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Champions Champions The Group of Hope
Champions Champions The Group of Hope
The Group of Hope |
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 This Group consists of 20 male maximum security prisoners at Brandvlei prison near Worcester who have given hope to nearly 30 AIDS orphans by ‘adopting’ them. The children are brought regularly to the prison where they receive material and emotional support from the Group's members.
Under the direst of circumstances – prison sentences of up to 25 years
and the most secure prison in the country – they have achieved the
unthinkable. By giving hope to these children they have also redeemed their
own lives. Many people believe offenders should be removed from society and simply locked away forever, but not Mr Jacobus Pansegrouw, a social worker at the prison and co-ordinator of the Group who says, “The guys in this group are genuine. They’re passionate about what they’re doing and have demonstrated their commitment to making a difference.”
The members were shocked by Thabang’s state of health and dress. He was painfully thin and had sores all round his mouth. His clothes were in tatters. After he left they conferred together. Maximum security prisoners have very few rights and freedoms and so, within the constraints of their circumstances, they requested two things from the prison authorities: that they be able to start a vegetable garden to grow food for Thabang and that they be given access to their private clothes so that they could fashion them into some new clothes for him.
Thabang, who was allowed to visit his new fathers once a month, began to thrive on all the attention and love he received. Other children, who had also lost their parents to AIDS, were soon put forward by social workers in the district. The Group of Hope now has 30 children under its wing, and children’s birthday parties have become a regular feature of the monthly visits. The Group members have also advanced their sewing skills and, with the help of several donated sewing machines and overlockers, now make a range of clothing for their children. This includes smart tracksuits embroidered with the Group of Hope emblem as well as clothes and quilts for other organisations looking after children affected and infected by HIV and AIDS. While none of these men would be considered ideal role models as fathers, nor a maximum security prison an ideal place for children to visit, hope has indeed turned the situation around. The men all agree that they wouldn’t want their children to make the same choices and mistakes they made, and the best work they can therefore do is help others, especially children, and prevent them from following suit. As one member said, “As a father, it’s an honour to take a child and teach them something………something that I would like to teach my own children.” Another member added, “I never used to think about my future because it meant nothing to me. Now I worry about it every day as I have so many responsibilities to these children.” The social worker who brings the children for their monthly visits comments, “Every time they come here you can see it in their faces that they can’t wait for the gate to open. To me it looks like they get a lot of love here.” In the words of one prisoner who was involved in several gang shootings and also accidentally killed a young child in a drive-by shooting, “I didn’t get a chance to tell the people in court that I was sorry for what I did. And that’s why I’ve gotten into the Group - because of the life I took from that kid. I’m now just trying to give it back to kids that don’t have moms and dads.” Mr Pansegrouw is keen to address concerns people may have about prisoners working with children. “With rehabilitation and new ideas, there is always controversy, but safety and security are never neglected. The members demonstrated their commitment to the ideals and vision of the Group of Hope for many months before adopting the children.” And this commitment continues to grow. After watching a TV programme on a young girl with leukaemia who needed a bone marrow transplant, the Group members all decided to register as bone marrow donors so that they might also be able to help such children. One member said, “If I’m chosen one day to save a child’s life by donating my bone marrow to them, that will be the highlight of my life.” The establishment and work of the Group has also been life changing for Mr Pansegrouw. “Years ago when I was still at school, I told my mother that I wanted to do something with my life. And, when this project crossed my path, I knew deep inside myself that I had arrived and was where I was meant to be. I know my life will never be the same again.” The Group has big plans, which are starting to be realised. They have helped to establish nine similar Groups of Hope in other prisons around the Western Cape. And they say they won’t stop until every prison in South Africa has its own Group of Hope. A Section 21 Company has also been established to help market the products the members are making. The money will be used to fund the Group’s expansion plans, which also include projects outside the prisons for members who are released so that they can continue to live and work according to the inspiring Group of Hope ethic. The Group of Hope has won several awards for its work, including one from the World Bank for ‘The Country Innovation Day HIV/AIDS: Turning Ideas Into Action’ and a Centre for Public Service Innovations Award from the South African Government. For further information contact Mr Jacobus Pansegrouw on 023 340 8056 or email jacobus.pansegrouw@groupofhope.co.za. Alternatively visit their website.
This pioneering
and inspiring prison rehabilitation programme, which has transformed the
lives of numerous prisoners and orphans over the last seven years, has
recently been terminated. A petition to protest against this closure has been
launched and will be sent to the Department of Correction Services. You can digitally
sign the petition at http://www.petitionspot.com/petitions/groupofhope
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