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MARCH

2002-FEBRUARY

2003

C O NQ UE S T F O R L I FE
ANNUAL REPORT

CONQUEST FOR LIFE


ANNUAL REPORT

4.Programmes
4.1 Youth At Risk Programme
4.1.1 In and Out Youth Development
The In and Out Youth Development Project has created an opportunity for youths that are both out of school and unemployed to access life skills through a holistic programme of lessons and activities conducted in an intensive three-week Youth At Risk camp. The purpose of the camp is to identify the goals of the youth and magnify their productivity in the community, and to empower the youth with confidence and a positive outlook to deter them from engaging in criminal activities. Four camps were organized this past year: during 2002 the months of March, June, October, and during 2003 the month of February. Each three-week camp consisted of morning, afternoon, and evening programmes, as well as gym time, chores, excursions, and recreational activities. Daily Schedule: Time Activity 6:00 7:00 Wake up call and gym time 7:00 9:00 Breakfast and clean up 9:00-12:00 Morning Session 12:00 14:00 Lunch and clean up 14:00 16:30 Afternoon Session 16:30 18:00 18:00 20:00 20:00 21:00 21:00 23:00 23:00 Free time Dinner and clean up Evening Program Free time Lights out Description Jogging, stretches, aerobics, etc. Also includes time to bathe Theoretical workshops Lunch and kitchen clean up Hands on activities related to morning workshop Short program including games, bonfires, movies, etc

Morning Programme: Instructors were chosen from previous campers assessment scores to facilitate workshops on a wide range of life skills.

March 2002

Instruc

Topic

Brando n Johnsto ne Diversit y

Patrick Mokoya Positive Attitud e

Glen Steyn Goal Setting

Marcus Jacobs Proble m Solving

Deon Plaatjie s Team Buildin g

Bridget t Munnic k Counse lling

Sibisiso Sibuiya Comm.

June 2002
Instruc tor Topic Patrick Mokoya Positive Attitude, HIV/AIDS Glen Steyn Diversity Marcus Jacobs Communication ConflictResoluti on, Deon Plaatjie s Team Buildin g Bridgett Munnick Counsellin g

October 2002
Instruc Brando n Johnsto ne Comm., Job Prepara tion Patrick Mokoya Positive Attitude, HIV/AIDS Glen Steyn Conflic t Manag e. Marcus Jacobs Leader ship Deon Plaatjie s Team Buildin g Bridget t Munnic k Disabili ty Marlon Green Motivat ion

Topic

February 2003
Instruc Topic John Molele Diversity, Goal Setting Eric Atkin s Lead ershi p Marcus Jacobs Conflict Resolutio n Suzette Gordon Peer Pressure Raymond Mudau HIV/AIDS, Goal Setting Charles Mentoo r Comm.

Afternoon Programme During the afternoon, campers engaged in a wide range of activities that included informal sports, repair and maintenance of the facility, hiking, and excursions to the local shop. During the March 2002 camp, campers were busy preparing seed bedding for the vegetable garden and in June 2002 Conquest For Life organized a scavenger hunt around the De Deur community. Facility maintenance and repair included general cleaning duties, laundry, digging a septic hole, assisting with cooking or repairing broken things around the premises. The afternoons were also a time for the campers to play soccer or volleyball, or just relax. Evening Programme The Evening Programme is dedicated to building the campers relationships with each other, and encouraging communication and cooperation. Conquest For Life staff facilitates cooperative games taken from

the Play for Peace handbook to reinforce the lessons taught during the morning session. These games include the human knot, broken telephone, moon ball, turnstile, lava crossing, etc. In addition, a campfire was held every Friday night and occasionally a movie night would be organized. Challenges The most serious difficulties arose during the February 2003 camp as a result of several instances of theft among the campers and the expulsion of two campers on account of disobedience and disrespectful behaviour towards the other campers. Two campers were also expelled from the October 2002 camp for possession and use of illegal substances. Other minor incidents that arose were related to facility maintenance, i.e., broken water heater, temporary power failures, telephone cable problems, etc. Results 98 participants successfully completed the program 8 campers returned as Conquest For Life volunteers 15 campers joined the Job Creation Project 2 campers are running small businesses from home, 1 camper is working with Love Life, and 1 camper is employed as a pipe fitter.

