When Hellen Nayiga entered Luzira Women’s Prison in 2009, she had been convicted of murder and sentenced to thirty years after what she describes as poor legal representation. With limited understanding of the justice system and little faith that anyone would stand with her, she felt hopeless. Yet she remained determined to find a way to empower herself and defend those who faced the same vulnerabilities she had endured.

In 2018, Hellen enrolled in the University of London law degree programme through Justice Defenders. Studying the law gave her the tools to understand the system that had once failed her and allowed her to serve as a paralegal, guiding fellow incarcerated women to draft court documents, self-represent, and connect with Justice Defenders lawyers. She saw first-hand how legal knowledge could restore dignity, especially for women who could not afford legal assistance or navigate the courts alone.