InsideOut Issue18

nsideo ut

ISSUE OF COLOU R

October 2014 Issue 18

A project implemented by Young in Prison South Africa This project is funded by THE EUROPEAN UNION

Facilitated by Nkosinathi Buyana This issue has been sponsored and supported by:

THE EUROPEAN UNION Yip Staff Tarisai Mchuchu Director Natasha Swain Finance & Operations Officer Zamani Ndlovu Programme & Office Manager Clinton Osbourn Post Release Manager Owen Butler Internal Projects Verifier Nkosinathi Buyana Service Learning Coordinator Tlhabanelo Diholo Soccer Coordinator Vuyokazi Magobiyane Post-Release Assistant Joseph Mofokeng Life-Skills Facilitator Tebogo Butie Life-Skills Facilitator Magazine design Conor Ralphs Young in Prison 059 – 080 – NPO Community House 41 Salt River Road Salt River, Cape Town Tel: 021 448 5275 Fax: 021 448 3024 info@younginprison.org.za

www.younginprison.org.za

CONTENTS

editorial 2 forgiveness 4 creative thinking 8 preventiuon & restoration 20

Insideout Magazine > issue 17

* EDITORIAL * by Nkosinathi Buyana

Colour is energy. The energy vibration of that colour is what you need, in the moment, in order to improve and balance your physical and emotional state. Participants in this cycle had an opportunity to explore with mixing different colours using paints and pastels. The focus was on individual expressional images of past memories and experiences of trauma, abuse and torture. In the activities participants undergo a process of thinking, discussions and developing positive memories in replacing negative memories.

We took participants through a process of giving themselves a chance to heal from negative memories by freely talking about them and confronting them. Participants had to creatively think of how they are going to mend and restore broken relations to create a better life for themselves, their families and friends. They also had to find measures of how they are going to prevent themselves from going back to criminal activities, gangs and reoffending. This process however, has allowed them to expressly identify what areas they need to focus on to improve and achieve success. They have also artistically through self portraits managed to visualise and place themselves in positions of success, which by these exercises have show to have created more interest, enthusiasm and willingness in them living a positive life style.

Hope we all enjoy reading this issue. Gratitude to Emma Ward, Alex Liggins, Hollis Hunsberger, and to all that contributed to making this cycle a great success.

Enjoy!

2

Insideout Magazine > issue 17

Topic > Forgiveness This workshop focused on learning how to forgive and move on. We began the session by discussing what forgiveness meant to the participants as well as what they want to forgive. This included someone else or themselves. At the end, we had the participants write and then draw what they need to forgive and how they plan on forgiving that specific thing.

Topic > Acceptance Participants discussed how to achieve acceptance and provided tools in order to start accepting the reality of their situation and any mistakes that have been made. The last part, participants draw what acceptance means to them.

Topic > Healing Memories The workshop theme focused on how to heal and accept negative memories in order to heal our mind through positive memories. Overall, we want to discuss the importance of forgiving ourselves. This is to allow people to recover from negative emotions that are connected to negative memories. Participants discussed thier opinions on healing memories then wrote acrostic poems using a word that represented a negative memory. After that, they had to write acrostic poems using a word that represented a positive memory. We had the participants keep the poems as a reminder of how to heal negative memories and remain positive.

Topic > Restoring this workshop entailed restoring positive energy and faith back into the participant’s lives. To do this, we talked about how it is important to restore certain aspects of their lives that they once had but do not have anymore. In order to do this, the participants reflected on what caused the positive to negative change and how they can now continue on a positive path. Participants did drawings and pictures of the things they wish to restore back into their lives. This included something they are missing, something they once had that they do not have anymore, or something they have always dreamed of having.

Topic > Prevention Participants discussed what prevention is and what the participants wish to prevent in their lives. Overall, we discussed how it is important to prevent negative things from entering their lives, as well as having them acknowledge negative things that need to be avoided in order to succeed. At the end of the workshop, the participants made a list of things they need to prevent and how they were actually going to prevent them.

Topic > Aggression This workshop aimed to show how important it is to control one’s aggression and aggressive thoughts. We explained how this is be done through various breathing techniques as well as finding a balance in one’s mind and body through peaceful thoughts. Two breathing techniques were introduced to help the participants handle stressful situations. Finally, we had the participants draw how they feel when they are angry and how they handle aggression. This was then combined with them drawing how they feel when they are calm.

Topic > Growth & Development we aimed to talk about how we all grow as people, literally and figuratively. This entails discussing where we are now and how we can grown and develop into a better and more positive person. The group shared our opinions on growth and development and how we have grown until this point. From there, we opened up about how we still want to grow in the future 3

Insideout Magazine > issue 17

forgiveness

Mthunzi Sinari “I want to learn to forgive my friend because they broke into my house and still my furniture. I want my sister to forgive me for the wrong things I have done.