4.1.2 Building Bridges Diversion Programme The Diversion Programme is one of our newest projects, officially launched at the beginning of 2002. Working in partnership with the

National Institute of Crime and Reintegration of Offenders (NICRO) and local courts, Conquest For Life has developed a Diversion programme in which children who have been arrested have an opportunity to be diverted from the criminal justice system and reintegrated into their communities. Emphasis is on prevention. Conquest For Life staff work with individuals, groups, and families to provide life skills training, counselling, and crisis intervention. Participants are referred by NICRO or the local magistrate to attend our Diversion Programme as an alternative to entering the criminal justice system as children. The programme is structured so that participants are required to attend a series of workshops based upon the I Can curriculum developed by the American motivational speaker Zig Ziglar. The following workshops are facilitated during each programme: Diversity Communicat ion Focuses on respecting and celebrating each others different races, religions, families, likes and dislikes. Highlights the importance of communicating properly with one another, and the different types of body language that affect communication. Also addresses the appropriateness of when

Building Positive Self Image Goal Setting Job Preparation Conflict Resolution Team Building SelfAwareness Leadership Winning Relationship s

to be assertive or passive in conflict situations. Emphasizes the importance of positive self-esteem and methods used to improve ones self image. Reviews guidelines on how to set goals and focuses on the importance of having both short term and long term goals in life. Prepares camp participants for job interviews by going over the steps that are necessary before, during, and after. In addition, professional curriculum vitae are created for each camp participant. Focuses on recognizing conflicts within the communities and the consequences of not dealing with those conflicts in an effective and appropriate manner. Teaches the importance of working together towards a common goal by solving experiential education initiatives. Explores the value of being in touch with ones family roots as well as challenging the way one has been taught to think about race and gender equality. Focuses on the characteristics of being a good leader and the responsibilities that come with being a leader. Participants will learn the importance of building positive, longlasting relationships and understanding how to work cooperatively with others.

Results Approximately 50 youths have participated in the Diversion Programme since its commencement in 2002. In addition to the Life Skills workshops, participants were required to complete community service work and attend a weekend Adventure Camp in order to fulfil the Diversion Programme requirements. The community service projects included: repairing and cleaning of existing building, assisting with computer training courses, visiting AIDS hospices, removing graffiti from neighbourhood walls, and building food gardens. The Adventure Camps are held at Conquest For Lifes Dreamlands farm and are meant to reinforce the newfound skills gained from the workshops in an isolated and supportive environment. Following the Experiential and Adventure Learning Model as a methodology, the camp activities created an opportunity for learners to go out and use the outdoor equipment as a way of encouraging the participants to work together. Participants experienced a rigorous daily schedule, including gym, daily chores, morning, afternoon, and evening team building programmes. Males constituted 75% of the participants and the overwhelming majority of the cases involved theft (for both males and females). The ages of the participants ranged from 11-18 years old, although the average first time offender was usually approximately 14 years old. The following statistics summarize the profile of the participants that have been referred to our program in terms of the type of crime committed prior to being diverted to Conquest For Life.

Participant Profile Crimes Committed by Participants Male Female Theft 68% 36% Property Damage 0% 18% Assault 10% 36% Drug Possession 8% 10% House Breaking 14% 0% Following the completion of the Life Skills workshops and community service hours, Conquest For Life staff assessed each participant and submitted a report to the local courts with recommendations for future action. Evaluations were based upon the participants performance and improvement during the program. Upon a successful completion of the programme, the local courts are recommended to drop all charges against the participant. Over the past year 72% of the female participants and 53% of the male participants completed the programme and the pending charges were dropped. An unsuccessful completion of the program was a result of a number of factors such as excessive absenteeism, lack of motivation, disobedience, psychological problems/mental disorders, and repeated offences.

