Locked up

Days #63-64

Prison Time. 

Monday morning I was up early and left for Stellenbosch, 30 minute drive away from the farm. Stellenbosch is where I will be staying for the next 2 weeks. It's famous for is incredible surrounding vineyards and it's university. There's a good 30,000 students here so it's know for it's student life. It's really a beautiful place. Will definitely take lots of photos to show you guys. 

After a quick breakfast and meeting with Rahel, the German assistant for Ambassadors in a sport, we headed for the prison.

The drive to the prion is again 30 minutes over the mountain into this beautiful valley. Everywhere you go are these green vineyards stretching up the slopes of the valley. 

We arrived. 

After passing the first security checkpoint we parked up and prepared to enter the main building. 

During my time in the prison I'll be going in with a South African man called Ju Ju. He's a funny guy who's in his forties. When he was younger he was just like some of the guys we are working with but didn't go to prison then he came to know Jesus and now is heavily involved with sports ministry. Seeing how he interacts with the prisoners is amazing, he's like an older brother and treats them all like family. Lots of jokes and laughing. 

So we headed in. You have to pass a few checkpoints to get in where we have to sign in, body check ect... Then we got into to wing of the prison we're involved in. 

It's like a square courtyard with grass in the middle and four dorm cells around it. The cells sleep 19 people in each one and that's where they are kept. Mine surprising thing about the prison is how there are prisoners in the smart blue uniform (our guys in this section where navy blue uniform, the older tough guys who you just wouldn't mess with where orange) walking around everywhere you go. It's actually quite a nice atmosphere he. 

So back to our wing. There are four rooms, one room for rugby guys, one for basketball, one for choir and one for the Hope Academy, football, our guys. So we head into the dorm. 

 

All the beds are sharply made and everything is in it's place. Half the room is bunk beds the other side is single beds. I really want to take photos and show you all what it's like but you can't simply walk in with a camera. 

I got to meet the guys. They are all really warm, friendly and welcoming. Each of them comes over with a strong handshake/ hug and introduces themselves. You wouldn't think these guys have done some of the things they have. 

What have they done Cal? Murder, Rape, attempted murder, armed robbery... But when you sit down and chat to these guys there just like you and me. 

The best thing about this dorm is the brotherly feel to it, these guys love each other and look out for each other. There's no anger or fighting or anything like that, they're in this together. Whereas with the older orange guys they will stab each other! Yeah I'm keeping away from them!

The guys I'm with are between 20 and 26. They are serving sentences between 8 and 20 years. One guy I was talking to came in when he was seventeen in 2005 and has served 8 out of his 20 year sentence. It's crazy to talk to them and think that they'll be in here or another 10 years or so, 10 years is a long time!!!

Anyway, we all sat and huddled round and each of them introduced themselves; their name, where they are from; length of sentence and position in football. 

Then we just got to chat for an hour, we talked about football and what team everyone supports. 

At 12 we began to make our way to the prison field. It took us 30 minutes to get through the checkpoints but we eventually made it. Ju Ju took today's session then we went into a big 11-a-side match. 

And I played. When your playing with these lads you forget who you playing with, you don't see them as what they've done but who they are and each of them is really respectful and friendly. 

Let the game begin. I didn't hold back, in my competitive nature I wasn't scared to put some big tackles into these guys. From a corner I accidentally elbowed one of the guys in the head, not the best idea to elbow this murderer/rapist but he was chilled about it and played on without a complaint. Had a great game with them. They all commented on my game at the end. 

We then left the prison at 2. I'm in the prison 3 days a week. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday. 

Later that afternoon I was with Rahel taking a girls soccer practise which was funny. You know it's girls football when they start doing handstands in the middle of the game. 

In the evening Ully (that's the man I'm staying with and his wife heider) was running a table tennis evening at the church. Ully and Heider are heavily involved with the international students in Stellenbosch and run a lot of events. Boy these students could play! I thought I was alright at table tennis but was put in my place by Ully, he's such a good player, I had no chance. Did get in the zone at the end and won a few games :)

Tuesday

Let me talk more about who I'm staying with. 

Ully and Heider. They're an elderly couple originally from Germany and have lived in South Africa now for 38 years. They originally came over as missionaries and have worked all over South Africa but have been in Stellenbosch now for the last 12 years working with the students. 

They remind me very much on Nan and Graddad with lots of coffee and teas and cakes and bringing our meals out on a little tray with small plates. I had my first cup of tea ever with them so I'm starting to really like it :) They are such a nice couple who are really friendly helpful and kind. Feel right at home. 

Tuesday we were back in the prison but because of an early lockdown we couldn't take the boys to the field so we still went to say hello. Few of them all gathered round me and asked me questions while Ju Ju got one of the lads to shave his hair (he's funny Ju Ju making the most of his time there getting a free haircut). 

It's a real privelege to sit down and talk to these prisoners individually. They're are really smart and good guys when you talk with them it's crazy to think what they have done.

One thing one of then said really got to me. He said  "If I had the mind I have now before, I would never be in prison." He said that prison has given him the chance to think and see the opportunities he had before. 

Speaking to Ju Ju he has a big heart for these boys. He was saying that even after prison they are Imprisoned with a criminal record which ruins there future making it hard for them to get a job and change their ways. 

What Hope Academy is doing here is incredible work. It's opening these boys eyes to a new way of thinking and giving them hope outside of prison also a hope in Jesus. I have a lot of time for Prison work. 

In the afternoon I took a coaching session with a group of boys in Bellville. Session was good. It was a mix of white, black and coloured kids (I'm not being racist there, in South Africa it's racist to not call people coloured or black or white it's just how it works here) the white kids are from the school and pay for the coaching whereas as the black kids we let join in. 

On the way home in the heat of the traffic jam my car gave in as a pipe burst but Gods timing is perfect as it was just as I was by the entrance to a garage with a guy there who fixed it for me for R100 (£6.50)! 

Got home safely after that and enjoyed another evening with Ully and Heider. Ully spent the evening playing with the car and fixing it. I can tell he really enjoys it so I just left him to it. Then I got to Skype my beautiful family before going to bed. 

God Bless.