Heart-Work touches hearts

About 30 offenders incarcerated at the Krugersdorp Correctional Services graduated from a 20-week personal growth course on 8 November.

Heart-Work, a non-government and a non-profit organisation’s programmes aim to change the mind, thoughts, heart and actions of offenders from negative to positive.

Inge Böse, one of the facilitators says their programmes focus on getting offenders to change their outlook on life and to realise that there are people who are struggling more in life than they do.

“Yet there are some, despite their obstacles, who made a success of their lives.”

During the course they get to talk and share stories about their lives with the other offenders.

“Our aim is to see a change in their eyes, because the eyes are the windows to the heart. Once we get to see that there is a change in their behaviour and emotional wellbeing, then we know we are getting into their hearts.”

She says they need to realise that they are not alone in this world and there are always people who are willing to help them.

“As part of the course we teach them to cope in life. We learn them skills that they can implement when they are released from prison, such as to set up a business, draw up a business plan, conduct interviews when applying for a job and so forth.”

Vuyisile Madlongolwana, a previous inmate who was sentenced to 15 years in prison for robbery says the Heart-Work programme helped him in every way.

“At first I did this just to get the certificate at the end of the course but as time progressed they managed to reach my heart and I began to open up.”

He says he started robbing people because he could not deal with the loss of his grandmother.

Vuyisile had a change of heart when he joined the programme in 2009, and a year later he was released on parole after serving more than 12.5 years in prison.

“Although I often felt tempted to return to robbery in the last years, I managed to fight it as I am able to choose not to do crime anymore. I have not changed much, but I have grown into a better person.”

He currently runs a similar programme in Soweto to help the community from that area.