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December <strong>2016</strong><br />
VOLUME 17, NUMBER 2<br />
JPIC – SOUTH AFRICA<br />
MARY WARD WOMEN IN THE FIELD<br />
Joyce Mzamo<br />
Inside this issue<br />
Page 2<br />
*Counter Trafficking update<br />
for South Africa<br />
*Emerging Leaders Process<br />
*90-90-90<br />
Page 3<br />
*Restorative Justice<br />
Page 4<br />
*Outreach program –Loreto<br />
Convent School, Pretoria<br />
FOCUS SHIFTS TO ACTION<br />
As of November <strong>2016</strong>, the Paris<br />
Agreement on Climate Change<br />
has been signed by 193 countries<br />
and ratified by 110 countries<br />
representing 76.7% of emissions.<br />
The Paris Agreement could only<br />
come into force legally if 55<br />
countries that produce at least 55<br />
% of the world’s greenhouse<br />
emissions ratified it. This target<br />
was reached when the European<br />
Union ratified the agreement in<br />
October, following China and the<br />
United States of America both<br />
ratifying the agreement. The Paris<br />
Agreement legally entered into<br />
force on the 4 November <strong>2016</strong>.<br />
USEFUL WEBSITES<br />
For regularly updated news<br />
from the IBVM UN NGO<br />
Office in New York, go to<br />
www.ibvmunngo.org<br />
For past copies of JPIC – South<br />
Africa <strong>newsletter</strong> go to the new<br />
website for IBVM in Southern<br />
Africa www.ibvmsa.com<br />
For general IBVM news go to<br />
www.ibvm.org<br />
I was born in 1957 and grew up in the<br />
small town of Ladysmith in the Cape.<br />
Apartheid had a huge impact on my life.<br />
At the age of 3, I lost my mother. She was<br />
unlawfully arrested during a police raid<br />
and ‘disappeared’.<br />
My father and paternal grandmother<br />
raised me. They instilled in me the<br />
Christian values which I hold dear –<br />
values of integrity, justice, generosity and<br />
responsible living.’<br />
My father was a wise man – a great man.<br />
He taught me from a young age to work<br />
hard and to have a deep love for God’s<br />
creation – the earth. He taught me that<br />
responsible cultivation of the soil sustains<br />
life. To this day I love watching plants<br />
grow and flourish; my vegetable patch is<br />
my pride and joy.<br />
My grandmother used the Afrikaans and<br />
isiXhosa Bible to teach me the skill of<br />
reading and writing. I’m fluent in three<br />
languages, including English. My<br />
grandmother was a wonderful role-model<br />
and had a very positive influence in my<br />
life. She had the gift of service which she<br />
passed onto me.<br />
I learnt to serve others by preparing food<br />
and serving meals. Sharing food is one<br />
way of reaching out and responding to the<br />
needs of others. Food brings people<br />
together in times of happiness and<br />
sorrow.<br />
As Chairperson of the Reconstruction<br />
and Development Programme (RDP)<br />
Committee of Somerset West, I played an<br />
instrumental role in negotiating and<br />
representing a group of frustrated people<br />
who were in desperate need of shelter and<br />
protection. To honour the successful<br />
outcome, the main street in Lourencia<br />
Park, Somerset West was named after me<br />
– Joyce Mzamo Street.<br />
I was appointed at Loreto Primary School<br />
in 1997 by the previous principal, Anne<br />
Krause. In 2004, when the school’s status<br />
changed from private to public on private<br />
property, I was appointed by Western<br />
Cape Education Department as the<br />
supervisor.<br />
I strive each day to demonstrate the<br />
values of Mary Ward, very much the<br />
same values as that instilled in me by my<br />
father and grandmother, in my work and<br />
in the manner in which I conduct myself.<br />
I love being part of Loreto and of being of<br />
service here. I’m fondly known by our<br />
principal, Vanessa Oertle, as the<br />
Matriarch of the School. Each day is<br />
different and it’s wonderful that I’m<br />
needed by so many people here. I’m often<br />
asked for advice especially when it comes<br />
to the children. I counsel children who are<br />
experiencing difficulties at home or as a<br />
result of trauma. God has given me a<br />
heart for the abused and neglected. Trust<br />
in God: “I will find in God, whatever<br />
consoles and gladdens me, and hasten to<br />
Him for help, in all sufferings and<br />
necessities.” Our Foundress, Mary Ward.<br />
Mary Ward, in 1615 received a vision of<br />
the ‘Just Soul’, which was characterized<br />
by a ‘singular freedom’ from all the<br />
idolatries and addictions of this world.<br />
This very freedom enabled Mary and<br />
continues to enable us to be actively<br />
involved in ‘all good works’ that bring<br />
many closer to God, that is ourselves and<br />
those whom we serve whole heartedly! At<br />
the same time, we should strive to ensure<br />
that this should not be in anyway a<br />
deterrence to an individual’s encounter<br />
