Thank you for your hard work, James, and for sharing this with us. It is people like yourself who teach kids that they are worthy of respect, love, care; and that they can give that to others - a far cry from the violence, substance abuse and poverty they've often become accustomed to. Yours is such important work for these individuals, and for our future society.
On Feb 21, 3:29 am, James Cowley <jamesobs...@gmail.com> wrote: > After living, scrounging and juggling his young life around foster parents, > Boys Town, the streets of Observatory at night from age ten to fifteen, he > finally found a new home of safety and care. > > The past five years living on the street certainly made him streetwise and > complimented his manipulative easy smooth talk manner of getting some cash > from passers bye, shoppers or the Obs vibe community. Being invited into a > home or a ress may have left the kind hearted, unsuspecting and fun loving > student out of sorts as later they would discover that an item or two was > missing from their abode. In a moment or two he could wind you around his > finger in getting something from you, yet dart off in an instant > of youthful energy running along to find his next 'friend' or whip around > the corner out of sight of the local security, SAPS or from a raised > eyebrow. > > A lie too many and in wanting a quick buck he landed himself up at the > Woodstock Police Station, was shipped off to Court the next day for a crime > he was suspected of, only to have marched out from custody the same day > while awaiting his Court appearance. Back on the Observatory streets it > took the ONW to enquire what's up before he was rearrested a week later and > taken back to court again by SAPS. I have been able to attend all but one > of the five month's worth of court hearings, each time he was placed back > to a 'secure home for boys' in Faure. A casual visit to his secure > environment enabled me to learn more of him as a young boy, and a > subsequent visit was due to an invitation by the home re their 'open day'. > Proud as can be of his certificates to prove his self worth to me, I was > able to buy some of his hand products of needlework which he had made. The > neatly sewn cloth holder I gave to his mother who found it difficult to > care for him during those early years, a cushion smartly padded up I left > with a friend to give to his father when he is released from Polsmoor, and > the oven gloves I gave to an Aunt who cared for him from age three to ten, > a gift well meant, as she used to sew for the extra pound in order to > maintain house, the extended family and the home. > > The ACVV who managed his placements via the Children's Court over the years > did a sterling work to take the process further of arranging a court > hearing for yesterday 20 February. The Legal Aid Attorney did well in that > the criminal case was withdrawn by the State due to lack of evidence, and > further that she had the case of absconding, due to the boy's potential > future before him, converted such that it will not be held against him for > now. The Senior Probational officer also applied care and concern in her > motivation for the conversion which was presented to the Magistrate. > > However, in the fine tuning of the two different Court systems, Criminal > and Social, in getting him placed into a secure environment for the next > two years till age eighteen, crime in Dieprivier nearly scuttled the double > proceedings. The Attorney's home was broken into and she was not able to > attend Court. Fortunately in keeping an eagle eye out over the process I > cautioned the Prosecutor not to postpone the hearing for the next day as > the Children's Court and the Home of Safety arrangements were to be > jeopardised, thus alternative arrangements were made. Still the youth was > shipped back and forth due to some glitches between the two Courts but with > a combined effort we managed to literally squeezed him through the cracks > in the doors, and successfully had him to be placed at a new home. > > Walking down the streets of CT between one Court and the other I > could sense the anxiety of the youth walking close to his Police Wardens. > Leaving the Children's Court after the successful outcome, marching down > the corridors to the waiting room from where he will be transferred to his > new schooling and secure home, I noticed the change of his walk as > twisting the feet slightly on the ball of the foot, relieved from the past > and glad to have a place that he could actually look forward to, offering > him the opportunity to prove his worth even further, hopefully to himself > first. Doing the farewells, he gave thought to thank me first, before he > was given a big hug, a squeeze of the hand, and prodding him on to do go > and do his best - 'a tribute to all who helped'. > James -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "The Observatory Neighbourhood watch" group. To post to this group, send email to obsnw@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to obsnw+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/obsnw?hl=en.
