The laureates

Geoffrey Mayamba is the founder and executive director of the Prisoners’ Future Foundation (PFF), an organization based in Kabwe, Zambia. The PFF is committed to supporting incarcerated and formerly incarcerated individuals through legal assistance, human rights advocacy, education, skills development, access to healthcare, reintegration programs, and economic empowerment initiatives.

A committed advocate for the abolition of the death penalty, Geoffrey helped bring about the abolition of capital punishment in Zambia while developing a broader regional campaign in Southern Africa. His advocacy was profoundly shaped by the 1997 executions in Zambia, an experience that became a defining moment in his life and for his mission. After spending ten years in prison—having been wrongfully implicated as a lookout in a burglary case—he emerged with a renewed sense of purpose and a lifelong commitment to human rights. This experience became the foundation for establishing his organization, the PFF, which aims to ensure that people incarcerated in Zambia have access to the resources, support, and opportunities necessary to rebuild their lives with dignity. The PFF has grown into an organization that provides legal assistance, skills development, and advocacy for the rights of people who are incarcerated and formerly incarcerated—including children, women, and people with disabilities—thereby promoting restorative justice and fostering hope and second chances.

With more than 18 years of experience in legal reform and human rights advocacy on behalf of marginalized and vulnerable populations, Geoffrey serves as secretary of the Southern African Prisons Network, supporting institutional governance, and as an advisor for the Central Province within the Zambian Council of NGOs. In 2013, he participated in the Human Rights Advocacy Program at Columbia University’s Institute for the Study of Human Rights. In addition, he serves on the steering committee of the World Coalition Against the Death Penalty, a global network of more than 190 organizations.

Geoffrey has collaborated with both national and international stakeholders, including diplomatic missions, to expand the PFF’s impact. His philosophy is rooted in the belief that “people in prison are human beings who deserve a genuine second chance, hope, and encouragement.” ” Through his visionary leadership, Geoffrey Mayamba continues to challenge societal perceptions of incarceration and to defend the rights and potential of those affected by the criminal justice system.