Sewing second chances for Pollsmoor ex-offenders

HANDS of Hope is a development project aimed at breaking the cycle of crime by providing ex-offenders with skills training and employment opportunities after their release from Pollsmoor Prison.

- JANICE MATTHEWS

The project was founded in 2012 by Hansie Elcock, who volunteered to teach women how to make banners. However, she soon recognised the greater need for sustainable, skills-based employment to help reduce recidivism.

Hands of Hope operates under Hope Prison Ministry, an internationally recognised NGO founded by Jonathan and Jenny Clayton 25 years ago.

The ministry has a 22-year track record of working with Pollsmoor Prison, supporting incarcerated people, their communities, and the Department of Correctional Services - one of its goals is recidivism reduction.

According to Dr Casper Lötter, a conflict criminologist affiliated with North-West University's School of Philosophy, South Africa has a very high recidivism rate, estimated to be between 86% and 94%.

The Hands of Hope project, aimed at breaking that re-offending cycle, currently has a team of six, including a supervisor, seamstresses, cut, make, and trimmers (CMT), who make clothes, accessories, gifts, and bags.

Alison Davids says she's not sure where she'd be without the project, but having steady employment and the ability to earn an honest living has transformed her life.