Nkosinathi Nowenkuku – South Africa

Speaking at the civil society focus group in Galeshewe, Kimberley, Nkosinathi Nowenkuku told participants how he had been brought up to believe that the man is the head of the household but how the women he encountered in prison helped him change his life.

When he was young Nowenkuku got involved with the wrong crowd and became a gangster. He committed robberies and rapes and finally ended up in prison. On arriving at the prison the one thing that surprised him the most was that many of the prison wardens were women and “even the head of the prison was a woman”. He recalls how the prison head called him into her office and spoke to him. “She told me that I should stop being a gangster because I had potential and I could change his life if he wanted to.” The prison head assisted him and paid for him to study theology through correspondence.

When he moved to Malmesbury Prison in Cape Town he found other women prison wardens there who encouraged prisoners to study further so that would find jobs once they were released. He says that spending most of his time with women who encouraged him had a remarkable effect on him. They said “If you believe in yourself and you have self confidence you will succeed in life.”

He took their advice and has succeeded in changing his life. He is now an activist who works with men and boys to stop violence against women.