November 2, 2006
By Tammy O'Reilly
THE graduation ceremony of the 11 children, who completed an eight-week life skills course, was unlike any other.
There wasn't any of the cheerfulness that is typical of graduations and the kids stood silently at the front of the room, some biting their fingernails and others nervously fidgeting with their clothes.
They had committed criminal offences – ranging from theft to assault – and instead of going through the criminal justice process the courts referred them to the Khulisa and National Institute for Crime Prevention and the Regeneration of Offender (Nicro) support groups to help them mend their ways.
As part of the City's Safety Strategy, all regions in Johannesburg run Youth Diversion Projects and Youth Crime Prevention Projects. Over the past two years the City has given R1,1 million to Khulisa and NICRO, Section 21 Companies that run the programmes on behalf of the City.
On Wednesday, 1 November the former delinquents assembled before their parents and the people against whom they had committed the crimes to apologise for their actions and show that they are now better people for having gone through the programme.
For eight weeks the children attended classes on Wednesday evenings and their full attendance showed their commitment to mending their ways. For this they each received a certificate of completion.
Depending on the severity of the crime committed, the children are ordered to undergo an eight- or 16-week course, on which they are encouraged to be accountable for their actions.
"I learned that my actions affects my family," said 13-year-old Suryha Williams, who would not say what crime she had committed. "I learned from my mistake and I have realised that I did something wrong and I won't do it again."
The City of Johannesburg has given funding to Khulisa and Nicro for the past two years and between June 2005 and July this year, 226 children successfully completed the course. In the next financial year the City is aiming to rehabilitate 350 children.
According to Khulisa's website, about 50 percent of all offenders are between the ages of 14 and 25. It also states that 80 percent of criminals who are released from prison re-offend because of the shortage of support programmes to help them reintegrate into society.
Some of the graduates of the Region B Youth Diversion project
About 70 percent of the children who go through the Khulisa and Nicro programme do not return to crime, and many who have completed the course opt to continue working with other children entering the programme.
At the Bafokeng High School in Soweto, 84 children who went through the diversion programme went on to start a feeding scheme in their community. During the December holidays all the groups will meet to form Ubuntu Clubs that will carry out projects in their communities.
A key feature of the programme deals with strengthening the bond that these children share with their parents.
"In most cases there is a breakdown in the parent-child relationship," says programme facilitator Reggie Botha. "At Khulisa we try to mend that relationship through the different exercises we have and to promote the reintegration of the child into the family and the community."
The course also provides an opportunity for those affected by the crimes to express their views on how they were effected and allows the children to make up for their actions by doing chores or offering a symbol of their remorse like a letter of apology.
"Our criminal justice process is daunting to first-time offenders, especially if they are under the age of 15," said Nomvula Mjuza, the regional manager for human development in Region B. "They get a criminal record that will make it difficult for them to get employment and often society casts them aside because of their actions."
"This programme seeks to ensure that these kids are given a second chance, because everybody deserves a second chance."
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