Hope for Change through soccer in South African prisons
Location
To develop a soccer academy in a juvenile prison as a catalyst to bring change to young men’s lives physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.
About You
Location
Project Street Address
Project City
Project Province/State
Project Postal/Zip Code
Project Country
Your idea
Sport
Soccer
Year the initative began (yyyy)
2007
YouTube Upload
Project URL (include HTTP://)
Positioning of your initiative on the mosaic diagram:
Which of these barriers is the primary focus of your work?
Stereotyping that excludes
Which of the principles is the primary focus of your work?
Use sport to build character
If you believe some other barrier or principle should be included in the mosaic, please describe it and how it would affect the positioning of your initiative in the mosaic:
This field has not been completed
Name Your Project
Hope for Change through soccer in South African prisons
Describe Your Idea
To develop a soccer academy in a juvenile prison as a catalyst to bring change to young men’s lives physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.
Innovation
What is your signature innovation, your new idea, in one sentence?
To develop a soccer academy in a juvenile prison as a catalyst to bring change to young men’s lives physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.
Describe your innovation. What makes your idea unique and different than others doing work in the field?
For years soccer academies have been set up for an 'elite' group of players, each one being nurtured to reach their full potential in the sport. Academies have been for the elite and the best. This program is unique because it overs juvenile offenders the opportunity to change through being involved in a elite program within the prison system. It gives opportunity to change and reach their full potential. Academies are not offered to prisoners and they are not given the opportunities to reach their full potential. This academy goes against the norms and looks to develop young lives that society has given up on.
What are the existing barriers, the biggest problem, your innovation is hoping to address/change?
In South African prisons gangsterism, drugs, physical and sexual abuse and violence become the norm. Many young lives are destroyed forever and the academy aims to decrease negative behaviour within the prison. It is a well known fact that the abused becomes the abuser. We want to offer a program that breaks this cycle of abuse and violence. The program teaches each individual not to re-commit crime and aims to teach them to become law abiding citizens once released.
Delivery Model: How do you implement your innovation and apply it to the challenge/problem you are addressing?
Sport is a great tool for change and we desire to implement the wonderful tool of soccer to bring about social change and restore hope. Soccer goes beyond language, age, race, social status and one’s past. It reaches all people on the level they are at.
Hope Academy in Leeuwkop Prison will be based off of the model developed in Pollsmoor Prison over the past three years. The academy aims to attract prisoners who have good soccer ability and have a desire to change. Hope Academy has specific rules, codes of conduct and behavior requirements. There is a curriculum of life skills programs that will be taught including team dynamics, HIV/AIDS awareness, anger management, conflict resolution, relationships, financial management, literacy and reading, health and diet. The boys in the academy will then be an example for the rest of the prisoners. They will share what they gain with others around them.
To combat the issue of boys exiting prison and returning to their existing environment, Hope Academy has links to local churches and community based organizations who will give these boys a sense of belonging when they exit the system. This keeps the boys connected to the curriculum and knowledge they will have gained through Hope Academy during their time at Leeuwkop prison. These churches will have existing sports programs in which the boys will play a key role in helping to run. This might include coaching, teaching or helping to direct programs. The churches will continue to monitor and aid the boys as they begin their new lives outside of the prison walls giving back to the community they once took from.
How do you plan to grow your innovation?
We are in the beginning phases of starting Hope Academy at Leeuwkop. This academy has grown because of the success of our model in Cape Town. We will continue to meet the existing needs of other prisons within Africa. Our curriculum will continue to be tweaked as different needs become more apparent.
Eventually we also hope to open an academy in Citrusdal, South Africa which will be a half way house for inmates who have just completed Hope Academy and desire to continue learning before they enter back into society. In addition, we want to have prisoners take tours to other prisons and academies so that others might also receive hope that these young men will gain. We continue to create partnerships with churches, schools and business professionals in the community.
We also hope to take the developed model into prisons and communities in the rest of Africa to help bring about change. We currently have bases in Kenya, Nigeria, Mozambique and Zambia that are considering development.
Impact
Provide one sentence describing your impact/intended impact.
Hope Academy will bring hope to young prisoners and raise up leaders by allowing them to work on their physical, mental, emotional and spiritual needs
What impact has your innovation had to date/or what is your intended impact? Exactly who are the beneficiaries?
Through our academy in Pollsmoor Prison we have seen a dramatic change in prisoners that have been involved in the program. Wardens in the prison have testified about the power of the program and the change they have seen in many of the young lives impacted through the academy. We have had prisoners come and play on our football clubs, find employment, have church involvement and some have been accepted onto our training internship program. We intent to impact prisoners in these areas further but also have prisoners come through our academies and play professional soccer. We also want to impact ex-prisoners further by providing a half way house that will act as an 'elite' academy providing holisitc training for 1 year after release. The direct beneficiaries are juvenile offenders between the ages of 14-24
How many people have you served directly?
