InsideOut Issue 13 by Young In Prison South Africa

april 2014 Issue 13

n s i de ou t

Young in Prison needs your support in assisting with the rehabilitation and reintegration of youth in conflict with the law. Crime touches every South African’s life. Assist Young in Prison in its quest to ensure that young people are developed positively and empowered to become contributing members towards safer communities and country. Assist us and BE PART OF THE SOLUTION.

YOU CAN: Donate We accept monetary donations and in-kind donations to support our work. Below you will find our banking details, should you wish to make a direct deposit. Young in Prison is a registered organisation with a Public Benefit status and can issue Section 18A tax certificates for donations. Account Name: Young in Prison Bank Name: Nedbank Account Number: 1021284556 Branch: 296 Victoria Road, Salt River, 7925 Swift Code: NEDSZAJJ PBO Number: 930031086 Online donations can also be made via Backabuddy and Greater Good South Africa

Volunteer We welcome any interested and committed individuals to be part of our organisation on a voluntary basis. It is a fascinating area to work in not only for students and social workers, but for anyone who has an interest in development, or in helping one individual change his/her life in a positive way. All volunteers gain valuable experience in working with youth in conflict with the law through the use of innovative methods of creative arts, sports, literacy and life skills development. Young in Prison volunteers play an important role in strengthening the work that we do in order to bring about change in the lives of our participants. To join and become a volunteer, please visit the volunteers’ page at www.younginprison.org.za or email directly atinfo@younginprison.org.za.

Spread the Word, Stay Informed! We know that many people want to help and in South Africa there are many small and big ways to do so. If you don’t have time to volunteer, or money to donate, you can always help us by spreading the word. Join our Facebook group, follow us on twitter, or recommend us to any funders, volunteers or journalists who you think may be interested in the work we do by sending them the link to our website. By joining our mailing list, we will keep you up to date with what’s happening at YIP, mainly our Insider Art exhibition, new issues of our magazine, and any events we might be holding

CONTENTS

C Editorial......................................................................... 1 Making Choices.......................................................... 2 Emotions and Behavior........................................... 5 Relationships .............................................................. 13 Healing Hearts and Memories.............................. 14 Poetry............................................................................ 17 Freedom and Responsibility.................................. 18

Insideout Magazine Issue 13

editor

and be part of the solution and not being part of the problem. In preparation for the Freedom day celebration, a lot of role models were discussed

The popularity of the Inside out progamme

and it was finally established that failing to be part

continues to grow in the Leeuwkop Juvenile

of the solution is cowardice on their part.

centre and the scramble for the limited spaces in the programme is testimony enough. This

The tournament saw the current team losing in

issue features the works of one of the coolest

the finals but the talk afterward kept revolving

groups YiPSA has ever dealt with in the centre.

around some workshops that they had gone

A lot of emotions are depicted in various forms

through. Emotions and behaviour workshop was

of art in a quest to bring out the torture that

quoted the most with participants claiming that

the prison walls are to the inmate.

they were cheated by the referee but fighting was not worth it as they are determined to bounce

The message to the other youth and the

back and win in the next tournament. Besides,

community at large is that prison is not as

they are now fully aware of results of ones failure

glamorous as the youth out there think it is.

to master their emotions.

The facilitators had a hard time dealing with individual emotional counseling that had

Although not featured much in the magazine,

to be done well after the workshops. The

the work of the pre-release group shows hope

drawings were done with extra care trying to

for the life outside of the centre. The bulk of

capture all the feelings, the pains, the missed

them seemed to have a blurred picture of what

opportunities and the hope for the future.

they will do when they come out. The workshop on vision seemed to usher in s a new way of

The community and environment workshop

thinking that saw the participants digging deeper

was hijacked by the participants not to focus

into themselves to find out what their GAPS are

on the community as a whole but just the

(Gifting, Abilities, Potentials and Strengths)

prison community. The ones in isolation spoke of a Prison within a Prison. Due to the fact

The establishment of the YiPSA post release

that there are some that cannot be part of

programme is bringing a lot of hope to the

the community through their behaviour, Cell 2

guys inside as they are assured of a place that

was established to house those that fail to gel

will continue to shape them as they face the

with the prison community and are a danger

community that they wronged and get an

to the prison environment. The sad thing being

opportunity to better their lives as well.Thank

that they still fail to establish a community

you to all who made this issue a success, the

within that cell and they keep on making the

team appreciates every single contribution. Long

environment in that particular cell unbearable

live YiPstars. ( As the team is affectionately b the

for each other.

inmates)

Enlightening to them according to the

- Zamani Ndlovu

survey was the workshop on freedom and responsibility. To many, it was a wake up call to the fact that they need to stop blaming others 4

Insideout Magazine Issue 13

â&#x20AC;&#x153; I want to leave drugs this thing of drugs because it leads nowhereâ&#x20AC;?