with God to some ‘holy’ and special<br />
sphere, rather, that same individual<br />
should experience God precisely in the<br />
day to day ordinary activities of our<br />
human existence.<br />
Joyce Mzamo Loreto School Strand
The targets for SDG 16 include<br />
ending all forms of violence,<br />
including human trafficking<br />
Monica Shanley IBVM reports<br />
that since the law on the<br />
criminalization of Human<br />
Trafficking was passed in<br />
September 2013 in South<br />
Africa, the topic of HT is<br />
mentioned frequently in the<br />
media. For example, the week<br />
of 3 – 7 October <strong>2016</strong> was HT<br />
Awareness Week in South<br />
Africa and a recent radio news<br />
item announced that in this<br />
year alone there have been over<br />
a hundred convictions for the<br />
crime of HT.<br />
<br />
SDG 5 Achieve gender equality<br />
and empower all women and<br />
girls. The Emerging Leaders<br />
Process is an example of<br />
empowering women.<br />
EMERGING LEADERS<br />
The Emerging Leaders Process<br />
(ELP) is up and running in the<br />
community of St. Catherine of<br />
Siena, Kleinvlei, Western Cape,<br />
South Africa. It is facilitated by<br />
Judith Turner and Sr. Rosaleen<br />
O’Kane IBVM. It is a process<br />
that aims to give women the<br />
opportunity to discover their<br />
own inner leadership and to<br />
equip them to use this<br />
leadership more effectively in<br />
their lives. The process is based<br />
on the work of Steven Covey –<br />
The 7 Habits of Highly<br />
Effective People – but in the<br />
training the approach is from a<br />
faith basis. The aim is to make our<br />
leadership our habit: habitually putting<br />
first things first, thinking win-win, being<br />
pro-active, etc. Having discovered their<br />
God-given gift of leadership these women<br />
are empowered to make a difference in<br />
their own personal lives, their homes,<br />
workplaces, neighbourhoods and<br />
parishes.<br />
Participants attend about 8 sessions<br />
which are usually a month apart. Over<br />
this time there is the opportunity to<br />
reflect on the habits and to do journaling.<br />
Typically, women join the process<br />
because they see the need for some<br />
growth in their own lives, especially in the<br />
area of self-confidence. The variety of<br />
methods used in the presentations leads to<br />
optimal participation and there is much<br />
interaction and bonding, as well as<br />
learning. The use of different venues, as<br />
far as possible, as well as making a special<br />
effort with the catering, lends significance<br />
to the sessions.<br />
At the end of the process the participants<br />
have attested to the positive changes it has<br />
brought about in their lives: they have<br />
grown spiritually and emotionally, they<br />
can handle issues from a different<br />
perspective, they have more empathy,<br />
they feel empowered in situations that<br />
were previously challenging. Recently as<br />
we finished our process one participant<br />
put it very simply “I found myself”.<br />
Another said “You knew these things but<br />
you didn’t know how to apply them”.<br />
Throughout the sessions the emphasis is<br />
on ‘process’ – no quick fixes; rather the<br />
ability to do inner reflection and find<br />
solutions within. The ELP seeks to give<br />
skills in leadership in all its aspects, it is<br />
very much a work-in-progress for each<br />
individual.<br />
Rosaleen O’Kane IBVM<br />
See photo of women on <strong>page</strong> 4<br />
<br />
The targets of SDG 3 include ending the<br />
epidemic of AIDS. 90-90-90 is an initiative<br />
to end the epidemic by 2030.<br />
90-90-90<br />
The National AIDS Council of Zambia as<br />
guided by the WHO and the UNAIDS<br />
Framework has recently launched the 90-<br />
90-90 initiative. This is ambitious<br />
treatment target to help end the AIDS<br />
epidemic. Although many strategies will<br />
be needed to bring the AIDS epidemic to<br />
an end, it is understood that it will be<br />
impossible to achieve without bringing<br />
HIV treatment to all who need it. Thus<br />
the 90-90-90 initiative has been<br />
introduced with the belief that if these<br />
targets can be achieved, the AIDS<br />
epidemic can be brought to an end.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
By 2020, 90% of all people living with<br />
HIV will know their HIV status.<br />
By 2020, 90% of all people with<br />
diagnosed HIV infection will receive<br />
sustained antiretroviral therapy.<br />
By 2020, 90% of all people receiving<br />
antiretroviral therapy will have viral<br />
suppression.<br />
90% 90%<br />
90%<br />
Diagnose On treatment Virally Suppressed<br />
When this three-part target is achieved,<br />
at least 73% of all people living with HIV<br />
worldwide will be virally suppressed – a<br />
two- to three-fold increase over current<br />
rough estimates of viral suppression.<br />
