By Mark Slessenger | Operations Director
Dear Friend,
What an amazing couple of months since our last report back in May this year. Our MEP students continue to grow from strength to strength in faith and life.
In our previous report I wrote that one of our biggest needs for the young men coming out of prison is accomodation. Many of our young men come from dysfunctional homes and gang invested communities, to put it simply, most of our students will face enormous challenges once released.
MEP's big goal for this year was to provide a halfway home for our students who need a home to stay in. Since our last report we have had Mtheteleli (MT) released and through a partnership with another organisation in Cape Town we were able to offer him a home to stay in. This intervention, as well as providing him with work through our Message enterprises has had an immediate impact on MT and is providing a platform for him to flourish.
We are pleased to announce we have secured a further partnership with City Mission in Cape Town to provide accomodation support for our students once released. This has come at a time where we desepratley needed the support as four of our students will be released in the next two months, and possibly more before the end of the year. We will have a six bedroom house that will be available from the first of September.
If you would like to support this project in any way please do contact us, we require paint, furniture and to do general upgrades with the cupboards and plumbing to have it ready in time.
In June we had our second annual elevator pitch day. It was an amazing day where our students gave there 60 second business pitches to panels of business men and women. the feedback we had on the day was really encouraging! The highlight of the day was seeing Justin, one of our first year students win with his business pitch for a mobile hair cutting business.
Lastly as mentioned we have had Mtheteleli join our Message team since his release. Mtheteleli was in prison for over ten years and has joined our enterprises at our centre in Cape Town. He has reintegrated into society and already made a great impact in our office! It brings so much joy to see this young men moving forwards with his life and just the other day he passed his learner's driving license!
We also have two stories of transformation below, these were broadcast nationally in South Africa and share stories of transformation of both Faroll and Chumani who came out of prison and are now working with The Message Trust.
Thanks for all your support and if you would like to support our work further and help us break the chains of crime, gangs and unemployment in South Africa please get in touch!
Mark Slessenger
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