Hope restored,lives rebuilt

At Pacem Havens Foundation, we support ex-offenders as they rebuild their lives, reconnect with their families and regain dignity.

Magara Shadrack, founder of Pacem Havens Foundation
Our Founder Magara Shadrack

About us

Every person deserves a second chance

Pacem Havens exists to help individuals leaving prison find acceptance and stability.

Inspired by the personal journey of founder Shadrack Magara, we support people seeking a fresh start after incarceration.

Through guidance, training and long-term support, we help them create a new and stable life.

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Our Services

Strategic Interventions

Pacem Havens Foundations aims to achieve its objectives through four strategic priorities, namely, transformation, reintegration, prevention, and knowledge management as summarised below.

  1. 01.Transformation

    To reduce the adverse impacts of imprisonment on Formerly Incarcerated Persons such as mental health issues and self-defeating habits and attitudes; and to promote desistance, the Foundation pursues interventions towards the transformation of self. Key among these are:

    • Provision of short-term shelter to recently released FIPs (mainly women) as they negotiate re-entry home.
    • Psychosocial counselling and soft skills development training.
    • HIV&AIDS and drugs dependence awareness and linkages to relevant support services where need be.
    • Attachment to education and/or vocational training of their choice.
  2. 02.Reintegration

    The Foundation supports interventions towards repairing relationships and re-establishing trust between Formerly Incarcerated Persons (FIPs) and their families, communities, and victims. These include:

    • Family and community relationship restoration support work (e.g., coaching, mediation, dialogue).
    • Provision of resettlement kitbags (as needed) containing toiletries, essential clothing, food, etc.
    • Linkages of FIPs to employment opportunities of their preference.
    • Provision of toolkits to FIPs going into vocational skills-based self-employment.
  3. 03.Prevention

    The Foundation recognises that many youth make choices that often lead to incarceration and irreversible loss of education, time, money, reputation and abandonment by their families. This program priority focuses of curbing youth delinquency (prevention). Pacem Havens Foundation works to demonstrate possible ways and methods that can help youth to make the right choices, including:

    • Talks in schools on a wide range of topics such as HIV&AIDS, delinquent behaviour, sexuality and teenage pregnancies, drug use and abuse, etc.
    • Work with reputable artistes to conduct various activities, e.g., music, poetry, debates, etc., with positive messages – by and for students.
    • Identifying and training youth mentors through collaboration with relevant organisations.
    • Create/establish a mentorship program for youth using the method of youth mentors.
  4. 04.Knowledge management

    We educate ourselves and the public about the importance of effective re-entry of Formerly Incarcerated Persons.
    We do this through:

    • Documentation, e.g., published a book and mentors guide based on experiences of our Founding Director.
    • Action Research – proposed based on the lessons from our interventions.
    • Creation of strategic partnerships with the media to publicise our work.
    • Public education through podcasts, documentaries, and media articles
    • Routine Monitoring Evaluation Research and Learning (MERL) activities.
Homes
1
Ex-inmates impacted
96
Our Goal
10,000
Beneficiaries
300
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What guides our work

Our values shape how we serve, guide and support individuals on their journey toward reintegration and dignity.

Dignity
Every person has value, regardless of their past.
Compassion
We walk with individuals through their challenges.
Accountability
We encourage responsible choices that build a stable future.
Community
Healing is stronger when families and communities support reintegration.

What our beneficiaries are saying

Pacem Havens welcomed me when I had no one else. The support I received gave me the confidence to start again.

Anonymous BeneficiaryUganda

Our Locations

Address

Lower Kauga, Ntawo Ward Mukono Municipality, Uganda

The Pacem Havens team

Our Partners

  • Australian Aid
  • UNAFRI
  • Uganda Industrial Research Institute
  • Uganda AIDS Commission
  • Oak Dale Brook

Help someone start again with confidence.