The new academy in Leeuwkop Prison currently works with 20-30 sentenced juvinelie offenders on a weekly basis. The goal is that during next year this will become a daily programme with the same curriculum as the Pollsmoor prison model. We have worked in Pollsmoor Prison for nearly 3 years impacting over 1500 inmates.
How many people have you served indirectly?
This will be difficult to measure because of the change and impact prisoners have made in the prison and communities after being through the program. Wardens, other prisoners, and the community are people who have been served indirectly through the program.
We also serve people from outside of prison and international visitors who come and visit the project and themselves are inspired by what they have seen. Many international visitors and volunteers return to their own countries as ambassadors for the prison programme, as they share about what they have seen and experienced.
There has also been exposure for our previous project in Cape Town to many people through the media and speaking opportunities given to former inmates and members of the academy.
Please list any other measures reflective of the impact of your innovation?
It is too early to give examples from the new academy in Leeuwkop, but in the original Pollsmoor project the impact is most clearly seen through the young men who have come through the academy, left prison, and made choices for change which has lead them to continue studies or seek employment and no longer engage in crime or gangsterism.
What are the main barriers to creating or achieving your impact?
Resources and staff are the main barriers. We require the finances and the people to achieve the impact we are aiming for. Previously the prison structures were a barrier, but we have now formed a good relationship with the Department of Correctional Services who endorse the programme and view our organisation as an official service provider.
This Entry is about (Issues)
Sustainability
How is your initiative financed (or how do you expect your initiative will be financed)?
For the Hope Academy in Pollsmoor prison we’ve developed a very simple sponsorship plan which encourages donors to give between $5 and $10 per month. Through this initiative we have managed to develop a sustainable model for ongoing support.
For the new Hope Academy in Leeuwkop we are seeking to obtain initial funding through grants and business partners which will help develop the programme. Then we will initiate the same plan as with Pollsmoor prison to obtain consistent supports from multiple donors who give on a monthly basis.
If known, provide information on your finances and organization.
Ambassadors in Sport South Africa (AIS-SA) is part of Ambassadors in Sport International and was founded in Cape Town in April 2001. As a Non-Profit and Public Benefit Organization, AIS-SA desires to partner with churches in helping mobilize volunteers within their existing structure.
Beginning with two full-time staff members and working out of a small office in a sports complex in Cape Town, AIS-SA now has 12 full-time staff in Cape Town as well as interns and volunteer staff. The work has expanded into Pretoria this past year as one of our main projects is in Leeuwkop Prison. Other works also include satellite branches in Limpopo provinces, as well as in the nations of Zambia, Nigeria, Mozambique and Kenya.
As a registered Non-Profit Organisation and Public Benefit organization in South Africa, AIS South Africa must submit annual financial reports to the Register for Non-Governmental Organisation. These are available upon request.
What is the potential demand for your innovation?
We know that the model first developed in Pollsmoor prison has been a great success and we desire to operate in as many prisons as we have the capability of doing. We know there is great demand even at this moment which we simply cannot meet because of the need for willing, available people and resources. The Department of Correctional Services has shown a strong desire to have our program in prisons around South Africa so our goal is to replicate the programme in each South African Province.
What are the main barriers to financial sustainability?
A. Lack of people joining the sponsorship plan of $5.00 - $10.00 a month.
B. Not creating awareness of the academy program to potential donors.
C. Growing too quickly to meet the demand in other prisons before fully establishing the academies in Pollsmoor and Leeuwkop.
D. Receiving initial once-off funding but not finding donors to commit on a regular basis.
The Story
What is the origin of this innovation? Tell us your story.
Ambassadors In Sport began working in Pollsmoor Prison in 2001. The organisation went into the prison once a week and offered soccer coaching to juveniles who were interested in the sport. We realised that these young lives required attention in other areas of their lives and that coaching the physical was just touching the surface. We also realised that very little quality sports programs were running within the prison. The organisation saw the affects of gangsterism, rape, drug abuse and violence within the prison and also saw that many of these young offenders were returning to prison after release. Something needed to be done! We then developed the academy model within the prison, placing all the team into one cell and teaching them how to relate and live with one another. Many of these boys have never known what it means to be in a family or a team that cares for them. The academy model started to make an impact in the lives of the boys, then the section and the wardens. Boys in the academy were not all returning to the prison and change had become possible. The model has proved successful and we believe in Leeuwkop the same impact or even greater can be made.
Please provide a personal bio. Note this may be used in Changemakers marketing material.
