Submitted by: Mashilo A. Kola
Nelson Mandela once said: “For to be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.” Mashilo A. Kola, a former convict, is the perfect example of someone who has not only managed to break his own chains, but help others to free themselves from their own limiting beliefs as well.
Here is his story:
I grew up like any other child – loving, respectful, obedient, and humble. At one point while I was at primary school, however, I became the victim of bullying. There was one guy in particular who would take my money and sometimes even hit me with a sjambok.
In the beginning, I did not retaliate. I just kept quiet and allowed the hurt and anger to build up in me. I absorbed as much of his abuse as a boy my age could until one day I fought back…… He cornered me one day after school when all of my suppressed emotions erupted like a volcano and I hit him onto the floor. I remember shaking and crying while choking him. Luckily, for both of us, someone came to his aid and my trembling hands were removed from around his throat.
Do the crime, do the time
Once I tasted the blood of a bully, I started to vehemently protect others who were being bullied as well. We started standing together and before I knew it, I was in my first gang. At this point, I was in high school and my slow descent into the dark world of crime had begun. What started out as common theft soon transitioned into common robbery, armed robbery, and murder.
I was 19 years old and in grade 10 in 2003 when I got arrested on 22 charges. I was no longer a scared, bullied little boy, but rather a hardened criminal who was about to spend the next 12 years of his life in prison.
A changed man
While I was still in prison I had a vision. My vision was that once I leave prison I would use my experiences to educate people about the consequences of crime as part of a program that also addresses substance abuse prevention, job creation, personal empowerment, and skills development.
Adjusting to the outside world was not easy, but I was determined to create a new life for myself and help others do the same. Within 5 months of my release I gave my first motivational speech at a school and I have not looked back since. I have since had the opportunity to give countless motivational talks and was also named as an ambassador for the Department of Correctional Services in Limpopo.
I am also actively involved in Ex-Con in Action – an organization founded with the purpose to lead rehabilitation programs and work hand-in-hand with other progressive organizations.
Mashilo doing what he loves most
Your past does not define you
I have a lot of hope for the future – both for myself and for my country. I want to continue to make a difference to people’s lives by initiating programs that will empower them. I also want to be an inspiration to other ex-convicts who may feel that their crimes will always define them. They need to know that they are NOT their past and that they no longer belong there. They need to turn their disadvantages into advantages, become ambassadors of change, and preach the gospel that #crimedoesnotpay.
I dream to see a South Africa that is free of substance abuse and crime where we can all live together in peace and harmony and I will do anything in my power to make this dream a reality.
Edited by: Justine Bishop
For more positive and uplifting stories visit us at #ImStaying
GOOD THOUGHTS • GOOD WORDS • GOOD DEEDS
