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Stars in their eyes

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The story of Jerome Sauls

Raised on the streets of Philippi under the care of his mother, Jerome aspired to be a soccer star which was a dream inspired by his brother Gerald.

I met this man in Drakenstein Correctional Center where he was serving a 15 year prison sentence.

Where did it all go wrong? How did this soccer-loving young man end up in prison?

Growing up, Jerome looked up to his brother Gerald who was also a good soccer player. Gerald taught him about football and the importance of team work. He was also Jerome’s coach on and off the football pitch.

Jerome soon learnt that his brother was a member of a notorious gang in Philippi, yet Gerald always encouraged Jerome to stay away from the gangs and focus on his schooling. Despite Gerald’s warning, Jerome found his brother’s lifestyle appealing because he used to share in his brother’s spoils. Gerald entrusting him with his possession made Jerome feel important and cared for.

One fateful day, Gerald was fatally gunned down, which proved to be a turning point in Jerome’s life. Swearing revenge upon his brother’s killers, Jerome found that joining the gang was the next logical step. Trading on his brother’s status, he was readily accepted by the gang. In his ensuing spiral of crime, Jerome was dragged into the darkest places, driven by anger and vengeance. 

In his gang life Jerome committed many crimes, but was eventually caught and sentenced in 2008. His involvement in various gangs saw him being moved from prison to prison, until ultimately landing in Drakenstein, where he met Mark Slessenger who coached soccer in the prison.  Jerome’s love for football was ignited when he discovered there was a soccer team in Drakenstein, and after committing himself to securing a place on the prison team, he was eventually successful. He also finished school in prison, and in fervently seeking to further empower himself, he joined The Message Trust Enterprise Programme (MEP) in 2015. 

Later in that same year he felt that it was time he gave his heart to the Lord Jesus Christ, which wasn’t easy for him as he had been following the Muslim religion in prison. Nevertheless, he eventually gave his life fully to God and became an extraordinary leader within the MEP class.

We saw how God used Jerome to impact lives within prison, and now he is doing the same in the outside world. Jerome is passionate about the youth and always looks for ways he can mentor or empower young boys. One tool he uses is sports ministry as he works for Message Eden, where he coaches Ubuntu football club based in Nyanga.

Now we see Jerome develop and grow into a “urban hero” as he uses his testimony to encourage young people to hold on to their dreams.  

Written by:  Siseko Ngwayishe

Edited by: David Tucker

Fresh out of Prison

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When I was arrested I lost all hope of becoming a law abiding citizen as I knew the implications of having a criminal record. My life was over, or so I thought; actually, my life was only beginning. Little did I know that God had His own plan for my life, and in that moment in my life when I was bereft of hope, He came and saved my life through Christ Jesus my Lord and Saviour. It’s only by His grace that I am where I am today.  

My experience in prison wasn’t easy, but because of the Lords love who grants mercy to whomever He wants, I was privileged to study further and achieve my matric in prison with flying colors. Just when I thought I was finished with studying, the Message Trust brought a Job Readiness course into prison, so I joined up to bolster my CV; however, when I enrolled, I experienced God’s favour in an incredible and awesome way. As we extensively explored the cause of the problem in our lives, I was truly blessed to learn that everything that has ever happened in my life had grown from a root that could be pulled out to give way for new seed to be sowed into my life. Through this course I developed a good relationship with the facilitators of the programme. They really demonstrated the love of God in our lives. 

In 2015 The Message Trust introduced a new course for us called the Message Enterprise Programme, which dealt with Entrepreneurial skills, Life skills and Spiritual development. It is a year-long course which required me to leave my section and join in a room with other 26 guys with whom I didn’t (yet!) have a relationship or brotherhood with. It was hard at first but when we grasped the vision we saw how powerful the programme was. Not only that but the fact that there is aftercare for when you get out of prison was a bonus because it showed me this organisation was really invested in my long-term development beyond prison. Today I’m on the outside and I still work with The Message Trust SA as a Social Media and Creative Intern and I’m growing in work that I love doing. All thanks to The Message Trust SA. 

Written by: Siseko Ngwayishe

Social Media and Creative Intern

SPEAK OUT – inspirational life stories from our MEP students.

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MEDIA RELEASE: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Cape Town, Western Cape) July 29, 2016

SPEAK OUT: STORIES ABOUT THE FUTURE OF INCARCERATED YOUNG MEN.

The Message Enterprise Program (MEP) proudly announces the launch of the inaugural #speakout2016 public speaking event in Drakenstein youth prison.  

South Africa’s prisons are notorious for high rates of HIV, overcrowding, abuse, sexual violence and gangsterism. According to South Africa’s Department of Correctional Services (DCS), over 360 000 move in and out of prison per year with 80 percent coming back to prison after being released. Joblessness and poverty, rejection by family members and a lack of rehabilitation projects all hinder ex-offenders from successful reintegration. Upon release, they are pressured by their families to provide for them and when they can’t find an income, many will re-offend through the lucrative opportunities offered by gangsterism and crime. 

Come and join our first MEP public speaking event where our very own incarcerated students will deliver powerful speeches from prison. These inspirational talks illustrate the power of transformation and hope and it is something you do not want to miss! These personal accounts encapsulate their transformational lives and lead the audience to engage in a conversation about restoration for our local communities. 

The Message Trust In-Prison Program calls on the general public to join this event in Paarl on the 20th August 2016 from 09:00am-12:00pm. Entry to the event is free, but booking is essential. For further information go to our facebook event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/1147143668676583/. Drakenstein Prison will host the 2016 edition of Speak Out.

The partnership between The Message Trust and Department of Correctional Service continues to grow from strength to strength as we work to reintegrate ex-offenders back into communities as positive influencers. These young men have gone from being the problem to now becoming the solution.

The Message Trust hope that the event will give these young men the opportunity to use their past experiences and draw out lessons that the audience can learn from and bring a positive impact on the greater society.

For more information about this event, bookings and its speaker line-up go to http://www.message.org.za/mep/ 

For more information contact:

Mark Slessenger on 0826991714 or email mark.slessenger@message.org.za