Modelling suggests that achieving these<br />
targets by 2020 will enable the world to<br />
end the AIDS epidemic by 2030, which in<br />
turn will generate profound health and<br />
economic benefits.<br />
To realise such an ambitious outcome<br />
requires a multi-sectoral approach and<br />
working partnerships on the ground.<br />
Thus, for example in Zambia, the NAC is<br />
encouraging various public departments,<br />
NGOs and private organisations to<br />
combine resources when conducting<br />
activities in communities and invite health<br />
personnel and counsellors. Thus, when<br />
any event is taking place all those<br />
gathered can be encouraged to test there<br />
and then and know their HIV status.<br />
Once known and if HIV+, the person can<br />
be enrolled on ART therapy. Once ART<br />
is adhered to there is a very good chance<br />
that the person will have viral<br />
suppression, and thus reduces the chance<br />
of passing on the virus or developing full<br />
blown AIDS. If this can become a reality<br />
at grassroots throughout the world, then<br />
it is believed that we can overcome the<br />
scourge of AIDS.<br />
The Loreto Sisters in Lukulu, Zambia are<br />
hoping to advance this initiative in 2017<br />
by introducing the availability of testing<br />
at all Home-Based Care Community<br />
Workshops and other activities scheduled<br />
throughout the year.<br />
Pat Hanvey IBVM
During the year five<br />
Restorative Justice Programs<br />
have been presented in<br />
different Correctional Centres<br />
in the Western Cape, South<br />
Africa – Voorberg (2),<br />
Worcester Males, Goodwood,<br />
Pollsmoor Females. 126<br />
offenders participated. The<br />
vast majority of offenders have<br />
a low self-image because they<br />
identify themselves with their<br />
crime and few of them have<br />
ever experienced the<br />
unconditional love of God.<br />
Through the sessions the<br />
offenders are lead to the Truth<br />
about themselves – that no<br />
matter what crime they have<br />
committed they are still loved<br />
unconditionally by God, a God<br />
who is full of Mercy and<br />
Forgiveness.<br />
Restorative Justice is a challenging<br />
programme as offenders are invited to<br />
make an inward journey and to take<br />
responsibility for their crime. They are<br />
also challenged to look at the<br />
consequences of their crime and how<br />
many people they have hurt. During the<br />
sessions, they are instructed on how to<br />
deal with strong emotions like anger, and<br />
jealousy, how to make good choices, how<br />
to deal with Temptation and Guilt and<br />
they are lead through sessions on<br />
Repentance, Forgiveness and<br />
Reconciliation. Paul Robb defines<br />
conversion as ‘a radical transformation<br />
that affects all level of living – personal,<br />
social, moral as well as a changed<br />
relationship with God.’ We have<br />
witnessed this kind of transformation<br />
among many of the offenders who had<br />
reached rock bottom and had lost hope.<br />
They came through the programme<br />
restored and rose up with new strength,<br />
courage and determination.<br />
In an evaluation one wrote: “I have<br />
learned the true effect of my crime on my<br />
family and especially on my children who<br />
have been hurt the most. I have also<br />
learned to forgive myself and reflect on<br />
my life in order to know where I went<br />
wrong. I can now move on in life.”<br />
Another participant expressed her<br />
appreciation as follows: “I grew in selfknowledge<br />
and self-confidence and I<br />
realize that I do not have to identify<br />
myself with my crime. The most<br />
important things I took from the sessions<br />
is, that for God to forgive me, I need to<br />
forgive others. I have learned that a good<br />
self-image is the key to success.”<br />
The Family Mediation Days were also<br />
well attended and great appreciation was<br />
expressed by many family members.<br />
Participants were also grateful that we<br />
provided a platform for them, where they<br />
could speak openly and honestly and ask<br />
forgiveness for the hurt they had caused.<br />
It was also not easy for the offenders to<br />
hear from their families how their crime<br />
affected them and how many of them are<br />
struggling in the community. One<br />
participant in the program expressed her<br />
appreciation of the day as follows: The<br />
Family Mediation Day was most helpful.<br />
I was able to take responsibility for my<br />
past actions, own up to it and ask the<br />
person I had hurt the most, who is my<br />
Mom, for forgiveness. It was very<br />
difficult for me to hear from my loved<br />
ones how much I had hurt them.’<br />
Another wrote: the mediation between<br />
my family and I really opened my eyes. I<br />
now know that I have responsibilities and<br />
Page 3<br />
I am motivated to live a meaningful life. I<br />
