GROUP OF HOPE

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GROUP OF HOPE
At the heart of change
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White Paper on Corrections in South Africa
Chapter Three Correction is a societal
responsibility.
3.3.7 .offenders are encouraged to discard
negative and destructive values and replace them
with positive and constructive values ..
3.3.8 It is the vision of our correctional
system that by the time offenders are released
into society, they will have developed an
attitude of desiring to serve their families and
society with competence, excellence and
responsibility.
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White Paper on Corrections in South Africa
Chapter Thirteen External partnerships
13.1.1 No correctional system can achieve its
objectives if it does not have a range of healthy
external partnerships.
13.2.1 The relationships between the DCS and
the community, community-based organisations,
NGOs and faith-based organisations are inherent
to the successful achievement of the
rehabilitation and reintegration of offenders.
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To change behavior you must first understand the
behavior.

• HIV/AIDS Why do people discriminate?
• Lack of knowledge?
• No compassion?
• No sense of ownership of the problem?

Behavioral change can not be forced onto anyone,
but it can be directed.
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How the Group of Hope originated.
The Group of Hope was established during June
2002.
This project was an initiative of 8 inmates of
the Brandvlei Maximum Correctional institution
and myself.
The inmates attended a HIV/AIDS course.
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Each Group of Hope consists of 7 projects

• Information
• Adoption
• Gardening
• Needlework
• Arts Crafts
• Events
• Finance

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INFORMATION
The purpose of this project is to inform, teach
and help prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS in our
Correctional Institutions as well as in our
communities.
Crime prevention, poverty alleviation and
rehabilitation of offenders is some of the main
objectives of this project thru skills- and
personal development.
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ADOPTION
The group have decided to adopt people in need,
like the aged, street children, children's homes,
disabled people and children that have been
orphaned by HIV/AIDS.
Adoption in this sense means to take care of
and responsibility for
It is our aim to organize an event for these
people in need at least once a month. At these
events the community benefit from the groups
activities.
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GARDENING
The gardening project was started to provide our
adopted people with fresh vegetables. We are
now going green and since September 2008 we
have started with an organic garden and
Vermiculture.
We have donated vegetables to various
organizations and individuals, like children's
homes, old age homes, hospitals, shelters and
homes for the disabled. We also give fresh
vegetables to the HIV positive inmates in our
institutions.
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NEEDLEWORK
The needle work projects responsibility is to
mend and make new clothes for people in need.
Male as well as female inmates are trained in
this regard.
In this project we also made over 300 baby
blankets that we donated to hospitals and
children in need. We also do knitting and
embroidery.
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ARTS CRAFTS
The Group of Hope members take part in various
forms of arts and crafts, like making cards,
bracelets, tin angels etc. The aesthetic
appreciation of the inmate is being developed
here.
The inmates train other offenders as well as
children in these crafts.
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EVENTS
Every year the Group of Hope commemorates
national and international days like World AIDS
Day, 16 days of no violence against woman and
children, youth day, day for the disabled etc.
The events project is also responsible for all
other events of the group.
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FINANCE
The Group of Hope is dependent on donations as
well as the selling of some of our arts articles.
All decisions taken about the spending of the
money is taken by the action committee members
and then endorsed by the coordinator.
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NON PROFIT ORANISATION
We have registered a Non Profit Organization
under the name of Group Of Hope Development.
One of the directors is an ex-prisoner and Group
Of Hope member.
This company have their first office in Paarl.
The aim of the company is to provide land and
paying jobs for inmates being released.
During their incarceration inmates will be
trained and their skills will be developed. They
will also be exposed to emotional changes. The
company will give them the opportunity to study
further through the availing of bursaries whilst
in prison.
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BENEFITS OF THE PROJECT

• The Group Of Hopes exposure to the public and
  the media over the past seven years were
  astonishingly positive. Literally hundreds of
  peoples attitude towards DCS and the
  rehabilitation that we do, HIV positive inmates
  as well as children living with the virus have
  changed positively.
• Inmates are being trained in various skills,
  crime prevention, HIV/AIDS, public speaking,
  gardening, financial management etc.

• Inmates are being kept busy, trained and prepared
  for re-integration into our communities with a
  better understanding of themselves and vulnerable
  people around them.

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• Hundreds of community members gained in one way
  or another from the Group of Hope. This changes
  their attitude towards offenders and people
  living with HIV in turn -it has rehabilitation
  value for an inmate if he feels that he is needed
  and can mean something for children, old aged
  people and disabled children (people in need).

• They give something back to the community they
  have stolen from, killed in or committed other
  crimes.

• The perception that inmates can play no positive
  role in the community is being changed.

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ACHIEVEMENTS AND DUPLICATION

• The Group of Hope have won various awards, to
  name a few

• An World Bank award/ Development market place
  HIV/AIDS turning ideas into action
• The National Community Builder of the year award
• The Impumelelo award
• The Center for public service innovation award
• The Correctional Services Special Award (twice)

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REPLICATION OF THE PROJECT
This project can be replicated very easy. We
have a manual of operations and constitution that
can be followed and changed to suit various
situations and organizations. The principle of
caring and the need to care for is global it
awaits awakening.
We wish to have a project like this in all the
Correctional Institutions in South Africa, as
well as in the rest of the world. Unfortunately
after 7 years we still awaits formal approval!
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REMEMBER There is evil in the best of us and
some good in the worst
Thank you for the opportunity to do this
presentation Please feel free to come and visit
us!
THE END Jacobus Pansegrouw.