrote my exams and got five As and one B. I then completed A Level and achieved 10 points,” he says.
His dream was to study agriculture at university, but financial constraints made it impossible.
Even so, he found opportunities through prison agricultural projects.
“I wanted to pursue a degree in agriculture. Although I could not, I was given a chance to practise through our school garden.”
Education was only part of his transformation.
Health education programmes introduced by the National AIDS Council also reshaped his thinking.
Moyo says he once lived recklessly, but HIV awareness programmes helped him adopt responsibility and informed decision making.
“This programme has benefited many people, including myself. Before incarceration I lived recklessly. Through NAC programmes, I know my HIV status and how to make informed decisions when I leave here.”
He later became a peer educator.
Today, he is one of five inmate peer educators at Khami Maximum Prison.
The programme, which began as the Brother-to-Brother initiative in 2022 and expanded into Key Populations Peer Education in 2024, reaches hundreds of inmates.
“I am an active peer educator for the National AIDS Council at Khami Maximum Prison,” he explains.
“Each peer educator works with about 50 inmates. We follow a structured manual with 24 lessons across the year. At the end, participants graduate.”
Lessons include HIV prevention, treatment adherence and general health awareness.
Inmates are also encouraged to undergo HIV testing and screening for non communicable diseases.
“There is testing for blood pressure and glucose levels because equipment was provided. We review progress every quarter.”
The impact goes beyond health education.
Peer educators are trusted because they understand prison life from within.
“This programme equips us with knowledge and communication skills to promote HIV prevention, encourage testing and reduce stigma,” says Moyo.
“For many inmates, messages are better received from fellow inmates who understand their reality.”
These interventions operate within a challenging environment.
Bulawayo Metropolitan Province correctional facilities are currently housing 5 456 inmates against an approved capacity of 4 554.
Khami Prison officer in charge Chief Superintendent Panonetsa Chemugariri says overcrowding places pressure on accommodation, healthcare, food supply, security and rehabilitation programmes. Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service
“Nevertheless, we continue to ensure inmates have access to healthcare, rehabilitation and humane conditions within available resources,” he says.
He notes that communicable diseases such as HIV and tuberculosis require constant monitoring and treatment.
“Every inmate undergoes screening on admission to identify illnesses, including mental health conditions and chronic diseases.”
He also points to rising cases linked to drug and substance abuse.
“We continue to receive offenders whose crimes are linked to substance use. In many cases, theft, robbery and violence are driven by addiction.”
To respond, prisons have introduced support groups, peer education and trained inmate nurse aides.
Chemugariri credits the National AIDS Council for strengthening HIV interventions in correctional facilities. National AIDS Council
“NAC has helped train inmate peer educators who play a key role in health promotion and behaviour change communication,” he says.
NAC Bulawayo provincial manager Sinatra Nyathi says prisons remain critical intervention points in Zimbabwe’s HIV response.
“We are pleased with progress through our partnership with the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service,” she says.
“Inmates are part of key populations programming and must access comprehensive HIV prevention and psychosocial support.”
She says peer led models are proving effective.
“They build trust and openness among inmates. We have seen improved awareness, reduced stigma and better uptake of services.”
These gains are reflected in treatment adherence.
Khami Maximum Prison resident medical officer Chief Correctional Officer Ashley Pasihapaori says defaulting on antiretroviral treatment has been virtually eliminated.
“Our nurses deliver individually labelled medication to hostels and supervise every dose,” he says.
“There is strict observed treatment, so we do not have defaulting cases.”
Back in the classroom, statistics and policies fade away.
