Confinement and
the horizons of faith.
At Mlondolozi Prison, PLAY proposes a Christian chapel for women who wish to pray, worship together and receive pastoral support.
Confinement governs where a woman can go and much of what she can do. Her convictions, relationships and questions about existence continue within those restrictions. For women whose lives are grounded in Christian faith, prayer offers a way of addressing God through suffering, gratitude, uncertainty or hope. Shared worship can also sustain a sense of belonging when familiar relationships are distant or difficult to reach.
The prison and the chapel are both spaces set apart, but separation has a different meaning in each. The prison imposes a boundary through custody; the chapel would offer a place for chosen spiritual attention and gathering. Within an environment organised around restriction, it would acknowledge a relationship whose significance exceeds the institution’s account of the person.
Architecture can give the experiences women bring to the chapel a dependable setting without deciding what they should become. Participation would be voluntary, with respect for other faiths and those who choose not to take part.
A place for prayer
and gathering.
Move the slider from outside to within. Drag to look around.
A spatial study of the chapel concept.
Rights and commitments
Freedom of conscience
“freedom of thought, opinion, religion or belief”
Constitution of Zimbabwe, section 60
The proposed chapel would offer one architectural means of supporting religious life, including contact with chosen religious counsellors.
Indicative project target
£37,500
What it would make possible
A modest chapel, from foundations and roof to lighting, seating and basic fittings. Subject to final costing, prison and site permissions, and the charity’s necessary constitutional authority.
Donations will not be accepted until written prison permission, site approval and the charity’s necessary constitutional authority are in place.
Transparency and accountability
Funding and authority
Donations will not be accepted until written prison permission, site approval and the charity’s necessary constitutional authority are in place. Gifts will then be restricted to the chapel and its disclosed direct delivery costs.
The indicative budget includes no general overhead allocation; founder time, leadership and fundraising will be contributed without remuneration. Project expenses, including paid professional services, will be itemised and recorded against the approved budget.
The appeal and any gift agreement will explain, before donations are made, how insufficient funding, surplus funds, material changes or an inability to proceed would be handled.
Site and ownership
Before capital expenditure is committed, PLAY will verify the institutional partner’s legal identity, signing authority and authority over the site.
A written agreement will establish the right to construct and use the chapel, ownership of the building and fittings, maintenance access and arrangements if its intended use cannot continue. Partner checks and payment controls will be documented.
Construction responsibilities
Construction will begin only after the design, detailed cost plan, required approvals, professional appointments and construction arrangements have been confirmed. Responsibilities for technical compliance, inspection, appropriate insurance, site safety and prison security requirements will be allocated.
Voluntary use and safeguarding
The chapel’s operation will be planned alongside its construction. Arrangements will cover voluntary worship, individual prayer, approved pastoral visits, access, supervision and continuing maintenance.
Safeguarding and complaints procedures will provide a route for concerns about access, coercion or conduct, including escalation beyond the person whose conduct is questioned. Participation in worship, consultation or publicity will remain voluntary.
Opening will require technical acceptance, resolution of safety-critical defects and confirmation that the operational arrangements are practicable. Completion of the building alone will not be presented as delivery of an operating chapel.
Reporting and stewardship
Donors will receive progress updates, a completion report and a financial account of the gift.
Reviews at six and twelve months will examine access, voluntary use, pastoral provision, building condition and any closures or restrictions. Problems will be reported with proposed corrective actions.
Reporting will respect privacy and security and will not require disclosure of personal histories or religious experiences. Stewardship responsibilities will continue beyond these reviews.