4.1.3 !Xu and Khwe Project


The Schmidtsdrift community of the Northern Cape is made up of two distinct San tribal groups: the !Xu and the Khwe The San people are one of the few groups in South Africa considered to be part of the original indigenous population. For many years, it was thought that both the language and cultural heritage of the San had become extinct due to the years of marginalization, political oppression, and migration. Recently, concern for the fate of the few San communities that remain has produced a widespread interest in developing resources that can sustain the communities and create better opportunities for their future. Conquest For Life was introduced to the Schmidstdrift community in 2000 by APSO, an Irish volunteer organization working in the community. Since then, Conquest For Life has maintained close ties with community in hopes of developing a self-sustainable youth empowerment program. One of the most effective methods of impacting the development of the Schmidtsdrift community on a long-term basis is to focus on equipping the youth with the type of Life Skills that will encourage motivation, confidence, and leadership. Over the past year, Conquest For Life has offered youth from the Schmidstdrift community an opportunity to attend a nine-week leadership programme in which they participated in a three-week Life Skills camp, a three-week Basic Computer Training course, and a final three-week period in

which the participants joined our various projects to obtain experience in both coordinating and implementing programmes. In addition, the social skills gained from exposure to Johannesburg, a drastically contrasting metropolis to Schmidtsdrift, enhanced the participants ability to interact with people of different backgrounds. Results Ten youths participated in the leadership program this past year. The participants were exposed to Conquest For Lifes various programs and assisted with the organization and implementation of the After Care, JFK Peace Games, and our Life Skills camps. All participants also attended our Basic Computer Class and Life Skills Camp. Conquest For Life is in the midst of developing an After Care program for the Schmidstdrift community. It will be organized similarly to our other After Care programs in Westbury, Soweto, and Ennerdale, however it is our goal for the youth leaders that were trained with us maintain a self-sustainable programme. Challenges The only major issues that have arisen over the past year in regard to the implementation of our programmes in Schmidstdrift has been providing enough food for the After Care children. Many of the children of the community are not guaranteed a daily meal and under nourishment is common place. Conquest For Life is in the process of developing a strategy to provide a daily snack or meal.

4.2 Youth Enrichment Programme


The programme runs term-time, weekdays from 14:00 16:30 hours. Children arrive straight from school and are given a snack before beginning the days activities. The first hour is solely devoted to homework/tutoring sessions in which facilitators are available to help children with any problem areas they might experience with academic work. Following the completion of their homework/tutoring sessions, facilitators organize activities in relation to the following topics: Positive Self Image, Conflict Resolution, Peace Games, Self Awareness, etc.. After-school attendees are divided into three groups based on grade level in order to ensure that the facilitator can cater each lesson to the level of comprehension of each age group. These groups are: Grade 1- including younger children not yet attending primary school, Grade 2 - 4, and Grade 5 which often includes older children who are still interested in attending. Westbury Over the year the attendance of the children varied from month to month as a result of holiday times and concerns from parents about transport. The year began with 23 children registered in March 2002, maintained an average of twenty children per month for the

