By Louise and the KTD196 Dream Team | Jack of all trades, master of none!
Welcome to our community report, once again thank you to all our new givers, I hope that the reports you are being sent will help you understand why KTD196 is so vital and why your support is so coveted. To all of those who have walked a road with us over the years, we can all be proud of the impact we have attained and the amazing changes we are producing in the lives of the young people we work with.
In this report, I want to talk about crime!
The causes of crime are complex. Most people today accept that poverty, parental neglect, low self-esteem, alcohol, and drug abuse are all connected to explaining why people commit crimes. Some people are simply at greater risk of becoming offenders because of the circumstances into which they are born. For example: 40% of sexual offences occur in the home; 33% of assaults happen in the home; single black women experience high levels of abuse and murder by youth aged 15-35yrs of age.
We understand that Criminality is learned through exposure at home, school, and in social environments which should be the sources of safety, nurturing, and support, unfortunately, this is where criminal behavior is internalized. Did you know that 70% of the 20million (or 14Million) South African youth are more likely to be victims and perpetrators of assault, robbery, rape and murder than adults! 50.2% of surveyed children in one research said they had knowingly committed a criminal offence by the time they were 15yrs of age.
Ok, so that is the background. What does this all mean to our kids and our program? Our program is able to prevent violence in the home through our work not just with the children as potential perpetrators but also with the parents as potential perpetrators! Our program has foundations based on communication, care, support, honesty, respect all of which are tools required to break the cycles of abuse experienced in homes. We may not be able to change their circumstances ie impoverished home life however we are changing the way they respond to the challenges. We are building social capital within the families, we are reducing parental neglect and abuse, we are building self-esteem through the skills development and recognition part of the program plus, the children are making active decisions to not engage with drugs, alcohol, bullying, illicit sex and other vices such as gambling which are very prevalent.
In South Africa, a study by the Centre for Justice and Crime Prevention showed that young people who have been victims of violence were six times more likely to commit a crime than those who have not been victimized. Measures to prevent violence by and against the youth have great potential to reduce crime rates in the community. If we address the youth cause of juvenile crime and strengthening the youth’s resilience from risk factors, preventive programs can decrease the youth’s susceptibility to violence and crime.
In our programs, we teach the children how to properly socialize with their peers and understand the importance of rules and regulations. We teach them to be proper citizens respectful of law and order. You can be proud of the work we do and the impact we have. We are changing lives and futures for rural, previously disadvantaged children and their communities. Together!
Throughout Covid19 lockdown, when hunger was a core motivation for the crime, none of our children engaged in these crimes. Through your support, we were able to provide food which negated the need. Even so, some of our children did approach local growers asking if they could have extra, fresh food rather than just steal. The farmers kindly agreed. This approach, I am sure you will agree is far more mature than the alternative.
In 18years, with over 15,000 children who have come through the program Keep The Dream196 has had one child criminally involved with the police and because of his age deemed incompetent to stand trial for his crime.
Thank you for helping us change lives. Thank you for being there. I appreciate every one of you!
God Bless you and your families, please stay safe!!!
Louise
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