I have been in South Africa for 10 years having been born and raised in the UK. I came to South Africa in 1998 to do youth work. It was a period of reconciliation in the post-apartheid era, and I recognised the role soccer could play to bring a message of reconciliation and hope to young people in South Africa and across the Continent. This resulted in opening Ambassadors in Sport in 2001. I married a South African in 2000 and have two small children.
How did you hear about this contest and what is your main incentive to participate? (this is confidential)
My NGO partnered with another organisation in the World Bank Development Marketplace Competition where we were selected as finalisists. I represented the project in Washington in May 2007 and although we did not win, it was a great experience. Following that competition my details were sent to Changemakers who invited me to enter the same project in the Health Intervention competition. During that competition I pre-entered the Sport for Change competition as it seemed to be more suited to our work.
Out of all the projects our organisation runs, I felt that the prison project was most suited to the objectives of this competition. Also, as we start a new academy, the changemakers funding would assist to kick-start the project. But, just as importantly, we feel the format of this competition gives us invaluable exposure to a global audience who may be interested in what we are attempting to do in South Africa.
Affiliation (please list all that apply)
We are a South African NGO and Non-Profit Organisation.
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Comments
Hi, impressive proposal and video. I like how the sports piece is integrated into caring for the whole person including afterwards when they are released into the community. I was wondering though as a faith based initiative - "bringing the gospel through football" - what you see as the strengths and weaknesses of being faith based. It obviously makes many things possible like working with the churches afterwards , but do you have the experience that it makes other things more difficult or impossible - like working with Moslem inmates or others? Do you find that most of your athletes want a faith message or do they just accept it in exchange for being able to do a sport they love? Do people stay religious once they leave your programme?
I am always curious about faith based delivery of social projects - I would be very interested to hear what you see as strengths and weaknesses.
Thanks for your informative entry.
heather cameron
Dear Heather,
Many thanks for your comment... it is obviously an issue we face on a daily basis. My first response is that our faith is our motivation for what we do. We try not to force our faith upon anybody, but also do not seek to hide it.
It would certainly be a weakness of being faith based if being a Christian was a prerequisite of joining the Hope Academy - or any of our other soccer programmes (in and out of prison). However, although we do seek to deal with all those in our programmes in a holistic manner (here meaning body, mind, spirit, emotions), the content of our curriculum allows for interaction, discussion and personal application, rather than us in any way seeking to indoctrinate people. We find that if we seek to force people into statements of faith, then there is no chance they will continue in that faith beyond their time in our programme. Our experience has shown us that some do continue in their faith after they leave prison and have actively got involved in a church, while others have not. And sometimes we are surprised in that those who we thought would not remain "religious" do so, and others that appeared to take their faith seriously while in the programme, soon turn away once they have moved on.
I think a strength of being faith based is that other faiths actually respect us for our stance and relate well to us, even if they disagree with our beliefs. We have found that many Muslim parents would like their children in our soccer programmes (talking here of our other soccer outreach programmes rather than the prison work) because they understand that we have a strong value and belief system, rather than be in a club where the coaches and staff do not have such a foundation.
One weakness with being faith based is that many donors do not want to give to "religious" organisations. I feel that this is unfair and that all organisations should be allowed a level playing field because all organisations have world views that shape their practise... even if it not specifically religion. Rather the integrity, practices and outcomes should be what is evaluated as there are many NGO's, Christian and otherwise, who are doing fantastic community work but are struggling in the area of resource.
Tim Tucker
Ambassadors in Sport
Pretoria, South Africa.
Hey Timothy,
Have you read the project entry from Ghana dealing with incarcerated youth? It is also posted on the competition - you should check it out and see if there is anything you can contribute/ learn from each others' experience working with similar target audiences.
I would also be interested in understand more about how your innovation works with beneficiaries from other religions - what opportunities are they offered or excluded from?
I really like the replicability of your model and would be curious to know what you see as the biggest challenges in terms of replication and how would you address the issue of maintaining the standards of your model while being flexible enough to address local issues?
Thanks so much,
Ziba
Dear Ziba,
The work in Ghana sounds fantastic. Please see my comment above to the other gentlman from Ghana. It would be great to continue to communicate and learn from each other.
Tim Tucker
Ambassadors in Sport
Pretoria, South Africa.
Timothy,
Thank you for sharing this most interesting program with us. I think that the prison system is too often overlooked as a place in much need of reform - but reform that is entirely possible if approached the right way. And this model that you have in South Africa certainly is replicable all over the world. I have done a fair amount of work with US prison reform and it still fascinates me that more is not done to rehabilitate prisoners during their time served. What strikes me as an essential component to this framework is its relationship to human rights. One thing some might not think about is that, if not in a program such as yours, these youth would be left with no outlet for appropriate physical activity. Not only does this program provide them with that basic human right to sport, though, as it uses sport as a tool to teach the vital life lessons that they must learn in order to reenter society rehabilitated.
