http://helen.freeblogit.com Just another Freeblogit.com weblog Fri, 27 Jun 2008 21:57:14 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Two days ago I visited Moorsmore prison, and took part in a session for a small group of male prisoners who had completed the Khulisa "My Path" programme.  I was astounded to hear each one of them freely talk about themselves, their lives, their mistakes, their previous choices - in ... http://helen.freeblogit.com/2008/06/26/medium-a-block-moorsmore-prison-cape-town/ I visited a juvenile detention centre in Moorsmore Prison, Cape Town.  Here dormitory cells of between 26 and 40 are the norm - for boys between 14 & 17.  And the reason?  I was told that "Black African people dont like to be alone."  But then, there are smaller cells - ... http://helen.freeblogit.com/2008/06/26/juvenile-detention-in-s-africa/ Yesterday I visited a female prison about 2 hours drive from Cape Town, and was priviledged to take part in a Khulisa "My Path" session with a group of around 20 female prisoners . They are currently experiencing stage 1 of the My Path programme (looking at themselves, understanding who they ... http://helen.freeblogit.com/2008/06/26/my-path-lights-of-hope/ Philippe Township, Cape Town, can only be described as a hell hole, where people live like rats and where the stench of portaloo toilets make Greenbelt look like a 5 star deluxe hotel! And yet, in the midst of all that looks filthy and rotten, lies real rays of hope ... http://helen.freeblogit.com/2008/06/26/cries-of-rape-and-rays-of-hope/ Sunday morning.  10am. The first 10 minutes of every Sunday service here is given to pray for those who have died as a result of the HIV virus.  The pulpit is draped in the red HIV logo – not because of the 10 minutes, but as a normal part of ... http://helen.freeblogit.com/2008/06/25/stories-from-gugulethu/ One of the problems I am still grappling with is the issue of sexuality.  I am so comfortable at home, in the safety of the Iona Community, with all that it stands for, that it came as a surprise – no, it came as a whacking great shock, to be ... http://helen.freeblogit.com/2008/06/25/anther-apartheid/ Imagine arriving at work to discover that the office is closed; imagine being told to have a coffee somewhere while someone tries to organise finding a key to get the office opened; imagine no one knowing where or how to find the key. Imagine 4 hours later gaining entrance to ... http://helen.freeblogit.com/2008/06/19/durban-14-19-june/ 13 & 14 June.   Small stories from Zimbabwe  The CountryZimbabwe is beautiful!  Simply beautiful.  Watching Giraffes and Zebras exchange friendly glances in their natural habitat; driving mile after mile alongside maize crops, banana plants and other rich plantations, all basking in the warm sun; admiring the slower pace of life of ... http://helen.freeblogit.com/2008/06/16/stories-from-zimbabwe/ Today I’m off to visit a friend in Harare, Zimbabwe, with the memories of yesterday’s visit to Johannesburg’s Leewcop prison still firmly in my head.   Some Reflections from Leewcop Prison, JohannesburgAt first sight, you would be forgiven for thinking that Leewcop is a leafy residential suburb, and not notice that ... http://helen.freeblogit.com/2008/06/14/6/ Khulissa Crime Prevention Programme:  Joined a group of 6 prisoners in a massive leafy complex of 4 prisons together, and took part in an evaluation session on them as peer educators in a programme they delivered to 300 out of 1300 inmates, based around drugs, HIV & life choices.  They had been trainedby ... http://helen.freeblogit.com/2008/06/12/day-1-johannesburg/