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Ex-con mentors children on the Cape Flats

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By Aneeqa Du Plessis

“Sometimes a life needs to be lost in order to save the lives of many,” says reformed ex-convict Bradwin Daniels.

In a time where many youth across the Cape Flats are directionless and falling victim to the scourge of gangsterism daily, parolee, Daniels has taken it upon himself to inspire local youth to make better decisions through after-school programmes, excursions and a feeding scheme.

Daniels, 38, hails from Cafda, Retreat where he grew up exposed to drug abuse, domestic violence and constant peer pressure. However, according to him he was not forced to join a gang but rather sought protection from bullies which led to his introduction to gangsterism.

“I was never pressed to join a gang but my introduction to violence came when I protected myself from school bullies and with that came authority and I then realized the power of a knife and so it progressed to train robberies, hijacking and assault,” explained Daniels.

He further explained how the community has become victim to the gangsters.

“Several of the children in our community are being encouraged to commit unlawful acts by the older generation and I see myself in these kids [sic] and that’s when it dawned on me that I need to step in and ensure I play my part to halt this occurrence before more lives are lost unjustly,” stated Daniels.

Daniels explained how after spending a decade behind bars for murder he had an epiphany which led him to a complete 180° flip in his life.

“I thought long and hard about how serving the Numbers Gang [The Numbers Gang is a crime organization that started as a prison gang with one of the most fearsome reputations in South Africa] would be of benefit to me and my family when I finished my sentence and that’s when I made the decision to pursue my studies in prison and move away from the Numbers Gang,” described Daniels.

His organization, Global Vision Transformers, not only seeks to better the life of improvised children but ensures ex-inmates have a role-model of reformation to look up to.

“The most important thing about the organization is that we are able to see the children succeed. We want to get them out of these gang infested areas and allow them to live a life they can be proud of. I want them to finish school and go on to university and be a benefit to our community,” said Daniels.

If anyone would like to contribute to the cause contact Daniels at 076 688 3281.

VOC


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