I also agree that one of the most impressive aspects of the program is that you also provide support for these youth once they have left the prison system. Although their lives may have been changed while in the program, if they are not given sufficient support once "on their own," regardless of their personal transformation, they are too likely to fall into the stereotype of ex-convict, unable to get a job, unsupported and then return to former behaviors. That you set them up to continue their contribution to society is very well constructed.
My one question is, how do you select candidates for the program? You noted that you chose individuals that already had some soccer skills, but what about those that don't, but still have a RIGHT to participate in sport and a right to reap the benefits of your life skills programming.
I noticed that you said the participants teach their inmates about what they have learned - what exactly do they teach them? I see the opportunity for two kinds of leadership: soccer skills coaching to less skilled players and life skills (training them as trainers once they go through the program). And these two areas can really be covered by making them leaders in the very same program. I would also suggest, if you do not already do so, to create a similar program outside of the prisons, which those who have gone through it on the inside can implement in the community. That might solve the issue of partnering solely with faith based organizations.
Finally, in terms of funding a sustainable business model: do you charge the prison system at all or require them to provide funding? It seems you are saving them a lot of money in the long run by ensuring that these prisoners do not return as inmates who again have to be sustained while in jail and that is ideal leverage for getting the government to fund it.
Once again, great model, thanks for sharing!
Hi there,
Thanks for your comments on the program and good questions! The academy program in the prison is a specialist program that Ambassadors In Sport offers for prisoners. AIS have a number of other soccer models that can run in prisons such as week long soccer clincs, tournaments & coaching teams that can include any willing party. The academy program does target prisoners who are talented in soccer but also has other criteria, no gang activity is allowed, no smoking, no tattoing (prisoners tattoo their bodies to mark the gang they are in), no fighting etc. The prisoners are given the option to join the academy if they will leave these negative behaviours behind. This does normally determine if the prisoner is serious about changing his life and willing to take the opportunity with both hands. For example if a prisoner has amazing ability in soccer he would be required to meet this criteria - if he is unwilling we would take a prisoner with less ability but who has the desire to use the opportunity to change his life. We have had boys in the program who are not fantastic players but offer a lot to the academy in other ways and motivate the other players to succeed.
To answer your second question - we have trained prisoners how to run soccer programmes and in the one prison we had two prisoners who would lead life skills, bible studies and training to other prisoners when we were not present. We also have prisoners who can come onto our internship training program which will equip them to run soccer events and life skills within their communities. Our aim is also to have ex-prison academy players running the prison academies in the future.
Lastly we do not recieve funding from the goverment for this program. We have briefly looked into this but so far have not been successful - therefore all funding comes from individual donors or from other organisations.
Hope this is helpful!
I agree, Timothy, with the tenor of the previous comments that prisons are certainly one environment where the presence of sports as a vehicle for rehabilitation is most needed. Whether it be motivated by religious principles or a strictly secular analysis, your decision to take soccer through the academies into Pollsmoor and Leeuwkop prisons is well-founded.
Have prison administrators and local government authorities generally been supportive of your efforts? Indifferent? Resistant? I was wondering if, over time, you might be able to demonstrate that recividism declines in the presence of your programs and thereby be able to negotiate the release of official monies to subsidize your efforts. Admittedly, government funds are not easy to secure, and even when one can, they may come attached to consequences which you'd prefer to avoid. Still, official resources would reduce the extent to which you have to secure private donations and extend the reach of those sponsorships which you do have.
Steve
Thanks for your comment Steve.
We have had a mixed experience of working with the prison authorities... but as we have shown our commitment over time, then our relationship has certainly improved. There are so many NGO's wanting to work in prisons, but it is not a "fly by night" work, and it takes time to build trust between NGO's and the prison authorities.
With regarding to access of funds, as yet we have not yet really broached this subject... but certainly it would help us! We are just beginning to develop the work in a new prison which is classed as a "Centre of Excellence" within the South African prison system and therefore we may well be able to pursue some financial assistance through the government structures. But, for sustainabilities sake, we will always be seeking to raise our own independent funds as well.
Tim Tucker
Ambassadors in Sport
Pretoria, South Africa.
Your programme is interesting and similar to what we do in Ghana. I would apprecicate if we could work together to benefit from your rich experience in South Africa and exchange ideas. We are currently working in 3 adults, one juvenal prison(s) and 15 non prison communities.
Hope to hear from while thanking for all what you do
regards
Adu
Dear Adu,
It's great to hear from you. I am hoping to be in Ghana for the Africa Cup of nations and perhaps there will be an opportuntiy for me to come and visit your programmes. Please feel free to Email me directly on timtucker@ais-africa.co.za I'm sure there is much we can learn from one another.
Tim Tucker
Ambassadors in Sport
Pretoria, South Africa.