Maleeto Mabe, 23, an ex-convict who was incarcerated for murder when she was only 17-years-old, has started a new life by working as a fire crew leader at Working With Fire.
Maleeto was taken into custody in 2010 after stabbing a man to death while he was beating her. She served two years of her six-year sentence, after which she was released on parole.
“I was so young and wasn’t qualified to do any job,” Maleeto said.
“But then I found Working with Fire and my life soon became much more promising.”
Working with Fire is a training programme which is part of the Department of Environmental Affairs. The programme recruits young men and women who are in dire need of training, skills development and employment. Parapara Makgahlela, spokesperson for Working With Fire, says the majority of the members of the programme are between 18 and 35 years old. The programme aims to enable these young people to earn money to support their households.
“Sometimes we work with the Department of Correctional Services to employ parolees or ex-convicts,”
Parapara said. “We know that some of the convicts are single mothers who need to support their children after being released from jail.”
Maleeto says the programme has not only helped her to attain financial stability, it has also improved her emotional stability. “I used to be an angry person in the past, but I’ve learned how to interact and work with different people,” she said.
She also explained that the crew leader course, which she recently completed, has changed her life completely. “I feel empowered and honoured to lead young men and women.”
She said the employers at Working with Fire didn’t judge her abilities based on her criminal record, but respected her and enabled her to be a leader. The training programme taught her to be disciplined, dedicated and to persevere.
“I still have to share the tale of my life with others, because they need to know that there is life after prison. I now have a purpose in life. The programme has touched and changed my life in a very positive way,” Maleeto said.
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