4.2.1 After-School Care

year, and increased in 2003 with 38 registered children for the month of March. Ennerdale The after-school program was implemented in Ennerdale at the beginning of 2002 and has maintained a steady number of registered children. The program was launched in March 2002 with 30 children, and maintained an average of 25 children per month throughout the year. Currently there are 30 children attending the program. Feedback and Follow ups Daily evaluations were completed by the after-school facilitators based on feedback provided by the children of the days events. Each class was asked to rate the daily program based on what they learned from the lessons, the performance of the teacher, and what they enjoyed the most. This is also a platform for the children to voice any concerns they had or suggestions for improvement. In general the feedback received from the children was extremely positive, they commented mostly on the effectiveness of their facilitators, the help they received on their homework, the lessons that were reviewed, and whether or not they enjoyed the games. When asked to rate the program on a scale ranging from poor to excellent, the vast majority of evaluations indicated that the children responded with good. Facilitators are also required to periodically assess each childs competency based upon the following skills: homework, attitude, and communication. Homework competency is assessed according to how often the child remembers to bring in their homework book, if the child has received assistance from aftercare teachers, and whether or not the schoolteacher is satisfied with the completion of assignments. A childs communication skills are evaluated by observing how the child interacts with other children, if they maintain eye contact, if they participate in group activities, and if they are able to overcome any language barriers. A positive attitude is indicated by whether or not the child speaks positively, shows respect and pays attention, has pride interacting with other children, and enjoys participating in teamwork. In addition, facilitators record any intervention strategies that need to be addressed if problems arise in any of these areas. In order to ensure that the parents are constantly involved in their childrens lives, Conquest For Life facilitators visit the parents in their homes to receive feedback about their satisfaction with the after school program. Parents are asked to comment on the improvement of the childs performance in school and their childs attitude. This is also a time for parents to make suggestions or voice any complaints they might have about the program. Most parents acknowledged an improvement in the childs attitude towards school and their ability to complete their assignments. Each childs school teacher is also contacted for recommendations on which academic problem areas could be improved during the after school program

and which behavioural problems must also be addressed. recommended working on reading and mathematics skills.

Many teachers

Challenges The most common problem that has occurred with both after school programmes is the parents unwillingness or incapacity to pay their childs fee for the month. The R30 monthly fee covers the daily food that is prepared for each child. Conquest For Life has been exploring new options for providing food by working with local food distributors to donate food items to the after school programme. The after school teachers have also complained that many children are only attending the after care sporadically when the parents need baby-sitting or when the child needs help with a specific assignment. Facilitators prefer if the children attend on a regular basis so that the child feels comfortable with the structure of the program and the other children involved. Conquest is also in the process of upgrading the computer room available to the after school participants and as a result the computers are for the time being unavailable to the children. The after-school programs for the Soweto and Schmidtsdrift branches are in the development stages and will be launched during the upcoming year.

The Just For Kids programme brings together children of school age to participate in cooperative games that eliminate conflicts instigated by differences in culture and social status. These games promote positive relationships among people who have a history of intercultural tension. The programme is designed to reach out to local schools to offer viable alternatives to the culture of violence and gang conflict prevalent in the community. Conquest For Life facilitators visit local schools within the community and organize cooperative games based on the Play For Peace curriculum developed by the Association of Experiential Learning. Results Westb ury Avgerage number of schools participating per week Average number of children participating per week Ennerdale Soweto

4.2.2 Just For Kids Peace Games

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1100

1780

1000

The games that were facilitated included all variations of tag, i.e., triangle, elbow, Cyclops, partner (which are particularly effective since nobody loses),

and other cooperative games such as mirrors, pairs walk, window dance, peace call, trust run, lava crossing, etc. These games function as a way to break the ice between children and also to challenge them to work together in a fun environment, ultimately resulting in bonds being formed despite cultural or social differences. The facilitators have also commented that the most rewarding time for them while working with Conquest is during the JFK peace games. Feedback and Follow-ups The Just For Kids facilitators completed evaluations after each session with the school children. These evaluations are structured to assess the general involvement of the children, their enjoyment of the games, and record any problems that arose. Most children were very responsive to the peace games and week after week looked forward to the each session. Children were enthusiastic about interacting with their peers and especially being presented with challenges that required team cooperation to resolve. Specifically, Conquest For Life recently expanded the programme to Soweto, a completely different cultural setting than Westbury, and has had an overwhelmingly positive response from the participants. Challenges Although the programme has been extremely successful, Conquest for Life encountered a few problems this year with certain aspects of the program. Firstly, at times there were miscommunications between the teachers and principals as to what time the facilitators has arranged to work with the school children. Facilitators would arrive at the scheduled time and the children would not be ready to participate. If the children were released late the programme would have to be cut short to allow the facilitators to get to the next appointment on time. In Soweto, specifically facilitators also faced the obstacle of transport as a result of the schools being situated at long distances from each other. Soweto is a widespread community and facilitators voiced their frustration in the difficulty of travelling between schools and arriving at the designated place on time. Secondly, Conquest For Life is in the process of working with the San community in Schmidtsdrift to establish the YEP programme. Progress has been slow due to the resources available to the community, the training of the youth workers, and the distance from Johannesburg. The !Xu and the Khwe have been subsisting in barely liveable conditions. The communitys history is made up of cultural marginalization and abuse, as well as long years of migration. Currently the community is housed in military-issued tents while awaiting a permanent residence promised by the government over a decade ago. These conditions inhibit a rapid implementation of the YEP program. Conquest For Life is currently negotiating with the local deputy principal to assess how the community could benefit from the YEP program. During each school holiday children from the community have the opportunity to attend Holiday camps at Conquest For Lifes Dreamlands Farm