want to say ‘thank you’ for helping me to<br />
find myself and the real me.<br />
The Restorative Justice Team consists of<br />
seven volunteers who have shown<br />
themselves to be highly motivated and<br />
passionate about the program and who<br />
are totally focused on the Vision and<br />
Mission of the Organization. There is a<br />
wonderful spirit of generosity,<br />
compassion and co-operation among<br />
them that enables the smooth running of<br />
the program. Offenders also appreciate<br />
the support they receive from the<br />
facilitators. One expressed it as follows:<br />
“The attitude that the facilitators showed<br />
was very helpful as they created a loving<br />
and caring environment which enabled us<br />
to speak openly and honestly about our<br />
crimes without fear of being judged.”<br />
Another expressed it this way: “What was<br />
helpful was the dedication and trust, love<br />
and compassion from those who<br />
facilitated and the unlimited support and<br />
words of encouragement which they gave<br />
us. They were a blessing from God and I<br />
am thankful.”<br />
In Mark 4 we find Jesus teaching his<br />
disciples the principle of sowing and<br />
planting seeds. And this is how we see<br />
ourselves – as Seed Platers. We are fully<br />
aware that the ground is often rocky and<br />
infertile and that the thorns and weeds<br />
flourish in the prison environment, often<br />
killing and choking the seed. Yet we are<br />
hopeful that some seed will fall on fertile<br />
ground and produce a crop – some thirty,<br />
some sixty and some, one hundredfold. I<br />
am very happy to discover that Pope<br />
Francis sees things in the same light. He<br />
says “God can be encountered in the<br />
prisons of today, as God is in every<br />
person, in every situation and event.”<br />
Marie Brady IBVM is a volunteer member<br />
of the Restorative Justice Team from the<br />
Prison Care and Support Network of the<br />
Archdiocese of Cape Town in South Africa.
Annual meeting of members of the IBVM JPIC team with the JPIC<br />
school contacts from the two Loreto schools in Pretoria in August<br />
<br />
<br />
Siphokazi Sithole (Grade 6M) writes ‘On 1<br />
September <strong>2016</strong>, we visited Paul Jungnickel<br />
Centre. When we arrived, we met many<br />
wonderful people. We first played musical<br />
chairs, which everyone participated in and<br />
enjoyed the most. The second game we<br />
played was the potato relay race where a<br />
person had to hold the potato with a spoon<br />
and go across the open area to give it to<br />
another person. Next was the wheelchair<br />
teddy bear run. The people in the<br />
wheelchairs seemed to enjoy themselves and<br />
were very happy. We then met the little<br />
children and got to play different games with<br />
them. They were very excited to see us.<br />
After playing soccer with the teenagers who<br />
live in the orphanage, we ate our lunch and<br />
rested for a few minutes. The best part<br />
about the whole trip was when we had to<br />
serve lunch to the older people. We actually<br />
got to feed them!<br />
When we first arrived at the centre some<br />
learners were very scared and some were<br />
even crying. As the day went on we felt free<br />
to communicate with the people that live<br />
there. We were all ecstatic…..<br />
<br />
Most recent group of women to participate in the Emerging Leaders<br />
Process. See story on <strong>page</strong> 2<br />
<br />
<br />
Mrs Jean Yon reported that ‘We took 48 Grade 6 Loreto Convent<br />
Girls to the Paul Jungnickel Welfare Centre in Pretoria on 1<br />
September <strong>2016</strong>. They had a fantastic day of playing games,<br />
interacting and feeding the residents. There was also the handover of<br />
items that the school had collected for them to use. They make goods<br />
from recycled material and sell them at their well-known Christmas<br />
Market every year to raise funds. Those were all the items in the<br />
black bags you can see in the photo.’<br />
<br />
<br />
Sister Margaret Mary O’Brien IBVM, who<br />
died last month, was a proud South African<br />
as well as a strong advocate for the<br />
upliftment of children through education. To<br />
quote her from an earlier edition of this<br />
<strong>newsletter</strong>, “As principal of Holy Trinity<br />
High School in the black township of<br />
Atteridgeville, I saw how politicians made<br />
use of scholars to cause disruption and<br />
further the anti-Apartheid struggle. While I<br />
supported the movement to end Apartheid, I<br />
could see that disrupting schools was not in<br />
the best interests of scholars. I made this<br />
point to the inspector who was sent to find<br />
out how Holy Trinity alone remained<br />
functional in the midst of the general chaos.<br />
As a result of this disruptive action, many<br />
people ended up without a proper education<br />
and crime and joblessness became all too<br />
common.”