I want forgiveness from the mother that I killed her child. I also want the people I robbed to forgive me. I want my girlfriend to forgive me for cheating on her. I also forgive the boy that starbbed me. I forgive the people that killed my mother. I forgive my father.�

4

Insideout Magazine > issue 17

5

Insideout Magazine > issue 17

Singi Evavistus (Forgiveness) “I want to forgive my friends they use to force me to Robb people and to enjoy the clubs and to smoke drugs and also to forgive my family they use to tell me that stop smoking drugs and stilling.�

6

Insideout Magazine > issue 17

Mario Swarts “Forgiveness means to accept a person for the wrong he’s done to you. I want my family to forgive me for what ive done to them.”

7

Insideout Magazine > issue 17

8

Insideout Magazine > issue 17

Looking for forgiveness by Masixole Vikilahle “For me to forgive myself because of my past which the past will always be with me where ever but to forgive and forget…

So I can forgive people around me and who are close to me.

And forgive means the biggest part of my life anyway in positive cause of I realy need forgiveness in my life so that so that god can forgive me for my sins as my mother have’d forgive me as always and I ask the lord to forgive”.

9

Insideout Magazine > issue 17

Mthunzi Sinari; Art work of the big orange teddy bear man “I want to learn to forgive my friend beXola Pasman cause they broke into my house and still my furniture. I want my sister to forgive me for the wrong things I have done. “ I would like to forgive want forgiveness from the mother myself first, and that Ican that make me start to ask for- I killed her child. I also want the giveness to my motherpeople and I robbed to forgive me. I want my girlfriend to forgive me for cheating on the people that I’ve hurt her.

I also forgive the boy that starbbed outside. May god forgive me. I forgive the people that killed my me!” mother. I forgive my father.”

10

Insideout Magazine > issue 17

Chadwin Benjamin “I would like to forgive myself for the things and mistakes I have done in life. When I get out im going to do the right thing and im going to help my ma.� Im just sorry for the things ive done in life.

11

Insideout Magazine > issue 17

Micheal Baadjieo “Soos ek wil net fir igmant virgifnes vra sso die mense date k het vir lyle dood geskiet en ek weet dat dit wie ek was nie wile k net he sy ma moet wir my virgiewe van vir my is dit nie mooi om te hoor elke tyd die mense se ek is sy moordernaar nie ek wil net sy ma vra eendag om vir my te virgiewe virgiewe sy vir my vat say gese dan sale k vir ha virgiewe wat say vir my gese het.�

12

Insideout Magazine > issue 17

13

Insideout Magazine > issue 17

creative thinking

14

15

Insideout Magazine > issue 17

16

Insideout Magazine > issue 17

17

Insideout Magazine > issue 17

18

Insideout Magazine > issue 17

19

Insideout Magazine > issue 17

healing of

memor ies

“If I see my son, and he runs to me and gives me a hug, that would make me happy.”

—Manuel “Ok my good memory, I think one day my mum he take me to the town. She was going to buy me clothes and my sister in december month and we was sitting in the fisheries and then we eat fish and chips. and then she buy for me a black shoes the name of that shoes is antonyfabi and I was happy.

The time I was young and my mum she was working a night shift and the time she’s coming back at work she brought for me chocolates and cans of drinks every day and that’s in my good memory.”

— Sabelo Dongosi “My name is Mthunzi. I born in Cape Town on 1992-0708. I on last year my father he make a big birthday cake and I was so happy. I was staying with my friends and other friend is a DJ she was there and also my girlfriend. She give me lot of luv and lot of hugs and kisses. So i was very very happiness.”

—Mthunzi

20

Insideout Magazine > issue 17

“I like soccer that will make me happy. En also for the time that I’m in prison my mother did comes to talk about things det I must do det wil. Make me happy. En I feel happy. I like pizzas en dee makes me happy. En imet a Giri I never se buetieful face. En it makes me happy.”

—Michael Baadjies “Me, I think about something that I do to my mother and my family is like I was pleasing my friend more than my family and my parent, so when I go outside I want to show my family that I will never please my friends any more.

Ndifuna uphuma kwamu apha ndimbonise ukuba andinophinda. Enye into I girlfriend yambendiyithanda kodwa yakwazi ukuba nebrother yamu so lom ntana bendimthanda but she realy broe my heart I don’t know when can I find another girl like her and she was a future wife and I realy need her in my life just because when im with her im like sitting eith my angel.

