Mams learners visit Baviaanspoort Correctional Service
The school trip was a learning curve for the learners to experience a world they are shielded from, a world of regret and consequences.
Learners from Mamelodi high schools stepped out of their comfort zone when they took part in an educational school trip to learn about different kinds of crimes last week Friday.
The learners from Vukani Mawethu high, Vlakfontein Technical high, Mamelodi high and Stanza Bopape high visited Baviaanspoort Correctional Facilities to learn about crime, drug and substance abuse, GBV, bullying, gangsterism and the consequences thereof.
The education school trip was part of a joined awareness campaign of different crimes organised by Thandanani Drop Inn Centre, Mamelodi police and the Baviaanspoort Correctional Facilities.
Thabo Kgotsi from Thandanani said the school trip was a learning curve for the learners to experience a world they are shielded from.
“A world of regret and consequences, a world of transformation, be it for good or for bad, it changes one and again, it depends on one’s personal choices.”
He said at times we have to start at the end and reveal consequences, to change the beginning and “remove the veil that blinds reality to open up one’s mind for a better decision-making process”.
The learners had the opportunity to interact with inmates who gave their testimony and how they ended up behind bars because of the wrong decisions they made in life.
“It is of no use and counterproductive to advocate awareness of any kind to the youth that fall on deaf ears and yield no effective results. At times we have to root out causes of social ills before they become widespread,” said Kgotsi.
“It is up to us as a society, as a nation, to be the change we want to see, to support truth, reality. We must be the waves of change that turns the tide against multiple social ills ravaging our community because each and every one of us bears the onus.”
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Mamelodi police spokesperson, Captain Johannes Maheso said the campaign was all about preventing crime and help learners to make better decisions in life.
“The learners had the opportunity to listen to the parolees who shared their crime stories and interestingly, learners listened with awe to the very frightening messages,” said Maheso.
Learners were given breakfast and lunch and before departing they were given promotional materials from an exhibition which were displayed outside.
Maheso concluded that the educational school trip was followed with an evaluation session the following week.
The educational programme is intended to be rolled out to other communities.
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