Releasing in
Khayelitsha Township, South Africa
December 2006
Our Lindwall Releasing activities with the Youth for Change group in Khayelitsha Township, Cape Town, have been unfolding rapidly thanks to their motivated and energetic organizers, and also to the enthusiasm of their students. It is hard to imagine that only a few months ago these bright young people were gang members, drug abusers, violent criminals or petty thieves on the streets of Khayelitsha - even when we hear it from their own mouths and feel their remorse for what they have done. The whole experience has been a rich confirmation of the basic goodness of human nature.
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| Youth for Change Management Team - L-R: Commander Zet, Mandisi Njoli and Zakuthini Mdletyana | Barbara Kroll guides a Releasing workshop with members of Youth for Change |
Youth for Change was founded in June 2006 by Zwelitsha "Commander Zet" Mhluthwa, Zakuthini Ndletyana and Mandisi Njoli. They combine their various experiences as ex-combatants, from the business world, and in youth education. Their goal is to reeducate and empower those youth seen as the worst problem cases in the townships to become the future solution for their communities and their country. In our experience, working with them and students who have been with them for a relatively short time (in most cases two to three months), their results have been nothing short of miraculous. Thanks to their initiative and hard work it has been richly rewarding to bring the concept and tool of Releasing to their students.
Our activities began with an introductory half-day Releasing workshop on December 14th with 21 students.
Two days later, on December 16th, National Reconciliation Day, the Lindwall Foundation together with the Lyndie Fourie Foundation (www.lyndifourie.org) jointly sponsored a one day activity where students from Youth For Change went to nearby Monwabisi Beach to collect trash and debris, followed by a gathering with speeches, music and celebration.
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The event was a great success. Over 40 members of Youth for Change turned up early in the morning for the cleanup operation. They then received training in first aid from Pamela Buyana as part of their health eduction program. Dorreen Jelele, a Cape Town City Councillor for Khayelitsha Ward 93 came for the first time to the formal part of the event and pledged her support for Youth for Change and there was a live band later in the day - with more and more people coming because of radio coverage, and a crowd of 200 or more during the afternoon. The leaders of Youth for Change were visibly moved as they looked on and told us that it was, for most people, almost unimaginable that such kids could be having a good time, as they clearly were, with no fighting and without drugs and alcohol.
Cape Town City
Councillor Jelele addresses the group
"Monwabisi Day" was followed immediately on December 18-22 by a 5-day Lindwall Releasing Intensive for a select group of six students, who are learning to apply Releasing in their own lives and to share it with others (the training will continue with the same group after the holiday period). During the week we got to know each one of them as beautiful, sensitive and creative human beings who are genuinely changing their lives, releasing the shadows of their past, and excited about the possibility of creating a new future for themselves and their community.
"Ndiya Khulula
..." - "I Release ..."
The holiday season has started, and we send our love and greetings to all of you. As well as Releasing, we brought the students of Youth for Change some clothing handed down by friends in Germany, and gave the gift of a refurbished laptop to the Management Team to complement the desktop computer they already have. The following photos (and there are more of all our recent activities on the Web) show the joy that these hand-me-downs can bring:
We will be in South Africa for the next several months, working together with Youth for Change and the Lyndi Fourie Foundation to continue these projects.
We invite your contribution in any way you are able, most importantly in sharing this vision of a country and a planet in which people of all races peacefully coexist and support one another in realizing their highest potential, individually and collectively.
We also welcome those of you who can join us in Khayelitsha, particularly those with experience in Lindwall Releasing, to practically assist with workshops and sessions, and also to prepare food for participants, provide occasional transportation, etc.
Donations of used clothing in good condition would be very much appreciated, as well as office and computer equipment, etc.
We will also be encouraging various local inter-cultural, inter-community events, such as safe tours of the township guided by ex-combatants, and talks and presentations in Cape Town and the suburbs by and about the work of groups like Youth for Change. If you have a venue or group and would like to sponsor such an event, please contact us (see below for contact information).
Of course, financial contributions large or small are also very welcome and can be made through the Lindwall Foundation Outreach Fund (tax deductible in the US, see www.releasing.org or contact us for details), through the Lyndi Fourie Foundation in South Africa (ABSA Bank branch 334712, account 9114983064), or directly through us. If you are drawn to contribute in any way, or would simply like more information, please call or email.
We thank all you who have contributed in so many different ways to our work in South Africa during 2006.
In love and light,
Stephen Marcus and Barbara Kroll
Lindwall Foundation Outreach Project