NICRO Annual Report 2002-2003

Yashina Pillay Provincial Director

The year 2002 marked a new beginning for NICRO Mpumalanga with the appointment of a new provincial director in April of that year. Ms Yashina Pillay relocated from Cape Town to take over the reigns of the organisation after having spent four and a half years serving on both the Human Rights and Amnesty Committees of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

NICRO Mpumalanga, with a staff complement of five and a team of dedicated and committed volunteers, has grown from strength to strength in terms of service excellence, staff morale and an increase in its organisational profile during the year under review.

Despite the closure of the Standerton office in August 2002 NICRO Mpumalanga continued to render Diversion services in the area after having secured free office space from which to do so. The closure of the office followed in-depth discussions with the relevant government departments and other stakeholders, and was prompted by a needs analysis of the changing external environment and in order to ensure the financial sustainability of the organisation in the province.

In March 2003, NICRO Mpumalanga held its first fully constituted Biennial General Meeting at which a new Provincial Board of Management was elected. The event, which was well supported by both business and government, concluded with a renewed commitment to the social and economic upliftment of the province through the reduction and eradication of crime.

The fine achievements of the entrants in the NICRO National Creative Arts Competition from the Middelburg Prison proved to be another highlight of the year. A group of women artists scooped up the first, second and third prizes in the fabric painting category. An event was hosted at the Middelburg Prison to honour the artists and to emphasise NICRO's commitment to rehabilitation, reintegration and the "thinning of the prison walls".

Offender Reintegration

“The Tough Enough Programme played an even bigger role. That is to make us understand that there is a space for a new opportunity and renewal in our communities. That there is a space for opportunity and renewal in ourselves and that there is always a chance for reconciliation with the victim of crime out there”.

The Offender Reintegration team, comprising a NICRO service deliverer and dedicated volunteers, has also played a healing role by bringing families together and building bridges through the successful running of family group conferences. Feedback affirming work well performed has been forthcoming from both clients and stakeholders alike.

Economic Opportunities

Diversion

In Conclusion

		Individual	Workshops	Total
	DIV	625	114	739
	OR	233	122	355
	EOP	371	195	566
	Total	1229	431	1660

Heinrich Zana Provincial Director

Despite the uncertainty around our financial situation at the beginning of the year, NICRO Northern Cape succeeded in turning a daunting deficit into a surplus. Our accomplishments during the period under review are entirely due to the commitment and resolve of staff and volunteers, whom we would like to thank for their enthusiasm, energy, and creativity.

Highlights

The Community Victim Support Programme was launched in January 2003 and is now operative in Hartswater and Jan Kempdorp, two rural towns situated more than 100 kilometres from Kimberley. NICRO, in partnership with the South African Police Services and the Departments of Justice and Social Development, renders support services to victims of crime and has established a special support group for children who are victims of domestic violence.

The Diversion and Youth Development Programme continued at a pace, exceeding targets by more than 50%. An increase in the levels of crime involving school children and schools being targeted by unscrupulous criminals was the driving force behind NICRO's decision to continue its crime prevention programmes in schools in the Northern Cape. The success of the intervention has resulted in a growing number of schools requesting NICRO to conduct programmes within their institutions. The Northern Cape is increasingly making use of its committed volunteer force to undertake the schools-based sessions and the province succeeded in reaching large numbers of children who were introduced to NICRO's life skills programmes.

We are pleased to report that the Offender Reintegration Programme was finally implemented at the Kimberley Prison. A provincial seminar entitled "Offender Reintegration - A Crime Prevention Strategy" and conducted in October 2002 was attended by some 53 guests including local councillors, Department of Correction Services, Community Policing Forum and other local government representatives. NICRO's National Executive Director, Soraya Solomon, was the keynote speaker and the National Programme Specialist used the opportunity to present the Tough Enough Programme to those in attendance. Plans are afoot to establish a Production Centre under the auspices of the Economic Opportunities Project in De Aar in the new financial year.

Individual Workshops Total CVS 25 12 37 DIV 2724 1127 3851 OR 67 1971 2038 EOP 345 61 406 Total 3161 3171 6332

Sarah Nthabiseng Molwantwa- Mogontsi Provincial Director

We reached a total of 3 080 clients during the financial year, providing victim support services to 1 208 beneficiaries and diversion services to 1 100 young people in conflict with the law. A total of 638 clients benefited from the Economic Opportunities project while offender reintegration services were provided to 134 individuals.

We would like to extend our appreciation to our dedicated and hard-working volunteers, all the government departments who supported our services, as well as other NGOs and project partners.

NICRO North West identified a need to implement the Diversion Programme in Moretele, and during the year under review introduced these services, which are undertaken from the Winterveldt office with the help of volunteers. The number of children benefiting from the Programme has increased, and the Journey component continues to strengthen and improve every year. We receive positive feedback from young people who have been channelled in the Diversion Programme, as well as their parents, on an ongoing basis.

In September 2002, the province held its first Biannual General Meeting at which the MEC for Safety and Liaison, Ms Nomonde Rasmeni, was a guest speaker. The event was well attended by members of the community. National Executive Director, Ms Soraya Solomon, was also in attendance. Artworks from correctional service centres were exhibited, following which winning entries were submitted to the National Creative Arts Competition.

The Economic Opportunity Programme played a significant role in the fight against unemployment and poverty by assisting with the creation of new jobs for 95 individuals. NICRO North West also joined forces with the Tsholofelo Community College. Students who had received vocational training were referred to NICRO for entrepreneurial training to supplement their hard skills.

NICRO is an active member of the Victim Empowerment forum in Rustenburg. A wide range of stakeholders, including representatives from government departments and other NGOs active in the field, meet on a monthly basis to discuss new developments and the challenges that service delivery presents.

		Individual	Workshops	Total
	CVS	906	302	1208
	DIV	835	265	1100
	OR	52	82	134
	EOP	446	192	638
	Total	3161	841	3080