SEBOKENG.- ‘Beyond the Bars’ is the name of a group of reformed ex-offenders who are now dedicated to making a positive change in their communities.
About 73 ex-convicts consisting of women and men sat down to come up with ideas about righting the wrongs they had done in their different communities.
Spokesperson Papi Botha says: “Our decision was clear and that was to pay back the community we had wronged and failed in the past.
“We identified filth, illegal dumping sites, sewer, potholes and filthy walkways in our communities and subsequently mobilised young people to help us with our cleaning campaign dubbed Cleaning our spaces, reclaiming the Vaal.’”
Members come from different areas in the Vaal Triangle, such as Sharpeville, Bophelong, Boipatong, Palm Springs and Sebokeng.
“We started our first cleaning campaign in Wessels Mota Street and the project went to other places such as Zone 7 and Zone 6. We are fighting crime by cleaning up dumping sites, so we clean up the place and turn it into something that can be used by the community.
“We also focus on places where there is idling youth abusing drugs. We keep them busy by giving them something positive they can contribute.”
He said the project has attracted both men and women from surrounding areas.
“Although they were working hard to contribute positively to the community, they still have to deal with the stigma of being ex-convicts from businesses they were approaching for donations,” Botha said. He said that the number of people engaged in the project was constantly going down because they lack support from local businesses.
“The youth is not being paid for cleaning up, but they need food and water. They end up not forming part of the project because it is difficult to get support from businesses. Luckily, there is always those older members of the community who will bring us food, water or juice from their own homes.”
Botha said beyond the cleaning up campaign, they have a skills transfer programme where people within the organisation will generate their own income.
“They would venture into various businesses for job creation and to make an honest living,” he concluded.