4.2.3 Holiday Programme

House in Vereeniging. These camps are a time for children to relax and enjoy themselves in a safe, structured environment. Last year Conquest ran two weeklong camps during the school holidays in July and September. Some of the activities included cooperative games, sports (volleyball and soccer), hikes around the area, and evening activities such as dancing, campfire, and movies. The feedback was extremely positive from the participants and in fact during the December holidays the children were extremely disappointed that Conquest had not organized another camp. There were also suggestions to build a pool on the farm and to acquire animals! In addition, during the Spring 2003 holidays Conquest organized several days of activities at the aftercare for the children to attend. During the aftercare programme, the teachers took the participants on several excursions, the most popular being the local pool and a local park.

4.3 Computer Training Centre


4.3.1 Westbury Established in 2000, the Computer Training Centre offers training to any person in the community who is motivated to become computer literate and gain skills that may facilitate obtaining employment or pursuing further education. The Centre runs two classes per weekday; a Basics Course focusing on familiarizing students with basic computer operations, including Microsoft Word, and an Advanced Course offering training in Power Point, Excel, and Lotus. Each class lasts for three weeks and upon completion students receive a certificate and a course manual for future reference. Conquest For Life also offers an Advanced Course every Saturday morning for those people who are working during the week. The following graph depicts the attendance rates for each month from March 2002 February 2003 and the distribution of males and females in each course:
40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 Mar-02 Apr-02 May- Jun-02 Jul-02 02 Aug02 Female Sep- Oct-02 Nov-02 Dec-02 Jan-03 Feb-03 02 Male

Participants from numerous communities attended the training over the past year; these communities include Westbury, Coronationville, Newclare, Newlands, Claremont, Bosmont, Maraizburg, Riverlea, Eldorado Park, Soweto, Pretoria, Ennerdale, Toekomsrus, Roodepoord, Davidsonville, South Hills, Florida, Orlando West, and several informal settlements.

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Results The follow up reports conducted by Conquest For Life are used to provide feedback concerning the impact the training has had on participants prospects for employment and/or further education. Although it is difficult to determine exact figures due to the difficultly of locating many of the participants even one month after the course, the following figures represent the average for the year: 35% of participants were employed after training (full and part time). In addition, an overwhelming majority were interested in further computer training, especially access to Internet training. Challenges As with many of our programmes that charge a fee, the Computer Training Centre experienced problems colleting fees from many of its participants. Although, participants are required to pay a registration fee before beginning the courses, the remainder of the fee that is due upon completion of the course often goes unpaid. Conquest For Life trainers have had to hold certificates of those that have not paid. It has also been suggested by the trainers to supplement the Advanced Course with Quickbooks training, a programme that is in high demand by potential employers. We have recently expanded our Computer Training Centre to two new locations, Ennerdale, and Soweto. The Ennerdale branch began the Basic and Advanced Courses recently and will follow the same curriculum and schedule as our original programme in Westbury. There are currently 12 computers being used and one computer trainer. Our Computer Training Centre in Soweto is at the moment in the planning stages due to the delay in equipping the facility with a security alarm system. There will also be twelve computers comprising the Training Centre, as well as one computer trainer. The Course will also follow the same curriculum and schedule as both the Westbury and Ennerdale facilities.