---Anele Thembani

21

Insideout Magazine > issue 17

prevention & restoration

SingiPrevent: stay away from drugs, from alcohol, from crime, from gang How?: to go to church, to relieve stress in better ways, to make better friends and not do drugs, to make better friends Masixole VikilahlePrevent:comingbacktoprison,breakingmymom’sheartagain,badfriends,drugs, standing still, satanism How?:tolivelovingsomeone,stayawayfromviolence,crime,badstuff,drugs,to sit with her and tell her I really appreciate the things that she has done for me, to confess, to go to church, how to say no and how to avoid them Sabelo DorgosiPrevent: I want to prevent the fight, I want to prevent to come in prison, prevent the bad friends How?: avoid the arguing or avoid the fight, the only thing I must do is to stop doing crime or must do crime with a right way to do come with mind because I smoke drugs outside and I don't think it’s my time to stop drugs or I must find job this is better way but drugs they won’t defeat me that is the only thing I know. Just to stay away from bad friends you must just talk to yourself.

22

Insideout Magazine > issue 17

ValentionPrevent: crime/violence, drugs, anger/frustration, imprisonment How?:badfriends,buildingafamilyandstayinginmyhouse,angermanagement courses, to stay away from crime and violence Phakamisile GabavuPrevent: alcohol, stop house breaking, being in a gang, bad girlfriend How?:havebetterfriends,makehonestmoney,haveajob,gotochurch,finda girlfriend at church

23

Insideout Magazine > issue 17

Restoration “I want to restore the relationship with my mother. I broke he heart to please my friends. The bond that I needed from her and I want to show her how much I love her. I really appreciate everything she has done for me since I was born. I want to tell her I was wrong. She has always taught me how to behave and how to take care of myself. I was wrong to guiding on all those things she has taught me. I want to restore fair that I have lost. I used to believe in God the things I want to confess to God in order to change my life style. I also need forgiveness.”

—Masixole Vikilahle “I want to restore my relationship with my mother and my son. I don’t have much but I want to show that I can change. I can change in prison, but I have to do it by myself here. Young in prison has helped me open my mind.

I want to work with a program like Young in Prison here. I want to teach somewhere else.”

—Manuel Napoleon “The time was outside I was have a bad relationship with my family I was fighting with my family and arguing everyday when I’m in my motion of drug and I want to have peace with my family and pray all the wrong things I do to them they must forgive me just like I forgive those who was doing a wrong things to me and I know that there is know other place like home or family and I want to have a good relationship with my family and all the things I did lose I want release again and I will release those things again and everything I want in my life I will have it these nothing can defeat me” —Sabelo Dongosi “I wish to restore my relationship with family because I disappointed them by coming to prison. If I get out, I want to change by going to school and becoming a police officer. I want to tell my family that I will support them.”

—Nasiphi Sijobo “I left school when I was 13, I left grade 7. I started doing drugs and I joined gangs, I always had a dream to study interior design, but when I get out here, I want to go back to school and be a good example for my two brothers. I want to listen to my mother because she told me that if

24

I get in trouble my friends won’e support me—she will be the one to support me. I would like to have my own family and my own house. I want to design hotels and in the game reserves.”

—Ayanda Dabuld

“I wish to restore my relationship with my dad I want to tell my dad that im sorry I want to stay with my mom, dad, brother and sister, If I leave here I want to get a job. Then I want to buy something for my dad and mom.

I want to spend time with my dad I want to spend time with my sister I want to show my mom and my dad that I have started a new life If I go to church again I will be able to marry my girlfriend If I get married I will be able to spend time with my family I wish to resotre my relationship with my dad I realy want to show my dad that im sorry If I leave here I want to get a job then buy my mom and dad something --Phakamisa Gabavu “ Something I want in my life is to go to University, to study to become a doctor who helps people in a hospital who are sick. I also want to help my family with love. I also want to supply my brothers and sisters with money to go to school and take care of them and support them.

I also want to take care of my girlfriend with love and our life. I want a new girlfriend who will also change my life just like I change hers. I want us to understand each other. I want us to respect each other. I want us to support each other. When anything goes wrong we fix it, and we don’t abuse each other. We will support our children together.

--Singi When I get out of jail im going to try to make things right in my life. Im going to stop doing wrong things like taking people’s things. Im going to stop smoking drugs. Im going to stop giving my things away but going to stay away from bad things and do the right things to do.

Its not going to be easy to find a job because people will look at me in a bad way, so I will just do the right thing.

Im going to stay far away from church, my mom must pray for me.

--Chadwin Benjamin

Insideout Magazine > issue 17

25

Insideout Magazine > issue 17

26

Insideout Magazine > issue 17

27

Insideout Magazine > issue 17

28

Insideout Magazine > issue 17

29

Insideout Magazine > issue 17

30

Insideout Magazine > issue 17

31

Insideout Magazine > issue 17

32

5