I started smoking dagga because of my friend who has a brother who smoked it. I was in grade 9 when I first smoked it with my friend and we liked how it made us feel. In grade 10, I stopped going to school because we could not affor to pay the school fees and I started smoking more so I could forget that we were poor at home. I would spend all day with the friends sitting by the corner and making trouble to girls who passed if they were beautiful.

Insideout Magazine Issue 13

The first time I took part in a crime to get money for dagga, we stole a cellphone with my friends from a boy as he was walking home from school, we sold it and got high with the cash. After a long time another friend of mine came with dagga but it had a white powder and smoking it made us feel higher than just dagga and I will do anything to get that drugs. When I was arrested, I was working for a guy and he say is stole money from him when we did not take it and we were angry so I went to my friend and we smoked then, left the house and came back in the morning. At 10 my boss come to my friends house asking for the money, and we tell him we donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have it then he punched me and I got angry and me and my friend hit him till he ran away. He came back with police and they knocked on the door and say we must open the door. When they come in we tried to hide the drugs but they was some left on the table on a R10 note and they see it and ask whose drugs are these. After they search my friend they find nothing but find some drugs on me and they arrest my friend and me. Me for assault and drugs but my friend just for assault.

Whoonga (also known as nyaope or wunga) is a street drug that has allegedly come into widespread use in South Africa since 2010, mostly in the impoverished townships of Durban, although it is claimed to be appearing in other places in South Africa as well. If you need more information or want to quit a drug problem, call : This story was written by a young man from Leeuwkop Medium B Youth Detention Facility, his name is withheld to protect his identity.

Insideout Magazine Issue 13

It was a chilly Friday afternoon as we sat to have a brief conversation with Sibusisoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mother. Sibusiso is currently resident at Leeuwkop Medium C Correctional Facility. He and 30 other were taking part in a YIPSA Programme and after the event was done she allowed us to have a conversation with her about being the mother of an incarcerated youth.

Sibusiso had been acting up but I took it to be the expected rebellion stage most teenagers go through, and was certain that he would grow out of it. After receiving the news of his arrest I was devastated upon hearing that he had been sentenced to 3years in jail, I had to be hospitalized for 3 week s because the grief was too much to bear. When he recounts the events that led to his arrest, he tells me that there were of them present when they were committing the robbery however he was the only one caught. As he was the one caught he tells me that he cannot expose any of his friends so that he can gain their respect. Sibusiso is one of three children and his arrest has really had a negative impact on his siblings especially his youngest brother who is only 7years old and does not fully understand why his older brother cannot come home or why he only gets to see him once a year.

Being the mother of a young person in conflict with the law is never easy as there is the problems that it creates in my own house but also it is something that brings a measure of shame to the family within the community and even though many families in my community have children who are incarcerated, there is still embarrassment that comes because I never thought my son would be one of them. Visiting him in prison has been our way of showing love and support for him but the time is never enough when I see him. I still have high hopes for him and would love to see him using the time he has to really reflect on his life and change. It brings me great pain when he says he will likely return to the same life he was living before he got into prison. My greatest wish is to see him go back to school, but despite what he will do he is still my son and I will love him.

Insideout Magazine Issue 13

Insideout Magazine Issue 13 Papier Mâché, (French for “chewed paper”, [papje maʃe], English /ˌpæpi.eɪ ˈmæʃeɪ/ or /ˌpeɪpər məˈʃeɪ/), is a composite material consisting of paper pieces or pulp, sometimes reinforced with textiles, bound with an adhesive, such as glue, starch, or wallpaper paste.

poe Insideout Magazine Issue 13

try

Education “Education is the modern gateway to success” Education is almost everything a man needs Young and old all needs you Who is said to live without you? You give us a better life, From being no one to someone

You are found everywhere and everyone Knows you and your deeds “People believe in you in you never let them down Which makes you incredible.

