Thursday, July 13, 2017

Inmates are the Scourge of the Earth

To most people, inmates of prisons are the scum of the earth. How many times have I heard the “He did the crime, he must do the time” and how often have I heard derogatory remarks about prisoners? We watch the news or read the newspapers and actually get a kick out of reading about another person who is put in jail for a long period of time. Inmates are viewed as the scourge of society and I am going to do my very best to show the world that prisoners are people too. I think the worst thing I heard being said about an inmate is that “I hope he rots in jail”, or “he does not deserve to be treated like a human being and therefore should have no human rights”.

I made a commitment today – a commitment to the young and old men in Medium B at St Alban’s Prison. I have committed myself to be their liaison officer, their mentor, their go-between, their friend and their confidante. Against doctors’ orders and the absolute horror expressed by my mom and my husband, I went and did a three-hour workshop on debating, reviewing and writing skills for approximately 25 men. I don’t know who had the better time – they or I. I had an amazing time spent with such an incredibly diverse and yet coherent group of men. Not once did I feel threatened in any way. I was in a very safe space, no wardens around and just the inmates and me.

I prepared nothing – I was skating on my arse with the experience I already had. They had prepared so many things for me; two reviews on one of my books, a Capella with rap, poetry written and recited to me … they were amazing. And Heinrich van Rooyen organized all that to take place. A huge big thank you must go to Mr PC Plaatjies, the warden who made this all possible.

We were serious, we laughed, we squealed with delight – there was nothing but sheer joy in that classroom for three hours today.

Those are not animals in there, as I have also heard them described. They are gentlemen; they are intelligent, pleasing to the eye and most entertaining. And each and every one of them have crept into my heart. As I always have to have something greater than I am to live for, I will be living for this group of amazing human beings as well.

Who amongst us all, have not committed a sin? Who amongst us all, have never made a mistake? It was a privilage and an honor to spend those three hours in their company. Those are my boys now!

Tuesday, July 11, 2017

Open Letter to my Siblings

I hope you will look at all your good qualities and realize how important you are to those who love you.

Reflect on all the things that make you – you.

I hope you’ll find ways to make the difficult times easier, your cares lighter and the days brighter. I pray that mysteries will unfold for you to make a difference in your life now.

I hope you’ll tap into that source of strength I know is within you, that place where hope and courage live and new ideas are born.

I hope you will connect with the kind of faith that helps you to reach your chosen goals. As you ease from one day to another, I hope you find time to consider the miracle of your own life and the beauty of your humanity.

I hope that a band of ministering angels will hover around you and protect you.

Saturday, July 8, 2017

Some Days are Just Shit !

Some days are just shit. We all have them. There is no other word to describe it. You feel so down and demotivated that you can fly kites under a carpet with ease. No one can say anything to lift your spirits and even if there are those who care, not even their words can lift you out of the doldrums. There is just no wind beneath your wings. You don’t know what steps to take to change the situation. You stuck in a no man's land, alone with just your overwhelming negative thoughts that come from something that was done to you that was unfair, cruel or even something that you would never do to another person. This period of unrest of the soul is needed so that the debris and the dirt can be discarded and a new plan and life can be carved out of the old. So, sometimes these shit days are necessary. Today was one such day for me. Tomorrow will bring numerous ideas and plans. And then the kite can fly in the sky again

Wednesday, July 5, 2017

Why Would Someone Risk Everything to Make a Stand for Human Rights

Ken Wiwa, the son of Ken Saro-Wiwa, a human rights activist who was executed in November 1995 in Nigeria, asks in his book "In the Shadow of a Saint", "What is it that compels a man to risk everything - his life, his family, the lives of people around him - to make a stand for human rights?"

I am trying to answer this question. It is not religion. It is a deep horror of injustice that drives me to do something about it. It is also a feeling of being the only one to really see the pain and abuse, the feeling that not enough people are prepared to do something, or to take action...this is what drives me to take more and more risks. It is a feeling of not having enough time and of a job that is too large to complete. It is a feeling of living in the moment because tomorrow will be too late. It is a feeling of every life being precious and if nothing is done about the other out there, then nothing will be done about these around me. It is a feeling of "if I look out for those, then these of mine will be OK". It is a deep resentment of the abuse of others. It is a loathing of unkind and uncompassionate behaviour. It is the contempt for those who sit by and do nothing, knowing that while they look on they are as much to blame as the abuser and the oppressor. It is a feeling of frustration that pushes me to the limits of my endurance. It is an all-consuming love of the people, of those who need protection the most.