4.3.2 Ennerdale

4.3.3 Soweto

4.4 Job Creation Project


The Job Creation Project was also launched this past year as a means for unemployed youth from the community to receive practical, vocational training and acquire tangible skills that will enhance their employability. The project is comprised of a series of training courses in electrical appliance repair and wiring, upholstery, and detergent production. The training courses were supplemented by a three- week Life Skills camp held at the Dreamlands Farm. The camp functions as a way to provide the Job Creation participants the opportunity to build positive relationships with the other participants and Conquest For Life staff, focus on enhancing their confidence and self image, and reflect on their roles as positive agents of change in the community.

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Life Skills Camp Prior to beginning the training courses, 50 participants attended a Life Skills camp from the 9-28 of June 2002. The camp was organized similarly to our Youth At Risk camps in that the daily schedule consisted of a morning workshop facilitated either by Conquest For Life staff or guest facilitators, afternoon informal sports or chores, and an evening teambuilding session. Weekly evaluations indicated that the participants thoroughly enjoyed the activities and were enthusiastic about beginning the training courses. Business Skills Training In addition to the Life Skills camp, participants were required to attend a Business Development course over the period of one week. A consultant from Nations Trust conducted a series of workshops examining the fundamentals of business management including marketing, budgeting, cash flows, salesmanship, planning, etc. This programme is comprised of running a factory (based at Conquest for Lifes office) designed to manufacture the widest possible range of industryrelated products. Motorized mixing/pouring drums, scales, measures, packaging and chemicals were used to manufacture products. The manufacturing process allowed each participant to be exposed to the full range of activities required to create a product, beginning with obtaining the raw material, following with the actual production of the detergent and finally packaging the final product. All work was carried out on site, establishing the programme as a serious business entity. Out of the 10 candidates originally selected for the training course, 6 completed the course.

4.4.1 Detergents

The eight-week training provides the participants with skills for repair and maintenance of basic electrical household appliances and single-phase house wiring. The coursework was divided into sections covering the following topics: electrical safety, electrical portable appliance repair, house-wiring regulations, and house-wiring practicals. Twenty participants were originally selected to participate in the training, however 17 participants actually completed the course. Two candidates pursued better job opportunities and one participant dropped out. Participants were required to complete training in the following four departments: (a) Woodwork: milling and breaking wood, wood sampling, and machine maintenance. (b) Frame working: assembling numbered parts to construct a frame for a piece of furniture (c) Sewing: cutting industrial fabrics by templates, make stitches, sew using a machine, and product design.

4.4.2 Electrical Appliances

4.4.3 Furniture and Upholstery

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(d) Upholstery: slipping on covers, using non-sag springs, and putting on webbing. In total, 12 participants of the initially selected 20 completed the course. Four participants were offered permanent employment in other organizations during the course whereas four participants dropped out. Results The Job Creation Project has shown considerable success over the past year. Of the 35 participants that completed the project, 8 have found permanent employment with different businesses, six have started their own small business in the community and two have joined Conquests For Lifes staff as assistant trainers for the programme. Furthermore, eleven of the participants attended a three-month leadership course to enhance their professional and educational credentials. For the duration of the programme, the Furniture and Upholstery students produced 10 couches generating R17,800 in profits. In addition, students repaired furniture from our after care and head office, eliminating extra costs for the organization. Four products were manufactured by the Detergents Programme, i.e., Mrs Kleenz Dishwashing liquid, Mrs Kleenz All Purpose Cleaner, Mrs Kleenz Bleach and Mrs Kleenz Fabric Softener. Each product was made in 5 litre quantities and sold at a competitive price of R25.00 per bottle. A special package was also offered for R85.00 comprising one bottle of each product. In total, 100 bottles of each product were manufactured and eventually all of the stock was sold in the community. Challenges The single most difficult part of the project has been recruiting candidates that are committed to following through and competing the course. Numerous candidates only attended for one day and upon learning that there is no financial compensation, candidates lack the motivation to sacrifice their time.

4.5 Victim Offender Conferencing


4.6 Siyasizana Project

5. Staff

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