Education! Education! Why are so good to us? You are like water which is necessity to our daily lives Without you, the world is like home without lights, Because you are so bright like a diamond in the sky. “Education is marvelous ’’ We give thanks to you!!!

Insideout Magazine Issue 13

Dear Mom I kindly write this letter to you with remorse please know that, Whatever I am writing comes from the bottom of my heart. Mom I know you tried to make me be a successful man one day. But I was fooled by the things which I found in the world Things such as money , but now since I have received Jesus Christ As my life savior my life have changed a lot Mom please I want you to know that I will never forget you Because in bad and good times you were always there for me. Mom I want you to know that there are tears in my pillow and Pain in my heart, Mom looking back at the days of my life as the sunset I have realized I am not Who I was yesterday, but I am who I am today because I have the power to decide About my life, my future and my needs And I always ask myself where did I go wrong? Where did I take that wrong turn or when did I decide to be who I am? But one thing I know is that I did not decide to be a criminal Or let my family live in poverty and did not decide to let my dreams be Drowned in the mud Moms please dry your tears and please forget about the past and letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s move on Because life is too short -Ichemen Mhlophe

Insideout Magazine Issue 13

Dear Mom I will never forget the black queen who raised me The one who have been always on my side, through the good the load days Of my life, I have broke your heart and made tears flow through your eyes I made you have sleepless nights over and over again in the past years Mom please accept the way things happened in the past And let them pass because it’s not easy for a woman to raise a child on her own I’m sorry mom, you’re the one natured me in your womb for nine months And you brought me on earth to enjoy a supreme blessing which is life Mom appreciate yourself, you have provided me a shoulder to cry on Whenever I needed to, you are my best friend and a special person In my life I love you mom!! Beautiful days are gone but everything happens for a reason Sometimes God breaks our heart to gives courage I have learned from my mistakes, challenges and obstacles are also part of life Mom I am sorry, please forgive me I did not know what will happen When time goes and now I can see defferences in life I have up now, unfortunatelty to have you in my life Mom as a child to you what I did was wrong and I did it because Of peer-pressure and I was young and confussed by all the temptation Of the world and alwys dizy because of drugs but now I am rehabilitated I wont use drugs to solve things in my life, and you will never see me with The boys I use to live with, I have hurt you so much but that does not mean you Can reject me be me because I am still part of that family Even now I need to be with you all mom I am so sorry mom and I am sorry to say sorry but I have to say sorry After every pain and headaches I caused you Please forgive me!!! - Ichemen Mhlophe

Insideout Magazine Issue 13

LIBERT Y

equali t

Brightness emanating from her eyes and rippling Down her checks to settle comfortably around her round lips. I was shy like an infant schoolboy But I couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t help it. Her hands on the narrow hips of her tight jeans, Her straw blond hair brushed down to her shoulders, Her bangs cut neatly above her light brown eyebrows, Her round shaped eyes burn sharply with irritation. She makes me love her more and more!! Barely five (5) feet tall and weighing just over 64kg, She looked formidable somehow. It was as if I saw her as taller, heavier, and harder as if it was my first time Seeing her!

respect change reviva l

Insideout Magazine Issue 13

A project implemented by Young In Prison Facilitated by Joseph Mofokeng Magazine design - Meghan Judge YIP Staff: Tarisai Mchuchu - Director Natasha Swain - Finance & Operations Officer Zamani Ndlovu - Regional Office Manager Clinton Osbourn - Programme Manager Owen Butler - Internal Projects Verifier Nkosinathi Buyana - Service Learning Coordinator

www.younginprison.org.za

Tlhabanelo Diholo - Sports Development Coordinator Vuyokazi Magobiyane - Post-Release Assistant

info@younginprison.org.za

Joseph Mofokeng - Life-Skills Facilitator Tebogo Butie - Life-Skills Facilitator

Cpt - +27 21 448 5275 Jhb - +27 11 333 1586

Young in Prison 059 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 080 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; NPO 41 Community House Salt River Road Salt River, Cape Town

YoungInPrisonSA

Tel: 021 448 5275 / 011 333 1586 Fax: 021 448 3024 info@younginprison.org.za www.younginprison.org.za

@YIPSouthAfrrca YIPSA

This issue has been sponsored and supported by

The European Union

Open Society foundation for South Africa